Evening star., 1938-03-29
AVERAGE IS BASED
ON CHICAGO BOUTS.
Both Harry and Joe Eager
for Another Struggle
With SchmeIinq.
BY FRANCIS J. POWERS.


CHICAGO, March eff Harry
Thomas, the wind-blown Minnesota
farmer, is really lucky, he may last
all of four rounds with Joe Louis in
the engagement at the Chicago Sta
dium Friday night. Four rounds is
the average Louis has tolerated the
IA opponents faced in Chicago rings
since he turned professional on Inde-
pendence Day in 1894.
In his IA Chicago fights, Louis has
travelled total of only so rounds and
only two of the bouts went the limit
Jack Kranz, the Bomber's fourth pro-
fessional foe. and Adolph Water the
sixth, were the lucky survivors of
and 10 round engagements and
neither cried for return trip. Lee
Ramage,and Art Skies eluded destruc-
ton until the eighth and Jim Brad
dock to the seventh. but the others
passed out in the first, second or third.
So Thomas can figure his chances
accurately in advance and apply for
membership in the suicide club
Kingfish Landed No Blow.
Most notorious of Louis Chicago
knockouts was that of Kingfish
Levinsky. The records show the
dashing King was rendered null and
void in the first round, but he was
exactly that when forced into the
ring and did not strike Louis once.
Instead, he resigned while sitting on
the ropes. Jack Kracken, Stanley
Pereda and Charlie Retzlaff were
Louis other one-round victims; Larry
Udell and Buck Everett came up for
the second and Willie Davis, Charlie
Massera and Roy Lazier for the third.
Thomas is better fighter than most
OF the men Louis felled in Chicago.
He has unlimited courage and hard
lashlng right that is destructive when
1t lands Unfortunately for Thomas,
he is fairly easy to hit and few that
Louis hits fair and square continue the
engagement. 1t is Thomas courage
and ability to take punches that gives
the Louis camp whatever worries it
may have concerning the bout. There
B always the chance that the Mime
sotan may land one of his rights and
drop the champion. That chance is
slight, to be sure, but good enough to
make the fight an attraction for Chi
cagoans. who have not had much f1stic
fodder for many months.
Both Crave to Fight Max.
On his performance against Max
Schmeling, Thomas comedies himself
q show against Louis. But his real
ambition is another crack at the Ger
man. Hard luck weighed me down
when I fought Schmeling in New
YORK" said Thomas. but found out
how to whip him. Regardless Of the
outcome Of my fight with Louis. want
q return bout with Schmeling. I am
going to suggest to Mike Jacobs that
II Louis beats Max, he give me first
chance with the German"
Louis Is not worried in the least by
Thomas's punching power. The cham
plon Is fearful that something may
happen to prevent his chance to fiat
ten Schmeling in June. "Ah hope that
Hitler doesn't grab Max before do"
drawled Louis. Il hope they don't get
into any war over there or anything
else that will prevent Schmeling keep
Ing his date with me-"
Louis keen desire to meet Schmeling
and wipe out the only defeat on his
record is one thing that keeps the
champion in such splendid condition,
according to Co-manager Julian Black.
Joe Is always training and wishing
the time would pass more rapidly so
he can fight Max. Joe has been
developing defense for the Germans
right hand and declares that Max will
never hit him again with the blows
that caused the only knockout he ever
experienced.