The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-05-16

aES uVhHB UubiUUbb " ' . tO " privilege, MT Better, of nami
 And, yet the'e wsro people who were decrying the weit0rweigh, championship match when it was made. Thousands of. crying towels were used to weep for poor little Ross, q mere slip of . lad flirting with dynamite. some of the ghrewdest experts in the world were harping about Jimmy'g wal- lop and related the stories of how inhosDitable Jimmy was to all other Jewish boys with whom ho measured punches.
 But minds have been changed. The Ross adhsrents are throwing their chests out today. They see in their boy the next welterwoight guiBition of which tito would bring Barney undying fame in the realms of boxing. They have been spend- ing their tlmv figuring 1t all out. They sec tho superb boxing skill of Ross outgpeedinR that torriflc wal- lop that McLarnin packs. And, thoy point to that long ley-0ff of prnc. tlcally n year and Q half as doing no good for the Vancouver fellow.
 They have begun to bet on this fight and it promises to Do the big. gest speculative medium which has been offered the boxing fan in many n year. In spots where the boys will bet on anything from street car numbers to presidential elocetions G lot of money has been Taid. The early RoB followers got aB good ns < to b for their money. But no moro. Several thouBnnds have boon laid in Harlem and it was at even money and it was tho opinion of some layers that it would bo no surprise to sec tho lightweight champion step Into the ring Q choice.
 Which iB proving no matter of worry to Mcf.nrnin. Jimmy Cnmo into New York to be on the short end Of tho betting against Sid Ter. riB. H0 was held that way in subBo. quont bouts, but always came through to reward his backers. The betting doesn't mean a thing to Jimmy. He doesn't know what it's all about because h0 never bets 0 nnnything, not even hlmBolf. Ho just goes In tho does his stuff but this time, apparently or from the better's view it will have to Do something extraordinary for It's woll conceded that Barney Ross iB tho gfentcst thront he ever com fr0nted. Those betting fellows don't make many mistakes.
 "IcxDresg'' On Ross
 Billy PotFoilo, the retired "Far- 20 Express' wnB n great lighter. Bllly's Judgment of othor pugllistic affairs havo been almost as great. So whom no picks Barney Ross, tho worlds lightweight champion to boat Jimmy MoLnrnin in their 1b- round championship fling in tho Garden Bowl ln Long Islnnd City on May 2s for tho Milk Fund, tho doubling follows must prick up their enrg and listen.
 "f think Rogs iB q olhGh to win," writes Billy to tho MIX Fund Com. mittoe. "Whatcvor advantage Mc- Larnln will have in tho mtpttor of weight, which will Do slight, will Do offset by tho difference in tho ages of tho two boys. By that 1 mean the time each has spent in the ring. McLarnIn K n veteran compared Co Barney. Then Jimmy's long lny. off Is not going 10 help him. ] nm hWuTB tIV fuft hItub " IhD UNGu nmnzIng how Jimmy has bo0n able vacations and do his stuff nB pre- vIouBly. But ho is getting older and tho response Of his muscular quali- tios arc not apt to be so pro- nOunced now
 Ono must respect tho opinion of such a ring h0r0 as petrollc. He fought them both and not so far back either. In fact Ross was f,illy's last opponent. Ife beat Me- Larnin once but lost on two other trips 10 tho ring with him. Twice ho mot Barney and twice the rcd board" rGad Ross.
 Hurley for "fiavp"
 It was downright figuring and experience which led Petrollo t0 his decision. No influence could change his mind; notn even that of his old manager, Jack Hurley. Tho latter doesn't agree with Billy. He thinks McLarnin is n sure thing and maybe to win by q knockout.
 'Mcf.arnin ts ns good "A boxer as Ross, 'asserts Hurley in his letter to the MIX Fund Committee. "Bc- sides that he is five times a bet- ter puncher. The boys are all squhre in, so far as taking n punch, but Ithink Ross has the bigger and better heart of the two. McLar- nin's long lay.o or may not effect him. He has takcn Iong> rests between fights before and to come back to be aS good as ever. He Is about tho only man l ever knew in boxing history who could do that and get away with it.
 "I don't think that Ross will be able to hurt Jimmy and just as soon as that IrIshman finds 1t out he'll walk right through those left jabs and when he does he is going to 1t and hurt Ross. would like to see Ross beat McLarnin but l don't think he can, because good big man will beat n good little one 90 times out of a hundred"
 It's such differences of opinions which has added interest to this greatest of all intcrclass champion ship matches ard which makes the