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There were plenty of writers and boxing insiders who weren’t all that impressed by Wills. Frank Menke, a highly respected sportswriter of that era didn’t think he was a great fighter. Neither did Ray Arcel. Number of articles describe his fights as dull, since he relied heavily on his size advantage with smaller fighters, often tying them up and fouling them. He was DQ’d several times in his career.
In 1926 Menke had this to say about Wills:
Will made very good money battling “just about the most mediocre collection of fisticuffers thst the mind can conceive”. Menke called Wills foes “has-been set-ups and ring wrecks-and still this man, favored as has been no other warrior in ring history, sobbed about being denied a “fair break.” Menke claimed Wills had dodged every good fighter for 3 or 4 years, and yet for some inexplicable reason, promoters permitted him to take on far inferior men. Since 1921, the only men Wills fought who had even a fair reputation were Bartley Madden, a human punching bag who couldn’t hit and had no defense, and Firpo, who was all washed up as a result of the Dempsey beating and fancy living. Firpo was fat, flabby, and crude, and yet Wills still could not knock him out, nor could he knock out Madden. The tip-off regarding how little the Firpo victory meant was when less than 3 months later Charley Weinert rose from a fistic graveyard and beat Firpo with ease. Bill Tate got a draw and won on a foul against Wills. After that, Wills refused to hear Ken to every defi that Tate slung at him. Gibbons agreed to spot Wills 40 pounds and 5 inches of height but Wills dodged him. Furthermore, he had repeatedly ignored challenged from Gene Tunney, and refused huge offers for a match with George Godfrey, another of Dempsey's sparring partners. Menke said it was Wills who was the most careful avoider the game has known. Yet so long as promoters offered him big money to knock off broken down wrecks, he would be foolish to do otherwise.
In 1926 Menke had this to say about Wills:
Will made very good money battling “just about the most mediocre collection of fisticuffers thst the mind can conceive”. Menke called Wills foes “has-been set-ups and ring wrecks-and still this man, favored as has been no other warrior in ring history, sobbed about being denied a “fair break.” Menke claimed Wills had dodged every good fighter for 3 or 4 years, and yet for some inexplicable reason, promoters permitted him to take on far inferior men. Since 1921, the only men Wills fought who had even a fair reputation were Bartley Madden, a human punching bag who couldn’t hit and had no defense, and Firpo, who was all washed up as a result of the Dempsey beating and fancy living. Firpo was fat, flabby, and crude, and yet Wills still could not knock him out, nor could he knock out Madden. The tip-off regarding how little the Firpo victory meant was when less than 3 months later Charley Weinert rose from a fistic graveyard and beat Firpo with ease. Bill Tate got a draw and won on a foul against Wills. After that, Wills refused to hear Ken to every defi that Tate slung at him. Gibbons agreed to spot Wills 40 pounds and 5 inches of height but Wills dodged him. Furthermore, he had repeatedly ignored challenged from Gene Tunney, and refused huge offers for a match with George Godfrey, another of Dempsey's sparring partners. Menke said it was Wills who was the most careful avoider the game has known. Yet so long as promoters offered him big money to knock off broken down wrecks, he would be foolish to do otherwise.
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