Evening star., 1940-02-10
Cant determine
WhetherC Champ
Has Slipped
Split Verdict Booed
As Chilean With Odd
Style Upsets Dope
By WHITNEY MARTIN.

NEW YORK, Feb. 10.-The fight
world today held morning-after
head. and through it buzzed the
name of Arturo Godoy, the strange
interlude in the life of Joe Louis.
For Is mauling, bruising rounds
last night. the Hot Tamale from
Chile stood UP to the Brown Bomber,
and when the announcer intoned
THE winner, and still world cham
pion. a thunder of boos
swept from the Madison Square
Garden rafters.
It was that close in the eyes of
many of the 1855 fans who came
expecting another efficient Louis
painting job and left with vague
miSgivings
They couldn't figure out whether
the Bomber was no longer the same
Bomber who wrecked the John
Henry LeWises and the Max Schmel-
ings and the Tony Galentos. or
whether the clowning. grimacing,
bobbing and clutching Godoy was
more than little better than they
figured.
This they did know, that a return
meeting in the open air next sum-
mer is as certain as death. Arturo
can't punch a lick, but he punched
his way right out Of the Garden
and into the open air
One Judge for Godoy.
Not only the gallery thought the
rock-ribbed, IRON jaWed Chilean was
the victor. Tommy Shortell, one of
the judges. gave Godoy the fight
with 10 rounds to five for Louis.
Referee Arthur Donovan gave Louis
10 and Godoy five, the same as the
Associated Press score sheet, and
the other judge. George Lecron, gave
Louis 10, Godoy four, and called
one even.
Sharper, more Furnishing blows
provided the margin by which the
Bomber retained his title. He was
up against a style that baff1ed him,
and left him puzzled and frustrated
as he tried to find a spot for his
famed dynamite fists on crouch
ing, bobbing foe who came out for
the first round squatting like a
Russian dancer. dove for his oppo-
nent's thighs. then crept upward
like ivy until he could bury his
square chin in the hollow of Louis
neck and whale away.
Louis. little relishing the inside
work. did his best to stay clear, but
his straight left wasn't enough to
keep the courageous Chilean away.
Even Joe's uppercuts, landing on
Godoy's battle-scarred face, failed
to slow the Chilean more than mo-
mentarily.
In fact. Joe's week end punches
bounced off him like rain off tin
roof. and he was forever swarming,
swarming. In several rounds he
carried Louis against the ropes and
silently challenged him to a head
to-head slugging bee from which he
seldom came off second best.
Chilean Bulls Champion.
Time after time the Garden was
bedlam as the unorthodoX Chilean
bulled the sloe-eyed champion
about, often making him blink with
looping lefts or rights which. had
they the potency of Galento
punch. would have spelled disaster.
They could not ruffle Louis calm,
however. and he left the ring un-
marked. Godoys eyes and lips were
puffed, and one eye peered over
slight cut.
Godoy appeared to tire midway in
the fight, but he got his second wind
quickly, and in the closing rounds
he appeared strong. In fact, he pro.
vided a clownish interlude in the
fourteenth. coming out of his corner
gorilla fashion, stopped over, arms
dropped to the floor.
Abruptly he stood erect and be-
gan dancing about Louis in a huge
circle, as the champion, statue in
bronze, pivoted like mannikin in
midring and waited for his haunting
foe to lead.
All in all, Louis won, and in our
opinion, won by clear margin, but
1t was Godoy's night to howl. which
he did literally when he realized he
had stayed Is rounds with the dark
destiny and had carried the fight to
his opponent over the route.
1t was Louis ninth title defense
and the second time he was carried
the limit. Tommy Farr was the
other survivor
The show drew gate of only
S88, ,5238 another disappointment
for the Bomber. His previous Gar
den appearances each topped the
100000 mark.