Jess Willard vs Fred Fulton

[TheGreatA]

Two big men of the era who had a rivalry yet never got to fight each other. Fulton chased a title shot for years and the fight came close to being made several times but Willard never stepped in the ring with him. Fulton had supposedly knocked down the champion in a boxing exhibition. Perhaps Willard, who made more money with his circus act than by fighting, didn't want to risk his title for less money. In the end he did give a title chance to the man who had proved to be the best of the contenders, Jack Dempsey, and it turned out to be a terrible decision for old Willard.

Of course it's quite difficult to predict the outcome considering the lack of footage on Fred Fulton but I'm sure one could come up with some kind of analysis based on all the newspaper reports and by comparing their achievements from 1915 to 1918.

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Fred Fulton listed as 6'4-6'6½ inches tall, 84½ inch reach, weighed between 210 to 220 pounds.

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Jess Willard 6'6½ inches tall, 83 inch reach, weighed around 240 pounds.

[Russell]

Could go either way honestly, wasn't Fulton a bit chinny?

[TheGreatA]

Could go either way honestly, wasn't Fulton a bit chinny?

Dempsey finished him off in just 23 devastating seconds while Harry Wills stopped him on body blows. Then again he did beat the great old Sam Langford more decisively than anyone else at that time had managed.

Later on the much smaller Billy Miske also KO'd him in one. Fulton however took some dives so it's difficult to say what was legit and what was not.

I'd say he was definitely vulnerable although before the Dempsey KO he didn't show any signs of having a "glass chin".

[Flea Man]

Am looking forward to reading responses in this thread. Intriguing subject, what can you guys tell me of Fulton?

[TheGreatA]

Am looking forward to reading responses in this thread. Intriguing subject, what can you guys tell me of Fulton?

I'd go as far as to say that Willard intentionally avoided him. Atleast he demanded far too much money and showed little interest in getting in the ring after winning the title from Jack Johnson.

Fulton was pretty much the top contender from 1916 to 1918 and only lost on dubious DQ's during that time period. The TKO win over 'black' heavyweight champ Sam Langford in 1917 especially established him as one of the best, if not the best in the division.

Here are some articles criticizing 'pacifist' champ Jess Willard for not fighting him:

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[Flea Man]

Cheers pal.

Stopping Langford is enough reason for me to delve deeper.

[janitor]

Willard would probably have won, simply because as the champion he would have dictated the rule set.

Over a distance of saqy 15 rounds Fulton would probably have outpointed Willard quite handily if he did not get caught. Willard would have known this and would have therfore dictated the longest duration possible.

[TheGreatA]

Willard would probably have won, simply because as the champion he would have dictated the rule set.

Over a distance of saqy 15 rounds Fulton would probably have outpointed Willard quite handily if he did not get caught. Willard would have known this and would have therfore dictated the longest duration possible.

In 1918 Willard stated that he would not fight Fulton for 15 rounds or less if a decision was to be made at the end of the bout.

What a lot of people don't consider nowadays is that Willard was seen as nearly "unbeatable", although he was widely disliked as champion, because people at the time did not think he could be KO'd and he did not allow judges or referees to make a decision unless the fight was to go 20 or more rounds. Of course in a fight to the finish his great stamina and durability would eventually tell. That is if he showed up in Jack Johnson fight shape, not the overweight 260 lbs he fought at against Frank Moran.

There are many varying newspaper reports on how long the fight would have been scheduled. Some say it was to be a fight to the finish, some say it would have been a 10 round no decision bout.

Here Fulton boasts that he will knock Willard out in a fight to the finish:

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Willard says he prefers 20 rounds but is confident in his chances under any circumstances:

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However the most reliable reports seem to indicate that the two camps had come to a compromise to make the fight for 15 rounds, with no decision to be rendered of course. In that case Fulton must have been very confident in his punching prowess, since KO'ing Willard inside 15 rounds wasn't though to be possible. Most people did think that Fulton had the boxing ability to outpoint Willard in a 10 or 15 round bout but that would have been in vain if no decision was to be given.

In the end money and location issues ruined any chance of the fight happening.

However let's say that Willard and Fulton had come to a compromise of meeting in a 20 round decision fight. Who would have won in that case?

[Maxmomer]

Fulton was a very good fighter. Underrated these days. He was one of the best HW's of the era, white or black. I think a 15 round bout could go either way, 20 or more rounds and the difference in durablity becomes a bigger factor and grants the edge to Willard.

[Duodenum]

Willard would probably have won, simply because as the champion he would have dictated the rule set.

Over a distance of say 15 rounds Fulton would probably have outpointed Willard quite handily if he did not get caught. Willard would have known this and would have therfore dictated the longest duration possible.That's right. Jess had the power to take Fulton out if he connected, but not the temperament to pull the trigger on a fully loaded weapon. Fred would have taken any newspaper decision, but knocking out Jess would have been the necessary challenge. Even a peaking Dempsey exerting himself frantically wasn't able to put Willard down for the count, and that first knockdown came courtesy of perhaps the most powerfully executed hook ever captured on film. At 41 years of age, Jess took everything Firpo could throw at him for several rounds, and it looked like he made a choice to take the count at the end.

