Evening star., 1939-06-06
Archibald Price Taq
Likely 10 Prevent
Title Bout Here
Wants $4,000 to Fight
ScoIzo; Cote Small os
He Whips Silva
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON.

A world championship fight be-
tween joey Archibald, featherweight
ruler, and Petey Scalzo, slick haired
Italian who belted him in a nom
title go several months ago, Is on
the fire today, but all indications
are that whoever tries to get 1t of
the stove will wind up with couple
Of scorched fingers and a damaged
bank roll.
The situation simply is this:
Claude Owen, member of the Boxing
Commission, and Heine Miller, sec
retary, both of whom represent the
local body in the National Boxing
Association, are trying to raise funds
for the N. B. AS annual convention
here in September. An important
fight with N. B. A. supporting it in
return for helping hand on con-
vention finances, seems to be the
only solution to the knotty problem.
The only bout available-and Messrs.
Owen and Miller harbor an idea it
must be title fights the Oft
proposed return meeting between
AlClllUdlO dllu OCdlLO.
Thus, Owen and Miller popped the
question to AL WE'LL, Joey's astute
agent. What did he want for fight
ing Scalzo here in September they
inquired?
Willing to Take $4,000.
Mr.. WE'LL licked his fat chops and
nonchalantly said he'd take SIS 900
guarantee with the privilege Of &C
cepting the championship per-
centage, or 3712 per cent of the gross
proceeds He overlooked the mortgage
on Griffith Stadium and a nights
lodging at the White House
Messrs. Owen and Miller blanched
perceptibly, and Miller, an old salt,
promptly changed his tack. This
kind of prattle was blowing him
right out to sea- He launched into
a soul-stirring story of how Freddy
Miller and Petey Sarron had drawn
$4,000 here, how we'll Barney Ross
did with Phil Fur. and casually
mentioned the box Office figures on
the Click -CanZoneri debate. 1t was
tempting bait, but Mr.. WE'LL is an
old hand, at the game, too, and he
refused to nibble.
Miller got $4,000 for his fight
with Sarron here. I personally paid
Sarron $4,000 for his fight with
Armstrong; was matchmaker for
Twentieth Century Sporting Club
then-and later on I handed Lew
Ambers more than 100000 for box
ing Pedro Montanez. Now, should l
ask Joey Archibald to take less than
Miller got? He's worked just as
hard for the title as any of the
others, and he deserves to get paid.
Has Good Offers Elsewhere.
Titles don't grow like bananas on
trees. They're long time coming
When you're on the way up you have
to take the short end Of purses, let
the other fellow dictate the terms
and take what you can get, but good
heavens if you can't get paid for
putting the title on the line when
are you going to make money? That
titles a piece of merchandise. 1t
cost so much-just like q suit. A
merchant names his price for his
goods, and I'm naming mine. It's Is
grand"
When WE'LL scoffed at the sugges-
ton an Archibald-Scalzo fight would
draw $4,000, estimates quickly
dropped to half that figure, and even
lower. And when AL pointed out
that he has a $500 guarantee
awaiting him for a bout in New Or
leans and other fat offers to con-
slider, the boys began to lose hope
of landing a title match
But when WE'LL put Joey in train
for New York at midnight, Miller
had his promise that he would care
fully consider a lower guarantee,
and would talk business after July 6,
when Joey is expected to have his
summer program completely ar
ranged.
Archibald Is Impressive.
Archibald, incidentally. looked
better in winning over Joey Silva
last night than at any time since
he put the chill on Lou Gevinson
more than a year ago. He had the
(See ARCHIBALD, Page A-l6.)