BOXING Graziano Loses Licence

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 February 1947, Page 7

BOXING Graziano Loses Licence

Offers Of Huge Bribes Not Reported (Rec. 12.10 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 7. The New York State Athletic Commission revoked the middleweight boxer Rocky Graziano’s licence to-day for failure to report two offers of a 100,000 dollars bribe to lose his bout against Cowboy Ruben Shank on December 27. Graziano later withdrew from the contest, explaining that he had a sore back. Graziano was bound by the commission’s rules to report any bribe offers. The licence was revoked after a three-day hearing by the commission, which also ordered the cancellation of Graziano’s world title bout with the champion, Tony Zale, on March 21. The commission chairman, Mr. Edward Eagan, read the dicision as follows:—“The commission finds from the evidence, and from your own admission, that on three separate occasions, with suggestions or requests to engage in sham or collusive contests, you never reported these requests or suggestions to this commission.” The third occasion referred to an offer of 100,000 dollars to throw the fight in May, 1945, with Al (Bummy) Davis, who was murdered in Brooklyn on November 21, 1945. The commission refused Graziano’s attorney’s request for a 60 or 90 days’ stay of proceedings, whereupon tire attorney, Mr. Jacob Rossenblum, announced that he would apply under the civil Jaws for a court order on February 10 to stay the revocation of the licence. ~