Evening star., 1942-01-22
Calls SMASHING
Of Bder Epic
Boxing Job
Winner of Neil Award
Moved by CoIoneI's
Praise as Soldier
BY SID FEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer

Associated HreSS SpOIlS WTlter.
NEW YORK, Jan. GA fellow
who would be inclined to look lightly
upon the stunt of an Army bomber
making a three point landing on
the tower of the Empire State Build
ing pointed to Joe Louis today as
probably the greatest fighter in
history.
This overcautious individual is
none other than your old pal Gene
Joseph Tunney, who retired un-
defeated as heavyweight champion,
who took a long count III Chicago
one night that they said gave him
all the best of it, and who looked on
the dynamite of Dempsey without
blinking an eye.
The occasion for his sudden dis
covery of Louis as a pretty fair
country beak-buster, after seven
years of varying degrees of pooh
pooling the Brown Bomber, came
last night at the annual dinner of
the Boxing Writers Association of
New York. At this clambake. decked
out in the appropriate costume for
peeling potatoes or standing guard
or whatever else they hand out to
buck privateS, Louis received not
only the Edward j. Neil Memorial
plaque as the man who did the most
for boxing in 1941, but also the Ring
Magazine merit award as the fighter
of the year.
Tunney Is H0n0red, Too.
What Is more remarkable about
Gene Joseph's song of praise was
that Gene Joseph himself was among
the reward receivers. He got a spe-
clal trophy from the boxing writer's
for his services as'head man of the
Navys flstic follies collection.
Il saw Joe beat Buddy Baer down
In less than round a week ago last
Friday" explained Tunney, who has
been more or less snickering at the
Bomber ever since he came down
the pike back in '35. 1T was the
greatest exhibition of human de-
struction 7 ever have seen.
Joe probably Is the greatest and
most complete workman the ring
ever has seen. The only other fighter
in all fight history who might have
done his job as well was Bob Fitz-
simmons, and never saw him. I'm
going only by what they tell me-"
Gene Joseph passed on his de-
laxed pat on the back in the pres
ence of such ear-scrambling opera
tors as Jack Dempsey and Jim Brad
dock. but it's doubtful if Louis got
more of a kick out of Tunney's
speech than he did out of the wire
from 1t. Col. Howard Brennizer of
Camp Upton, where Louis is sta
toned.
Ices Cake for Joe.
This wire. voicing the colonels re-
grets for being among the missing
also pointed out that Joe is develop
ing into as fine soldier as he was
boxer and a gentleman"
This was the whipped-cream-on on
the-cake for the Bomber. 1t topped
off Tunney's praise and added neat
touch after Former Mayor James J.
Walker tabled Joe with "the highest
title known among our people-you
are an American gentleman"
The 300 diners in the beefsteak
room of Rupperts Brewery were on
their feet applauding as Walker
hailed Joe for his fight with Buddy
Baer for the Navy relief as "a great
American, a great Negro and some
thing more; you put red rose on
Abe Lincoln's grave"
Well" Joe said after that one,
Il always thought I'd never feel as
good again as the night I won the
heavyweight championship. But
tonight tops 'em all. I've never felt
this good