Evening star., 1941-05-19
Menace Apt 10 Make
Champ Try 10 Kayo
Buddy in Hurry
feor Of Hurting Hands
In Long Fight Also
May Speed Joe
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

NEW YORK, May 10 (NAN.AD -
Joe Louis soon will offer his crown
as target for Buddy Baers aim
The episode takes place in Wash
tngton next Friday and the chances
are the aforesaid crown at the finish
practically will be where it was at
the start.
The odds might be somewhat
slighter if Buddy weren't quite so
easy to hit, For Buddy can do a
bit of hitting on his own, when
he lands in fact, so far as one
punch goes. he can hit harder than
any man the champion will meet
this summer.
He may not keep up the general
average that Lou Nova can call on,
but when 1t comes to one solid
thump he can be highly dangerous.
The main trouble is Buddy may
absorb so much punishment before
any opening comes that most OF
his dynamite will have been re-
moved.
Irecall Buddy when he was around
II. At that time he weighed close
to $50 pounds. Max, feet and
weighing 2l0, was a midget along
side his kid brother.
Out to Avenge MaX'S Defeat.
Buddy. always a likeable entry,
looked to be too big at that time
to be a fighter He was a better
singer and at one time was headed
for the anthem highway.
But even then he could punch
hard enough to jar any one IN
reach. The trouble was that he
couldn't punch fast enough. He
had grown up too quickly to have
any muscular control.
Buddy was sitting near the ring
side the night Joe Louis practically
removed MaX's battered head from
his sagging shoulders AS the two
brothers always have been close in
the family roundup, the beating
Max took was the SaddeSt turn IN
Ruddy's life. 1t was something his
memory never could shake loose.
If Buddy could knock Louis out
he would thereby kill two birds
with one brick-meaning the heavy
weight crown and family revenge.
Buddy always has been peeved at
The charge that Max didn't retire
any too gallantly on the first occa-
sion, I always have thought he
absorbed plenty before giving in
or up.
Louis Recent Bouts PuzUing.
But in the wake of that charge
there is little likelihood that Buddy
will cease firing while still conscious,
If the worst should take place. What
happened to Max should add large
block of incentive to Buddy's ring
actions.
There would be no debate about
the final outcome if the Louis OF
1868 were leading the charge.
But recently the Bomber has been
either lazy and careless or he has
lost a chunk of his old sharpness,
which includes hand speed, to
marked degree.
After all. Louis has had more
heavyweight fights than any other
champion in history, and nothing
or no one goes on forever. A line
that goes back through the ages
reads to this effect, Even this shall
pass away"
Crowds once packed the Louis
shows to sit in on the impending
slaughter, delivered by either right
or a left from the Bomber's stock.
Today there are thousands who
don't want to be somewhere else on
the night some challenger ends the
Louis monarchy.
Champ Apt to Guard Hands.
Few may believe Buddy Baer will
be the man, but they still know
Buddy is big and strong, that he is
doubly keen to win, and can hit
hard enough to stop any one. Buddy
has more leverage and more snap
to his punches than any fighter
Louis has faced for some time. He
has been in action for several years
and by now should know his way
around.
Buddy's main weakness will be de-
fense He Is the type of target few
can miss, and Louis isn't one of the
few.
There always is certain risk in
hand injury when you are throwing
punches at 245 pounds of flesh and
bone. This may be one reason
probably is-that explains a GER
tain slackness in the champions
earlier zest to annihilate a chal-
lenger.
Joe has been adopting the safer
system of chopping them up so bad
~ that the referee is forced to step
In 10 end the performance. There
Is little risk hooked to this method
against a fellow who can't hit hard
enough 10 hurt you.
Threat in Bears Punch.
q. Bear isn't on that list. For this
rsason Louis may elect to 90 out for
. quicker finish, facing the chance
that In this brand or battle he may
not have the two soundest hands in
tbs world left for Billy Conn and
the June enterprise.
The fight may be flop on the
spectacular side, but there is also
t41s chance 1t may be the most excit-
ing Of the summer campaign If big
Buddy can park even one of his best
bombs on the Louis jaw.