Evening star., 1942-01-07
Joe Now Rated
AtPeak Form
By Sparn1ate
Champ Sharpening His
Left as Right Gun Is
Loaded and Ready
By SID FEEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

AssOCIdleO IICse SpOito WIALcis
GREENWOOD LAKE, N. Y, Jan.
Its nice, steady work with good
pay, George Nicholson pointed out.
but this business of being regular
sparring partner for Joe Louis is
"gettin' to be mighty dangerous in
times like this"
George ought to know. The angu-
lar "cuty," the kind of boxer who's
as hard to hit as Feller's fast ball on
a cloudy afternoon, was a sparmate
in Joes camp in 1887, while the
Bomber was training to win the title
from Jim Braddock Since then.
Joe has had 20 camps, and George
has been in 18 of them helping to
sharpen the big AK.
And just to show you that George
isn't the ordinary kind of punching
bag, in some 200 rounds of boxing Joe
has been able to sit him down on his
silk panties just once. That time, I
went into a crouch jes' once too
often, instead of keepin' Joe guess
in" George admits.
Spurns Fights for Two Years.
The Job has been so steady that
George hasn't even bothered trying
to get fight in two years. SO when
he tells you that Joe, training for
his heavyweight title tete-a-tete with
Buddy Baer Friday night, is just as
fast, a more deadly puncher and a
smarter fighter" than he was back
there in the early days, you're listen
ing to a guy who knows slightly more
than one-and-one about the matter.
He punches jes' as hard" George
explained today as Joe put the fin
ishing touches on his sparwork, but
the big difference is now he don't
waste none Of EN-. He shuffles in like
he always did, but he never swings
wild. He keeps after you till he gets
you in spot, then-wham, he lets
that thing 60 That's what I mean
when I tell you he's smarter. He
thinks more, feints you more, and,
more than anythin' else. when he
pulls the trigger he knows he's got
you right where he can take your
| head off. He's got the range.
sure. he's shooting more left
hands than rights in training up
here. But that's only because he
knows the right guns always loaded
and ready. All he has TO do is aim 1t
and pull the string. The left needs
little more sharpenin' up. he fig
ures so that's what he's doin'. He
don't make mistakes any more-and.
brother, do know it,
Louis Bobbing and Weaving.
George climbed into the ring then,
and you got the idea Immediately
| if not sooner. This is strictly new
kind of Louis. When he throws
punch he knows it's going just where
he wants it tor in the immediate
vicinity. This isn't so much a vicious
killer, as a cold-blooded executioner.
What's more, he's bobbing and
weaving now, giving slight re-
minder of Dempsey in his heyday.
He's doing all this with no thought
of reward He doesn't even get sub
way fare back to Harlem out OF FRI
DAYS fuss which is for the Navy Re-
lief Fund benefit. Yet, although his
end probably would have amounted
| to approximately 100000, he's just
/ having fun realizing he's still the No.
| bov and can do this much for my
country" The fellows really doing
the Job, however are the sparmates
/ like George. Joe's only risking his
bankroll and title-they're taking
chances with life and limb when
Joe's in this mental state.