Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-12
Interest in Title
Bouts Is Confined
To This Phase
Neither Likely to Lost
Round Unless Champ
Decides to Loaf
BY GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Correspondent Of The star


NEW YORK, April 12.]oe Loui.
springs the first drop Of the guillo-
tine on the neck OF Jack Roper in
Los Angeles Monday night. Then
weeks later, In June, he unleashes
the second drop on the thick neck
of Tony Galento in New York.
If the two meetings run true to
form, you can estimate the duration
of the two contests by the length
of time it takes the blade Of gull
lotine to descend from the top to
the chopping block below.
AS we have pointed out before, the
main interest in these two stockyard
operations is about this-who will
last longer, Roper or Galento?
On true form again fast and &C.
curate stop watches should be
needed to give the correct figures in
timing since neither Roper nor Ga
lento belong in the same hemis-
phere with Joe Louis-much less
in the same ring.
Two Bizarre Contests.
These are two of the bizarre en-
gagements of ring history. But Mo-
loch must be fed. It should be said
for Louis that he is more than
willing to meet any fighter in the
world. and 1t isn't his fault that the
modern crop is completely moth
eaten. At least in comparison to Joe
Louis.
In this connection we'd like to
reply briefly to a number of squawks
received about protecting the pub
lie"
In the first place, the public re-
fuses to be protected. In the Sec
ond place, there is no law on the
books which forces any one to buy
ticket for any fight.
Both Roper and Galento have
been listed all over the map as
second and third rate fighters who
haven't a chance. Almost no one
has given either a chance to last
more than a round or two, granted
that Louis is in the mood to close
out the show as rapidly as possible.
Neither Roper nor Galento could
be rated above Max Schmeling or
John Henry Lewis. These two car
ried on for about 312 minutes for
a combined total.
That should be one of the answers.
Duration Of Two Wars.
If the Brown Blaster happens to
be in the same mood as he was
against Schmeling and Lewis, his
two latest victims, Roper and Ga
lento shouldn't last through the
first round.
If Louis feels a trifle lazy and
careless against Roper, the CALI
fornian may stick around for a
stanza or two. The Louis mood
should tell the story. The heavy
weight champion has no grudge
against Roper He knows Roper has
just one punch fairly dangerous
left hook. He also knows that Roper
is a pugilistic Methuselah, on his
way to 40.
So Louis may elect to give the
California crowd a boxing show for
a round or two, before delivering
the coup of dreams. I don't think
he will. But this can happen.
Roper can hurt any opponent he
happens to nail with his left. 4
real punch. But he isn't any too
fast, he isn't much of a boxer, he
hasn't any other attack.
1t will be different when Louis
starts after Tony Galento. Tony
has branded Joe as a bum and q
gutter. He has plastered him with
every epithet he could think Of
not over one syllable long-and
that he could get into print.
Tony happens to be one of those
rare souls who enjoys playing with
matches and nitroglycerine. He ap-
parently loves to light the fuse
attached to dynamite and hold the
same in both hands.
Rival Still in OffinE.
The fighter who can handle Joe
Louis still is some years away. One
entry may be Orlan OFT of Iowa.
OFT will be 10 years old in May.
He is s feet 4, weighing 207 pounds.
OFT is a farm boy living near
Hartley. Iowa. He has had four
years of high school football as
tackle and fullback and is extreme
ly fast on his feet.
Western experts who know their
way around write me that he is
the most promising kid boxer
they've yet seen. He knows how to
handle himself and already has
made amazing forward strides. The
kid has tremendous hands and can
hit with either. He is being we'll
handled and within a year you'll
hear more about him.
The next champion will have to
come along this road. There isn't
any one in sight now who even is
close to the Blasting Bomber-an
experienced fighter who still is
young, killing puncher with either
hand, an exceptionally good boxer.
Neither in Joe's Class.
NO matter what happens in the
Nova-Baer fight few weeks away,
neither belongs along the Louis
reservation.
Baer already has proved this.
Nova, If he gets by Max Baer,
needs at least another years ex-
perience and development. Tossing
him in against Louis next Septem-
Der merely would eliminate q
promising candidate for 1910.
In the meanwhile, the Roper and
Galento exhibitions can take their
place in the comedy Of the moment.
There may not be much comedy
attached as far as Roper and
Galento are concerned. They should
find little about which to laugh.
They will last just beyond the
split second that suits the Louis
mood after the first minute or two.
(Copyrisht, 1039J
Mixed Ping-Pone Meet
Scheduled by ~