The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-12
(Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.) BY HARRY FERGUSON
(United Press Sports EditOr)

= Maybe it's just as well that 8 case of athletes foot" on another athletes feet prevents Georgie Abrams from appearing in Madison Square Garden tonight.
 You probably never heard of Georgie Abrams, certainly you didn't unless you follow closely the for- tunes of those who smash peoples noses and ribs for living. But on the day of his birth in Roanoke, Va, Bells rang, horns blew, men marched and women wept for joy.
 It was Armistice Day = November il, 1918 = and 1t was 8 strange world into which Georgie Abrams was born, 8 world gone wild with thanksgiving and relief because the blood -leeting was done. For Georgie, it has been getting stranger all the time.
 Destiny seems to have marked Abrams out to be giant killer who never gets credit, conqueror of champions who never becomes cham pion himself, David who knocks over Goliaths when nobody is around to tell the world about 1t.
 This evening Abrams was slated to go against Tony Zale, a tough body puncher out of Gary, Indiana, who is recognized by the National Boxing Association as the world middleweight champion. But Zale suddenly came down with an ag- grevated case of Athletes foot last night, sending him to the hospital instead of the ring.
 Maybe it's just as well. Even If Abrams had spent the entire eve ming poking his fists into Zale'f face and emerged an easy victor where would he be? Nowhere, for this 10-rounder was a non-title fight.
 Boxing commissions are eternally getting enmeshed in the web of their own words and rulings, and the mid dleweight division is no exception Thus, there are two middleweight division is no exception. Thus, there are two middleweight champions = Zale has a claim to only half the crown. The rest of 1t belongs to lanky citizen named Billy Soose who is recognized as titleholder by the New York State Commission.
 So far as Soose is concerned, il he never sees Georgie Abrams again it will be too soon. When both o1 them were trying to struggle up the ladder, they fought and Abrams won. Soose wanted return bout so Abrams accommodated him anc licked him again. Then Soose'. career branched off and he finally won recognition as middleweight champion in New York. Not long ago Soose decided that now that he was champion and had consid- erable more experience under hit belt, he would wipe out the stains that Abrams had placed on his re- cord.
 It was c I0-round, over the weight match and Soose's title wal not at stake. Once more Abrams won.
 So if he had won tonight, Abrams would have been left in the position of having defeated everybody who has any claim to the middle-weight title anywhere in the world Ht would have become the "uncrownec king of the middleweights," @ mon. arch without realm.
 Now, let's go bit further-jus' in case the principals in tonight'' cancelled scrap are ever re-matched and Abrams wins.
 Ken Overlin, former champion, i' going to try to regain his title iron Soose in November. Suppose Over lin wins as he is likely to do. Ther why not match Overlin agains Abrams in title fight and give thu uncrowned king @ chance to win championship?
 An, there is where the lady know1 as destiny has played here best jok' on Abrams. Overlin and Abram belong to the same stable and hay' the same manager. They neve could fight for the title unless thei manager sold one of them t' somebody else. And I hereby giv, you one guess as to whether manager is ever going to cut loos fighter who can pull the customer through the gates.
 So 1t seems that even withou thi case of athletes foot" Abram would have gone striding on t nowhere.