The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-17
By JOE WILLIAMS

New YOfK, Dec, Tive reel tlat too much stress is placed on the ugly phases of prize fighting, the physical violence, coarse financial operations, and at times. larcenous angles.
 This tends to estrange the sensi- tive and discourage large num3er of persons who might otherwise be brought into the fold. To us this has always been unfair, and we have never failed to try to balance the books.
 We have taken the stand that there is much beauty and poetry in the teak- busting business If only the historians would take the time to seek it out, and, having done so, pres Tt it to the readers with feel ing md tenderness.
 Let's consider Tippy Larkin, lightweight who fights Beau Jack,
 he Georgia shoe shine boy, in the Garden ring tomorrow night. MT. Tippy Larkin Is so-called because his name is MT. Tony Pilliteri.
 That would seem to make him lLdAAd4l AsGCdN OL AAo4A SuV bOtA breeds have been known to run to he sentimental side.
 Birthday
 Now 1t seems that on the night MT. Larkin, or Mir. Pilliteri, fights the shoe shine boy for the title his lit tie daughter Joyce will be exactly four years old.
 T wanna bring her home the champeenship to play with" con- fi6es Mir. L., or Mir F.. shyly.
 See what we mean? That's the story: The human interest side, the rough, tough and tender stuff. The hard-boiled prize fighter is fighting for the champeenship; but is he thinking of fame and fortune. glory and gelt? Far from it. All he has in mind is his four year-old daugh- ter, Joyce. her birthday and the thing that will make her hapoiest Of course, he knows all along: Bring her home the champeenship.
 We do not know how well MT L.. alias MT. P, knows young wo- men, especially the very young young women, and we trust he will not consider us presumptuous if we utter a few words of advice. We do so in an effort to be kindly and helpful.
 It may be that the little woman will not be very interested in or excited about the champeenship at first, not realizing what it stancs for. or how just the thought of her birthday fired your ambition to such unstoppable heights. Don't feel hurt about this.
 After all it is very hard to wind up a champeenship and send it -areen'ng around the living room floor like the midnight express and we suppose the little woman would feel foolish if she put it in doll buggy rolled it down to the Schmaltzes and gurgled, Gee. Mrs. Schmaltz. look at the lovely cham peenship my daddy brought me for my birthday"
 No MT Larkin, or Mr. Pilliteri. time will have to take care O the situation and We can guarantee you that as the little woman grows older tneFe VIII pc no QOuDL OI Ler dp- preciation-especia'ly. if it's one of those chamneenships that can be made over into a jeweled bracelet 7r some such glittering doodad.
 Of course, our sentimental hero has to win the champeenship be- fore he can bring it home but that $ his problem. For our immediate purposes he merely serves as an example of the softer side of the racket. There have been many such examples but the raw realists of the game ignore them, either that 9r they ridicule them.
 Like they did Benny Leonard. for instance. Up to the time Leonard became lightweight champion of the world Whistler's mother was the most famous mother in the world but it wasn't long before sine lost the title. Leonard's devotion to his mother became as much part of ring lore as his two fights with | Tendler, and yielded as much pub licity. Leonard would insist on rushing from the ring to a phone. | the hot sweat of victory still trick ]