Evening star., 1935-10-24
MILLER IGNORED
IN TITLE RATING
Beats Best Boxers Abroad,
but Can't Get Desirable
Matches in u. S.
BY SPARROW McGANN.
YEW YORK, October 24.-Pete
n Reilly is showing up the New
NJ York Boxing Commission by

N YEW YORK, October 24.-Pete
M Reilly is showing up the New
VI York Boxing Commission by
4 refusing to accept any matches
for Freddie Miller unless he is officially
recognized as the f@therweight cham
pion.
Local promoters would like to Use
the Cincinnati southpaw, but Reilly
turns a deaf ear whenever an offer is
made. No over-the-weight matches
for Miller. A championship flight is all
that interests Reilly, former manager
Of Jack Delaney and co-pilot OF King
fish Levinsky and Battling Battalino.
Reilly's differences with the Boxing
Commission date back several years.
Upon assuming the handling Of Miller,
Reilly brought the little soutbpaw to
New York and showed him at the
smaller cubs. This was to prove
Freddie was of championship caliber.
Tourney Proves Fizzle.
THEN the boxing solons hit upon
the idea of an elimination tourna-
ment. Boxers were invited from all
sections of the country, but the fans
thought so little of the participants
that barely enough money was on
hand to pay their fares back home.
So the tournament went up in smoke.
1t was then decided to designate
Mike Belloise and Baby Arizmendi
as the foremost contenders for the
vacant crown, with the winner en-
titled to official recognition. Left out
in the cold, Reilly decided to take his
fighter to Europe and prove Miller's
right to the title by beating every
foreigner of note. Miller did that very
thing, as he beat the featherweight
champions of five countries. But
Reilly did not reckon with the stub
bornness of the local board, which
refused to consider the fine record
Miller compiled on foreign shores.
Reilly is within his rights in refus-
ing to permit Miller to fight in this
city. There are many spots in this
country where promoters are glad to
show Miller in the role Of champion
and they pay him well for his services.
At Boston Miller has been guaranteed
$4,000 to meet Claude Warner, who
has just returned from England and
Australia, where he gave good ac-
count of himself against the best boys
of his weight.
Has Deserving Record.
THERE are some managers who
- would not hesitate about permit
ting their fighters to work in over
the-weight bouts, provided they were
fhnr1
titles only mean a leverage to yank
more money from promoter than
fighter is worth. This does not hold
true in the case Of Miller. If there
Is a more satisfactory fighter and one
with better record than the Gin
cinnati southpaw, this writer has been
unable to discover him in the last
three years.
OF course. Reilly insists on the
champions share of the purse, along
with the official designation. But
money does not count for everything
in Reilly's scheme Several promoters
on the Pacific Coast will assure you
that Reilly Clipped in with a share
of his purse on occasions when con-
test did not draw as well as expected
How long the New York Boxing
Commission will continue to drive
good matches out of the city is
question only time will decide. Pro-
moters trying to make both ends meet
and seeing good attractions taken
away from them would shout with
glee If the board would stick to the
business of seeing its rules properly
enforced and leave matchmaking to
those who pay big sums in taxes into
the State and Federal treasures.