The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-25
LEWIS ITO 10
 UNDERDOG TO
 TAKE TITLE
"Got a Job to Do" Says JOe-Lewis Is After
 Decision
BY HARRY FERGUSON United Press Sports Editor

SiX-fO0t negroes WnO are Jne pest Ol friends on every other day in the year will try to knock each other senseless tonight in 45 minutes or less of fighting for boxing's richest prize-the heavyweight champion ship-of the world.
 Joe Louis, busiest heavyweight champion of modern times, was 10 to, favorite, to retain his title against John Henry Lewis who comes up to the crossroads of his career tonight under the hot lights of Mad- ison Square Garden. It's up or down, sink into obscurity or swim to glory for Lewis in this hour he has been waiting for since he first put on box ing gloves as boy.
 Friends are friends and all that, but take 1t from Joe Louis friend- ship ceases when the bell clangs and @ man in red gloves comes stalking out after his heavyweight champion ship. Joe wuo1d belt his own brother in that moment.
 Today the Brown Bomber held up two fingers-two significant, elo- quent fingers-to tell the world that he expected to crash Lewis to the canvas in the second round.
 T got . job to do and I'm going to do 1t fast" Louis said. T aim to end 1t in the second round"
 Plenty of people believed him. So many, in fact, that there was almost no betting on the outcome of the fight, and . man who liked Lewis chances could almost name his own odds. Brisk business was being done on knockout bets. You could get even money on Louis to score knockout inside of four rounds; two to one that Lewis will be counted out or the fight will be stopped before the ninth round; and three to one that Lewis does not come up for the 18th.
 The whoops of joy that you heard today were coming out of the mouth of old Jack Blackburn, the ring wise negro whose job 1t is to bring Louis to a murderous fighting peak of condition for these battles.
 "Chappie's punching sharp an6 hard" Blackburn said. Hes better right now than he was for that sec- ond Schmeling fight and you know what happened then"
 That was the night that Louis charged out of his corner and hit Schmeling with everything except the ring posts before the German could hardly get his gloves up.
 So everybody was feeling right sorry today for Lewis, Q nice fellow who found the financial pickings sparse when he was king of the light heavyweights and now has moved into the heavyweight pas lures where the money grows lush and green. Everybody, that is, except Lewis himself, who was going calmly about his business.
 "I1l box him." Lewis said. "Im not going in there with the idea of tryng to knock him out. 1 want to win the decsion, but if Joe leaves himself open I'll shoot for e knock out with all I've got"
 Everybody was agreed on one thing--if Lewis loses tonight he'll go down fighting, for he has plenty of heart. So it's unlikely 1t will be one of those awful things like the Louis- Baer fight in which Maxie caught that Louis left couple of times and lost all interest in the proceedings. Or like that one between Louis and Levinsky when the Kingfish took Q firm seat on the middle rope and filed the following verbal petition with the referee = Don't let that man hit me again."
 Louis scares lots of 'em, but John Henry doesn't scare easy. He has never been knocked out and he has had 90 fights. He comes up to this one--his tooth fight and e golden anniversary in every sense of the word-with c repuatoin of being one of the srnartest boxers in the bust. ness. They say he has left his speed in the % rings in which he has fought but there is just q bare chance that he has kept enough of 1t to circle Louis and pile Up some points.
 The lop-sided oddshavent affected the receipts. Promoter Mike Jacobs believes there will be le,00o In the Garden ct 6 price range sealing down from $i6.60 ringside.
 New York, Jan. 2b--(Up)-saIient facts on tonight's fight:
 Principals--Joe Louis, Detroit. and John Henry Lewis, Phoenix, Ariz,
 Distance--iB rounds for the worlds heavyweight championship
 site-Madison Square Garden.
 Expected crowd--ie,C0O. Il,
 Expected gate--Si00,00O.
 Time--10 D. rl., EST.
 Betting-10-i and higher on Louis; most betting on number of rounds Lewis will last.
 promoter-2oth Century Sporting
 Radio broadcast Nationwide Na. tional Broadcasting company hook Up.
 officials--Judges and referee to be named at fight time.
 Probable weights-Louis 200; Lewis 1e3.
 New York. January 25--tUp)-.- Tale of the tape on Joe Louis and Louis Lewis 2B . Arc 2h