Evening star., 1937-02-01
BOMBER H|NDERED
BY SLUGGISH BRAIN

Of Real Fighter, but No
Ring Imagination.
BY JOHN LARDNER-
n YEW YORK. February What
M Is going to be done about Joe
VI Louis? His career requires
more than touch-over over
hauling.
The gentlemen who handle him
Jack Blackburn, the trainer, and
Julian Black and John Roxborough,
the managers Of record-did not seem
greatly dismayed by the wretched per-
formance Of their ward the other
night, when he pursued Bob Pastor by
train. plane and dog-sled for 10
rounds without catching sight of his
quarry. but nearly every one else who
has an interest In young Joseph was
distressed no end.
They learned that Louis is not yet
the peerless fighter they thought him.
He wasn't. isn't, and possibly never
will be a great fighter When and II
he does achieve greatness. 1t will have
to be- the result Of days of painstak-
ing toll and experience. The trouble
is that Joe and his stockholders do
not seem disposed to 60 In for that
sort Of thing. They are satisfied-as
we'll they. might be-wfth the color
and tonnage Of the cash money that
has come in so far. But the cash will
stop coming if Joe makes many more
fights like the one with Pastor.
A Promising Fighter.
7 OOKING him over as of today,
Joe Louis boils down to this-he is
a promising young Negro heavyweight
with immense punching power in both
hands and a talent for punching fast.
He has no skill at defense. no ring
Imagination, no adaptability and no
very good idea of what to do with his
feet. To deliver good punch. he
requires stage setting, with himself in
position A fleet planted we'll apart.
waiting) and the victim in position
B coming toward him or standing
still within range Of Joes gloves.
It's a question whether he ever will
be able to learn the things he needs
TO know. Joe is a pleasant. friendly
fairly ingratiating young man. and I
like him, but 1t would be perjury of
the deepest dye to call him a quick
thinker. A short year ago the boys
were all for admitting him, with no
questions asked, into the category OF
ring giants. Now it looks as though
Joe would need a letter from Jim
Farley to get in the same building
with those fellows
Jim Braddock, slowing and thick
ening day by day. probably could
whip him tomorrow So could Max
Schmeling. So could the Tommy
Loughran Of few years back and
even-though I hate to seem harsh
the slapsie Max Rosenbloom Of q
short while ago. Any one with in
telligence, courage and good pair OF
legs could do it.
Bob Pastor couldn't Pastor took
clean licking from Louis on points
I fail to see how Runnin' Bob can
be awarded a single one of the 10
rounds he went with the Bomber. In
ordinary circumstances he might we'll
have been disqualified for refusing to
fight.
But that doesn't mean a great DEAL
because Bob is no prairie fire as q
fighter. He's just a good club work.
man who followed instructions.
After the Pastor hunt, in which
the hound finished six laps behind
the fox. Joe delivered some mild
comments.
Louis Is Satisfied.
II WISHT I could fight him In q
srpaller ring" he said. He sho'
can run. But 1t don make much diff
ference. I sin. an I'm satisfied"
Joe Louis, the mechanic from the
Ford plant, can afford to be satisfied
with just winning, but Joe Louis. the
superhghter, must do lot better, or
his superfghter days are over.
In Minneapolis, before the fight.
they had a story which accurately
predicted the result. The tip was
based on the idea that another quick,
one-Sided win for ice would damage
his career-and so Pastor was to be
permitted to escape unscathed. Well,
that's the way it turned out, but in
justice to Joe will say that he played
the part Of a baffled, confused, frus-
trated and inexperienced youth much
too naturally and logically to be &C.
cused of acting.
The accurate tip-off from Minne-
apolis on how the fight would 60 may
have resulted from a leakage In Mr.
James J. Johnston's camp. where
Pastors plan Of battle was laid out.
That would account for 1t, though
Mr.. Johnston VOWS with great We.
hemence that until an hour before
the fight he had intended to send
Pastor in there shooting for . quick
knockout.
don't think Pastors side Of It is
very important anyway, because Pas
tor is nothing more than a second
rate fighter as yet, and his proposed
meeting with Max Baer in March will
have no significance except as build
up.
But Louis side Of the thing is i'm
portant. He has the makings Of a
real fighter. hope he doesn't let
them run to seed.
(Copyright, 1887, BY the North American
Newspaper Alliance, 1neD