BOXING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12869, 23 May 1936, Page 11

BOXING

A POPULAR FIGURE JOE LOUIS IN THE MONEY ATTENDS CHURCH REG ULARLY .Too Louis; who has brought the big* gate hack to- boxing •by -h:•» colourful fighting, lias a keen eye for business, says: the London correspondent of the Sydney Relerco, He is not rushing a, world champ ion ship, light with James Brad dock,. as the longer lie waits the .more cash lie) is likely to gather by the way. Ouc-o world champion his- number .of tights will bo strictly limited—perhaps- not molt?, than two a, year—but; as- contender he can arrange plenty ‘>l profitable matches.

O.n June- 17 he fights Max Schmelling at the Yankee Stadium. Now York, and he will clean up a. big percentage, of *hc- takings, which it les-timated will he in the neighbourhood of £200,000. A crowd of 90,000 is certain, and the promoter, -Mike Jacobs, is predicting that £287.600 par'd for the- Demp',cy-F : rpo fight will he surpassed.

'He is still some di tauce away from the colossal gate receipts for the two Dempsty-Tunney fights, which yielded £380.000 and £553,857 .respectively. Though a coloured man in a country where racial discrimination is hitter, Louis is now a popular figure. He owes his popularity to-'.wo things-; first, to his boxing and- second t-o his immaculate conduct, out of business hours. He '< < a, regular church attendee, and d-cv-s not court publicity by. appear.ng at night, clubs doing cabaret acts, or speaking on the radio. Ho is first, foremast and all the time/-a fighter.

BRADDOCK NOT AFRAID OF LOUIS

September is a long way off, but already tho fires of hate for Joe Louis a,re smouldering in the bosom of our heavyweight champion of the world, says an American sports- writer. Three- months ago Craddock bad ■nothing but praise lor the. Detroit negro.. Tho same a month ago. Rutnow, stretched out,on the sands of Miami: Eeftcli, the best Jersey Jim ran -say for- .Toe is - that he is a- kid who hn,s come along too- fast; a kid whose mighty record is a phoney tiling, builded on the -sands of over-zealous reporters and chicken-hearted opponents; who showed tho white leather with the first bite of the negro’s gaff.

Being a tactless soul, you ask Jim, Brail dock if- his new scorn lor Joe Lou is i-s> founded on jealousy; if his resentment is not a. natural growth following -Toe Louis’ complete oveiv shadowing of the, heavyweight champion.' i.n the- public: -eye. After all it must he- a bit riling lor promoters..to begin. a. “white hope” -search while a white man still sits on the heavyweight throne. n

The pointed question didn’t- anger Jam Braddock. Maybe its .hard to excite'a man who’s been going to the ring wars for more than 10 years, who has -scrapped it out for a- living on, New--York’s docks,- who- lias felt the -barbs' .that charity digs .Into ,a proud man,, and,-o’it .wliose,;.cars .the ringj ; of . the word I ‘bum”, are- more familiar than - the words 4,‘Howyn. champ!” ,V - -y- if : -

f‘No. I’m nob jcalpits of Joe,” lie saict, .. rolling • ovfe-r - the sand and Wi'inkiinjJ .the map of' Ireland which serves him for a, face. ykfL-ct y’em whoop and yell for '.him. The mime they yell,the ; m-o-ra they’.ll .pay to- jseens fight- anddiic easier he’ll think I’m going to be. And the easier he thinks I’m going, lo he the easier, lie’ll ho. Sce.P ' . HI ” ; ’ 5 ’A- - - ■' '

‘‘Blit every time t read, and hear, a.b'ou't .how wonderful'lie is, arid what an ordinary champion I am, I get to wondering where Joe’ll be after he’s been in this racket as Jong as I have. I’ve been-.takingJt and;dishing its out for going on ’leven years, but right now I’m the champion. You know this gaiiriil well enough to know that you don’t stay round it unless you’ve got) something. If you’re a hum you’re rooking on your heels in ai year or two. I’ve.fought damn near all of ’em in my time, and I’ve been knocked down just twice, and I’m riot marked up. See?” Jim Brad dock roiled his head in the sand and there were practically no souvenirs ,of hi a yeai»<m the ring, •lust a. slight scar over one eye. and in little scar tisuc on his ears. Did. Jim, Bra.ddook: think he could heat, joe Louis ? . .“Yeah !. I saw him( fight threo of those punching hags lit' knocked'out, and I’m not afraid of what lie’s got. Jlisi. i'cft hand is all right, hut that right ain’t so hot. Don’t let anybody tel] you ho only throw.-) Ilia,t right of lii.s about six inches. Tie winds it up and .swings it, like a pitcher. “Anybody could look good against those paralysed bums he’s been beating. Baers told, mo his whole body was numb when, lie got in against him. Scared to death, I guess. So. was Lov'msky and .so- was Retzlaff. Camera wasn’t seared, hut lie’s just ai circus. And I never will understand why PaoT.no, after fighting in his> shell for three rounds, and not setting hit, suddenly decided, to stick his chin out over the top of his arms for a,j target. Anybody could liav.o knocked him stiff than.”

May.,.. June, July. August—September 1 Then we’ll know.

PLUTO AfAY MEET STIRLING

There was a lot of argument among the spectators about the decision, ill the PlutorFishor contest., a'nd the opinion, of. many sound judges was that tho Englishman was unfortunate .in not.getting tho verd’et. However, opinions almost invarihly differ in such cases. What pleases the Auckland Boxing Association, most, no doubt, is that ‘t now has the opportunity of matching Pluto with Don Stirling, of Oamar.u, the .New 7.csvland welter-weight champion, Stirling defeated Fisher on points at Oainaru

Oni that occasion con ceded a great, deal of weight, as he L-alcd lOst, lib. agamst Fisher's list, dlb. Seeing that Pluto is ]Ost. 0.V1b., he and Stirling would he fn’rly evenly matched regarding weight.