Evening star., 1942-01-10
Heavier, Faster,
Champion Also
Hits Harder
Joe Next Moy Box in
Army Benefit Before
Donning q Uniform
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer


Associated Press Sports Writer.
NEW YORK, Jan. 10.--Any ten
dency to start recalling nostalgi-
cally the young Joe Louis who
KILLED" his man with a punch can
be spiked right now. for the mature
Joe Louis who knocked out Buddy
Baer in the first round at Madison
Square Garden last night is as
great q fighter as the world has
seen.
At 206% pounds - much the
heaviest he has ever weighed-the
negro champion looked as fast as
ever in his career, and 1t is doubt
full he ever threw a harder punch
than any one of three that dropped
the 25o-pound Baer to the canvas
as though he had been shot.
Baer, shaking his battered head
cheerfully. said, II know now what
they meant when they said the man
who beats Joe will have Father
Time in his corner. Maybe my next
child will be q son and can raise
him up for the job"
Jolts With Each Punch.
Fighting with his entire share
Of the receipts going to the Naval
Relief Society, the champion gave
one Of his most savage displays
in the 10th defense OF his title.
From the time the lights dimmed
and the bell changed until two min
utes. Sc seconds later, when Buddvs
shattered hulk was towed back to
his corner, Louis tried to tear his
man apart with every punch.
Baer had gameness, little more,
to pit against the destroyer that
bored into him. Twice. after vicious.
chopping rights had slammed him
to the canvas, he managed to reach
his ample feet at the count of nine,
but the third time he still was
floundering painfully when Referee
Frank Fullam swept his arm down
to signify the end
The huge, distinguished crowd
that paid top price Of $50 to wit
ness what might be Louis last fight
before he is fitted for a uniform.
didn't see the champion very long.
but none of the 10000 will forget it.
So mercifully sharp were the
blows that collapsed the younger Of
the Baers that he bore slight evi-
dence of his ordeal. There was
only a lump, about the size Of a
bantam egg. on his left cheek bone
as he wise cracked about his expert
ence.
Hit Faster and Harder"
"All I can't understand is why he
didn't put on some weight long
time ago" he said. He hit me a
whole lot faster and harder tonight
than he. did in Washington. In
fact. any one OF those punches he
caught me with tonight hurt more
than the whole bunch he hit me in
six rounds down there"
Wendell Willkie, defeated Repub-
1ican presidential candidate in the
last election, set the keynote before
hand when. in speech from the
ring, he told Buddy: II took on
champ. too. not long ago. 1 didn't
win, but had a lot of fun trying"
When Willkie called on Baer in
his dressing room after it was over.
Buddy was able to laugh: We'll,
we had lot of fun trying
Louis came out of the brief bout
with very slight cut on his under
lip; so slight that DR.. William WAL
ker. the Athletic Commissions ply
sician. didn't see it at all. Baer
was so busy trying to protect him.
self that he landed only few
punches. none of them carrying
anything like the authority of the
left with which he knocked Joe out
OF the ring i'll their Washington
scrap last May.
Buddy. in fact, made his best ef-
fort right at the start, when he
rushed across the ring and wrestled
Louis into the ropes. He was trying
to get in close and stay there, the
plan of battle thought up by his
manager, Ancil Hoffman. But it
was no 60 Louis easily pushed
himself clear and began exploding
rights and lefts on Buddy's promi-
nent jaw.
Every "alOp Hurt.
Every one hurt. Perhaps score
landed and Buddy was looking dis
tressed before the first of Joes
really murderous rights dumped
him. When he got up Louis stalked
him. throwing everything in his
arsenal. At about two minutes
another cruiser came, and this time
it was harder for Buddy to get up.
He was taking a terrible licking.
Gamely the big Californian tried
to rally. but soon another fusillade
caught him squarely. and this time
he fell heavily on his back in the
center of the ring. At -four" he
tried to haul himself up, but only
partly succeeded. and fell headlong
into the ropes almost in Louis corner.
He grasped strand and was trying
again to rise when the fatal count
caught him. Even had he beaten
the count. Referee Fullam probably
would not have let Louis hit Buddy
again.
Joe. frankly, doesn't know what
he is going to do next. The Army
might call him almost any day,
and he says he is ready to go. On
the other hand, there has been some
talk of his defending the title next
for some Army charity, and he is
willing to do that, too.
Whatever they tell me-" he. says
simply.
Five wears apo-BOb Fefler