The Washington times., 1935-12-11
BadHands
RiskLOuis
Assumes
By KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor

which Joe Louis stands with
reference to his 15-round fight
on Friday night in New York
against Pauline Uzcudun is
that Of hurting his hands.
Here is a risk over which I
judge Louis handlers have
taken every precaution, both
in his preparation for meeting
this granite boulder of the Pyre-
nees and in plans for the taping
Of his hands
The Bull of Spain, you know
has never been knocked out, yet
his face and body are literally
carved with scars of battles
wherein he has been hit from
every angle. in every section and
with everything excepting the
time keepers gong.
Recalling Baer's Hand
Louis youth, cleverneSS and in.
comparable punch are all he
needs to compete with his veteran
foe, insofar as making this battle
Friday go about as he pleaseS,
but what will be the wear and
tear to his hands while he is
pounding away at Pauline, much
as woodpecker trying to dent a
giant oak?
You will recall that Max Baer's
excuse for having made such a
poor showing in his fight against
Braddock was that his hands were
severely shattered from working
his way up to the championship
at the expense of the plug-uglics
along the path right up to Primo
Camera himself.
Now Joe Louis is popularly &C
cepted to be only at the begin
ming of his heavyweight career.
He has only flecked the surface
OF the gold which awaits him. But
this great harvest will be denied
him should he befall any accident
to his hands, particularly the ir-
reparable sort of misfortune which
Baer blames for his Braddock
showing.
BOne-CruShing Task
Louis must realize this hazard.
His trainers must have impressed
it upon him, if he happens, in his
boyiSh, carefree way, not to have
pondered the possibility of injury
Of a bone-crushing nature as a
result of Subduing the RaSole
Woodchopper.
Were Louis in any way t.
weaken his hands against the
tough Pauline, a fight which is
already widely publicized, that
between Joe and Isidore Gasta-
naga, scheduled for Tropical Park
"a baseball encloSure) at Ha-
vana, Sunday, December 90, would
be sure to be affected, if not can
celed.
Such circumstance as this
would ire Promoter Mike Jacobs
no little as Steamboat Mike" has
already gone to no little expense
to remodel the baseball park to
convert it into fight arena.
Mike is the first American pro
moter with courage enough to
bid for success in Cuban fight
promotion since the present
wrestling promoter. Jacques Cur
ley, took the Willard Johnson
fight to Havana in 1915.
Jacobs Seems Assured
Thus, in booking Louis for that
fight on the last Sunday of this
year in Havana, the shreWd New
York promoter who has veritably
"gone to town" on the flying ell
bows of the Brown Embalmer,
must figure that Pauline will be
sidetracked Friday in compara-
lively easy fashion, and that Louis
will come out of it unharmed and
with his fighting dukes in Splen-
did shape.
OF course, it is too early to
worry about the June fight for
which Louis and Max Schmeling
signed yesterday for the Milk
Fund. This, however, will be an
other Battle of the Century, in
view of their similar styles.
But the two Louis scraps this
month coming in such proximity
serve to emphasize again Joes
exceptional capacity for practic-
ing his profession.
His 26th Pro Fight
Friday nights meeting with
Uzcudun will be LOUIS tWenty-sixth
since he turned professional on the
night of July 4, 1884. betting one
Jack Kracken almost into insen-
Sibility.
Thus. Joe has fought on the
average of every three weeks in
the rs weeks since he deserted
the amateurs. He has fought
total of ia rounds, for an aver
age of four and a fraction rounds
to an opponent.
Friday he hopes to bring
that average down somewhat and
even reduce it a bit more late
this month in Havana. Indications
are that Madison Square Garden
Friday night will be jammed
and that the gate capacity of
$128,O00 will accrue, part of which
is to go to the Christmas Fund
sponsored by Mrs. William Ran
dolph Hearst. The ringSide seats
are SIS. and the lowest price seat
is 81, exclusive of tax.
Temple Jrs. Bowl
Northeast Temple Juniors will
roll the Wilkins Juniors of Ralti