Evening star., 1943-01-26
Davis, Accepting Bout
To Keep in Trim, Is
Trimmed by Wills
Local Boxer, Held Unfit
Foe for New Yorker
Gets Easy Decision
BY LEWIS ATCHISON.

Frankie Wills gave the experts
and BUNNY Davis of New York a
beating last night at Turner's
Arena, although it is doubtful if the
experts suffered as much as the be-
loved BUNNY, who dropped a 10
round duke before a capacity house.
Both Lew BurSton and Johnny
Attel, who have fingers in Davis
pie, vigorously asserted they didn't
like the idea of tackling Wills before
the gladiators climbed into the ring
last night. They had couple of
good reasons for not wanting to
meet the District warrior, one of
which concerned the payoff.
1t also was revealed that 1t. John
Agnew of the boxing commission
opposed the fight on the grounds
that Wills was not a fit and proper
opponent for hard-hitting BUNNY
and that the bout was approved only
after Chairman Claude Owen and
Thomas Morgan, jr., voted against
him.
Agnew had a lot of fans on his
side in that argument and not all
were boxing writer's because the
sporting gentry made Davis Al
favorite.
Not Keen About Match.
Attel didn't want the match par
ticularly, but took it to keep Davis
on edge after his scheduled duel
with Carmen Notch was postponed
because of the latter's illness. They
originally were booked early in jan
uary but Davis couldn't keep the
date because of illness. BUNNY
was ailing last week, too, according
to Attel, but was going through
with the Notch fight because it
meant good payday.
7 didn't want to come here at this
time" Johnny continued, but Wills
was the only fighter they could get,
so 1 had to take him. Now Joe
Turner had made me standing
offer for the match, $3.50 guarantee
with an option of 80 per cent, so he
sent me contracts for those figures.
Then I hear the commission won't
let him go through with it because,
they say, I showed bad faith in
asking for that guarantee.
Il finally told Joe I'd take it for a
straight 80 per cent to help him out.
Remember, I want Davis to fight
because he'll go stale If he don't get
action. Then they didn't get the
thing Strengthened out until Friday,
when the papers announce the
fight is signed. That's a fine thing,
isn't it? Here's the fight on Monday
night and they give the public three
days notice-and it's a great fight,
one we can take any place"
The net gate of $2,084 meant
payoff of approximately s625 for
Davis.
frankie Uses Smart Tactics.
1t was an interesting fight, with
the unpredictable Wills playing his
hand smartly and winning, eased up.
The customers, especially those who
invested in Davis, Pfd.. waited and
waited for BUNNY to open up with
his block-bustin' rights, and when
the janitor closed up the place some
still were waiting.
frankie stood off and popped
Davis at long range with left hooks
and jabS, occasionally crossing with
right or bringing up an uppercut
to confuse his onrushing rival. IN
SIDE, where Davis does the most
damage and wins all his fights.
Wills handcuffed him. frankie
held, wrestled and rolled to keep
Davis from opening up. The STRAIT
egy was highly successful, and when
Davis threw in a couple of butts
with his noggin, Davis emerged with
a split lip, bloody nose and gashed
left eve.
In the preliminaries Tufry Cum
mings outpointed Jack Quigley
Jimmy Jericho tko'd Billy Lewis
in the second round. Bernie Csdv
outpointed Billy Morris. Roy Lewis
ksyoed Jimmy McAllister, and
Howard BENEFIT t.ko.'d stoney Lewis
in the sixth.