The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-24
HOFFMAN CLAIM
 FOR HEAVY TITLE. TO GET HEARING.
Champ FIOOred; Negro Judge Agrees Louis
 Threw Illegal Punch
BY JACK CUDDY United Press Staff Correspondent)

lore the District Of Columbia box ing commission today to claim Joe Louis world heavyweight crown on grounds his fighter was disqualified unjustly in last nights thrill- packed bout.
 After the wild confusion over the decision, Ancll Hoffman, manager of Buddy, announced he would appeal The commission granted him Q hearing.
 Hoffman will contend that Louis hit Baer after the bell ending the sixth round and that Referee Ar- thur Donovan should have given him 0 flve-minute rest period in- stead of disqualifying him when the gong sounded for the opening of the seventh session.
 Little, gray-haired Ancil also will insist that Louis should have been disqualified for his illegal" blow.
 Hoffman threatens to charge, moreover, that he was forced to acc cept Donovan as Q referee when contracts for the bout were signed, or miss the title chance for Buddy. Hoffman didn't want Donovan be- cause, he says, the New York of- flcial has refereed virtually all of the champions eastern bouts and Is "notoriously pro-Louis."
 The three.man commission is not expected to over-rl,le Donovan and the crown seems safe on the Brown Bomber's head-much safer, in fact, than 1t was last night in the elec- trifying first round when Champion Joe was blasted through the ring ropes by c long left hook to the jaw.
 Good Start, Bad Finish
 It was unfortunate that this bout -Washington's first heavyweight title flght-should have ended on such Q sour note after getting of to such a brilliant start.
 For IS minutes 1t was Q whale Of Q fight. Baer, towering above the brown. skinned champion, drew blood from Louis left eye midway in the fifth round. This cut and the other injuries inflicted by Baer were serious enough to cause Louis managers to take him to Freed- mans hospital for an examination immediately after the fight. Physi- clans patched him up and released him.
 Baer was virtually unmarked ex- cept for e swollen left eye, despite the terrific battering he received in the closing seconds of the fifth round and throughout the sixth. In that sixth session, the California giant was floored twice by smash ing rights to the face. He was down for @ count of six and then for Q disputed "i0.count." Many obServ- CTS and most of the 23,9i2 fans at drifiith stadium thought that Bud. dy had been counted out. But Donovan insisted he was on his feet ct 10.
 Then came the disputed punch Baer stood there swaying helplessly with his long arms dangling ct his sides. The crowd was roaring. Ana the bell rang ending the round.
 whether Louis lashed out with his right fist as the gong sounded - or afterwards - IS Q matter Of con troyersy. This writer and the vast majority of other boxing reporters ct the rlngSide thought that Louis threw the punch after the bell. Tne knock-down timekeeper, Charlie Reynolds, though 50 too, as did one of the two judges, Q Negro, Dr. Joseph E. Trigg.
 The champions fist crashed into Buddy's face and he pumped to the canvas as If hit with an axe. Baer's handlers rushed out of the corner and hauled him to his stool where they worked frantically to revive him.
 Donovan stood in 6 neutral cor ner. When the warning whistle sounded 10 seconds before the sev- enth round, he went to Boer'S cor near and told the three handlers = Hoffman, Trainer 1ssy Kline and Assistant Ray Arcel - that they must get out o fthe ring. They refused. When the bell to start the seventh rang and the handlers again refused to leave the ring Donovan disqualified the semi-con- sclous battler because they had vio- lated the boxing code.
 Buddy had lost his attempt to win the crown once worn by his older brother, Maxie, who was knocked out by the Detroit Negro in le3S. But Buddy won an army ot admirers. Entering the ring Q lO- to-l underdog, the big fellow forced the fighting throughout, until beaten into helplessness in the closing minutes.
 The huge challenger had tre- mendous physical advantages, and he tried to use them. His weight of 237 1-2 pounds gave him "Pall of 35 3-4 pounds. Because Of this advantage and his altitude of six feet six and one-half inches, he pulled the champion about the ring, leaning upon him and shoveling upper cuts in an attempt to wear the smaller man down.
 Joe shook the challenger with several hard hooks early. in the first round, but Buddy - with his eyes blazing = charged back and landed a long left hook to the head that sent Bomber Joe toppling over the middle rope. Louis landed on the back of his neck on the ring apron and sprawled there for second Then he pulled himself up and climbed back through the ropes just as the time-keeper reached the count of four. Buddy swarnled after his man but did little further dam- age before the bell rang.
 Won One Round
 That was the only round won by Buddy on this writer's sheet, bu. he fought back gamely and dan. gerously in the next four sessions Buddy advanced continually, pro.
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