Evening star., 1933-03-19
HOPES TO RECOUP,
TW|N-C|TY LOSSES
Promoter Banking on Per-
centage, Plus Suds, to Make
a Go of 1t This Year.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
w yHETHER the sock lands
W. on the jaw or the

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W. on the jaw or the
' ' pocketbook, ability to
take it, is essential in
the ring industry. A prize fighter
must be generously endowed
thusly to rise out of the palooka
division. So must the more in
conspicuous guy on the other end
of the line-the promoter.
Consider the case of Charlie Cor
nell, Twin-City Arena promoter.
Cornell, known to the fight trade as
just plane Fats, makes a living as q
restaurateur, but. as sideline, up
and bought himself a fight club last
year-a club which had failed finan-
cially the year before, its first in ex-
istence. Making his debut as a pro-
moter, Fats also found his ney play
thing an expensive proposition. He
dropped two grand"
NEW as he is to the promotorial
~ game. Cornell nevertheless has
shown the ring industrys invalu-
able asset, the ability to absorb punish
ment in generous quantities. Fats took
the wallop 10 his exchequer with grin
and in the face of bank holidays and
the general depression has announced
the 1Win-City Arena will open the mid
die OF next month.
Furthermore Marbles Cornell. cts
going to go over this year. Watch
and see"
1t is no idle boast. this prophecy of
Cornell. The rotund promoter why
must all promoters be rotund?) cites
what he claims are logical reasons.
The trst is the willingness of big
time fighters to gamble nowadays on
the percentage of a small pugilistic
plant.
The second is the imminent return Of
beer-a beverage which always has
gone hand in hand with boxing-which
may aid in helping present economic
conditions.
WHEN the Twin-City Arena. located
w half way between Washington and
Baltimore. was built in 1890 top
notcher fighters, with money still plenti-
full in larger cities, refused to appear
unless guaranteed a sum out Of propor-
ton to the club. which. though it seats
1000 in natural, outdoor bowl. was
handicapped by its location. Either
way fans come-from Washington or
from Baltimore must drive around
% miles.
To view big-time boxers a drive Of
p miles means nothing to the average
fight fan. But the lesser, more con-
fined appeal of local boxers, was in
sufficient to make the arena a paying
proposition. The same was the case
last year. Cornell tried his best and
did manage to inveigle Make Rosen-
bloom. light-heavy champion, to show
couple Of times. but for the most part
the better fighters were unwilling to
risk poor house"
This year. as is being attested at
Washington's indoor fight club in Alex
andria, Portner's Arena, champions,
ar-champions and ex-champions are
willing even eager to box for a cut
on the gate. Among the nationally
known fighters to show at Portner's
have been Vince Dundee, frankie
Cenaro Pete Sanstol, Bob Goodwin and
Joe Knight.
CORNELL plans to feed fight fol-
~ lowers Of Washington and Balti-
more all Of the nationally
fighters available this season. And with
ZEAL beer to blend in with hot. Sum-
merry nights at Twin City. plus the neat
bit of revenue going with the suds,
Cornell may make a go of it at that
And unless Fort Washington decides
to resume its weekly fistic shows or an
other club sprouts up in the near future,
Cornell will have only Promoter Joe
Turner's weekly wrestling shows at
Griffith Stadium competing against his
club EOrtnPr'c indoor club u-i11
close during the warm months, Of
cOIrcO