It also should be considered that Willard might have taken Fulton seriously enough to whip himself into Havana like physical condition, particularly when taking into account Fulton's youth. Dempsey was able to catch Jess by surprise. Fulton would have no such advantage after what happened between them in Rochester. In addition to a solid chin, Jess had some defensive skills, as he showed when ducking and blocking Moran's lefts and rights while against the ropes. All Willard had to do to retain the title was finish on his feet, yet he took the newspaper decisions over Moran handily while considerably in less than top condition. That competition would have kept him sharp for Fulton in 1917. (After more than two years of inactivity, rust becomes more of a factor at a relatively advanced age. Even then, he would have been better prepared for Fulton than Dempsey in 1919.)

[HomicideHenry]

Willard was tall and had power and was conditioned and tough, but he didn't fight like a giant of the era should have. He was too slow and awkward. So was Fulton, but Fred was more the animal than Willard was. Unfortunately, it comes down to this: Dempsey kayoed Fulton in 15 seconds, and it took Dempsey 7 knock downs and three rounds to stop Jess Willard. Fulton may have decisioned Langford once, but Willard defeated Johnson. In the end, its apparent, that Willard was built to last. The Pottawotamie Giant would have defeated Fulton, Morris, and other giants of the era. The lone exception, would have been Luther McCarthy, who was the superior boxer/tactician.

[Duodenum]

Willard was tall and had power and was conditioned and tough, but he didn't fight like a giant of the era should have. He was too slow and awkward. So was Fulton, but Fred was more the animal than Willard was. Unfortunately, it comes down to this: Dempsey kayoed Fulton in 15 seconds, and it took Dempsey 7 knock downs and three rounds to stop Jess Willard. Fulton may have decisioned Langford once, but Willard defeated Johnson. In the end, its apparent, that Willard was built to last. The Pottawotamie Giant would have defeated Fulton, Morris, and other giants of the era. The lone exception, would have been Luther McCarthy, who was the superior boxer/tactician.Except that Jess had already squared off with McCarty in a match the NY Times called in favor of Willard.

[HomicideHenry]

Then why is it that McCarthy ended up being the 'White Heavyweight' champion instead of Willard? McCarthy got the shot at Pazer not Big Jess. Had McCarthy not have died, it was garunteed he would have met both Bombardier Billy Wells and then Jack Johnson. Instead, it was Fireman Jim Flynn who got the shot at Johnson.

[Duodenum]

It was my understanding that Jess and his syndicate wasn't interested in the White Championship, but was after Johnson directly, and got him. A McCarty-Willard rematch would have been interesting with the added experience each was getting later in 1912 and 1913.

[HomicideHenry]

According to the historical society where I live, it paints a different story. McCarthy's manager said Luther was superior to Willard and those "other no-decision demons". WIth his win over Al Pazer in 19 rounds, it was written into contract following McCarthy's bout with the Canadian Arthur Pelkey that he would get British white hope Bombardier Billy Wells and then Jack Johnson. However, McCarthy died during the match, evidentially from complications from a previous back and neck injury during a rodeo stunt. Its of my opinion he would have defeated Pelkey, Wells, and then Johnson. However, I think McCarthy would have eventually been stopped by Dempsey who was rising up the ranks.

[janitor]

In 1918 Willard stated that he would not fight Fulton for 15 rounds or less if a decision was to be made at the end of the bout.

What a lot of people don't consider nowadays is that Willard was seen as nearly "unbeatable", although he was widely disliked as champion, because people at the time did not think he could be KO'd and he did not allow judges or referees to make a decision unless the fight was to go 20 or more rounds. Of course in a fight to the finish his great stamina and durability would eventually tell. That is if he showed up in Jack Johnson fight shape, not the overweight 260 lbs he fought at against Frank Moran.

There are many varying newspaper reports on how long the fight would have been scheduled. Some say it was to be a fight to the finish, some say it would have been a 10 round no decision bout.

Here Fulton boasts that he will knock Willard out in a fight to the finish:

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Willard says he prefers 20 rounds but is confident in his chances under any circumstances:

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

However the most reliable reports seem to indicate that the two camps had come to a compromise to make the fight for 15 rounds, with no decision to be rendered of course. In that case Fulton must have been very confident in his punching prowess, since KO'ing Willard inside 15 rounds wasn't though to be possible. Most people did think that Fulton had the boxing ability to outpoint Willard in a 10 or 15 round bout but that would have been in vain if no decision was to be given.

In the end money and location issues ruined any chance of the fight happening.

However let's say that Willard and Fulton had come to a compromise of meeting in a 20 round decision fight. Who would have won in that case?

Some interesting articles.

Over 20 rounds, if I had to put money down I would probably take Willards power over Fultons chin at some point.

It would not be a confident pick.

[Ted Spoon]

Willard is well documented to have avoided Fulton.

It had much to do with a daunting similarity in size and if there is some legitimacy to that exhibition then the hesitation was understandable.

Willard grinned at the prospect of Dempsey because he was so much smaller; he truly believed that he could not hurt him.

A big point in this theorised match-up is the power of Fulton who could really punch with either hand. If not knock him out he could have made Willard cagey to then smooth over a decision.

[sallywinder]

les darcy, was the greatest fighter that ever lived. he kod fulton in a spar in 1915. darcy was a middle...and died of blood poisoning, or murder a month or two later......




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