LOUIS-WALCOTT BOUT

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25363, 10 December 1947, Page 4

LOUIS-WALCOTT BOUT

DECISION UPHELD BY COMMISSION (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, December 8. The New York State Athletic Commission, at a special meeting to-day, refused to reverse Friday’s decision in favour of Joe Louis over Joe Walcott. It did, however, congratulate Walcott upon his "splendid performance.” Mr Eddie Eagan, chairman of the commission, said that if the commission undertook to review the decision of the ring officials there would be no real qertainty of the winner of a contest until after a commission apview. The chief point of Walcott’s protest against the decision involved the decision of Mr Frank Forbes, one of the three officials, who, although he gave Louis more rounds, gave Walcott more points. The commission said: "Mr Forbes’s decision to the contrary at that time was in his discretion, and it, together with that of Mr Martin Monroe, continued Joe Louis as the heavy-weight champion of the world. This commission has no desire to Interfere with the exercise of the discretion and judgment of competent appointed officials. Joe Louis always has been a true sportsman, and the commission assumes that he will give Walcott another chance at the heavy-weight title.” Neither Walcott nor his manager would comment on the commission’s ruling. Louis told the Twentieth Century Sporting Club that ha was ready to meet Walcott again in June if satisfactory terms could be arranged, and he asked that, if possible, the return bout be held in the New York Yankee Stadium. Although Louis was not* specific in de* fining satisfactory terms, it is believed that he meant terms similar to the second Louis-Conn fight, in which Louis drew 40 per cent, of the receipts and Conn 20 per cent.