Evening star., 1943-04-03
Beau on Bicycle
As Armstrong
Bangs Away
Decision Is Unanimous
But Victor's Manager
Bons Return Match
BY SID FEEDER,

Associated Press Sports Writer
NEW YORK, April SIT is very
fortunate for Beau Jack that the
number of bicycles for domestic
consumption was increased this
week, because if the Jumping Jack
didn't have his two-wheeler with
the reverse motion, he probably
wouldn't hold decision over Henry
Armstrong today.
The Jumping Jack climbed on his
velocipede in Madison Square Gar
den's ring last night and back
pedaled furiously for 10 rounds
And at the end, two judges and the
referee gave him the verdict over
the Hammer, who chased him so
much the thing began to resemble
6-day bike race.
Now. this is not to say that the
Bouncing Beau with the backward
motion spoiled the return of Lii
Perpetual Motion to the Eighth
avenue battle pit on his comeback
campaign, because crowd of 1896
made so much noise booing the de-
clsion that the rafters were rocking
and Announcer Harry Balogh
couldn't make himself heard to in
troduce the next fight. This is
quite noise. for Announcer Harry
never has had trouble making him
self heard even against such sturdy
opposition as calliope in full voice.
Henry Is Lot of Fighter.
NOR did Beau succeed in convinc-
ing any one-except maybe him.
SELF the officials and few others
that Hammerin' Hank is anywhere
near the hollow SHELF a goodly
number of the boys and girls have
been saying ever since Armstrong
first announced his comeback last
fall, after layoff of something close
to two years. For Henry was a
whole lot OF fighter last night. And
when he did manage to catch up
with the backward bouncing Beau
during the proceedings, he pun
meled him around the body until
Jack was slowed down to a mild
canter and looking for a door" at
the finish.
After it was over, some of the bows
were recalling that half a dozen
years ago Bob Pastor rode his
bicycle for 10 losing rounds against
Joe Louis one night. But Bob was
IN there with guy rated among
the deadliest punchers of all time.
And all the Jumping Jack had in
front of him was an ex-champ.
fighter who is nearly 10 years older
than the 22-year-old -shoeshine
boy from Georgia and who was sup
posed to be as washed up as your
best shirts on Monday morning. de-
spite his Is wins in 18 comeback
starts.
A. P. Sees Armstrong Winner.
Well. win or lose-and the Asso-
clated Press gave Lii Perpetual Mo-
tion five rounds of the ten, voted
four for Jack and called one even
Henry looked about as much of a
hollow shell last night as the Brit
ish 9th Army. His legs may be
trif1e slower but he was hotter in
the ninth and 10th than he was in
the first, AS the weary Beau prob
ably was the first to admit. at the
end.
Before that, of course, Jack was
firing punches. At long range. he
was the head man. sticking with a
spearlike left and following up with
dozens OF right-hand whizz- bangs.
some OF which landed, but none of
which managed to throw Henry's
front drive out of high gear. 1t took
Armstrong couple of rounds to
catch up, but in the third he stag
gered the Beau. and in the sixth the
crowd booed because Jack all but
fed "headlong Backward" which. in
cidentally. is good trick even if he
couldn't do it.
Now there's talk that Promoter
Mike Jacobs-who counted fancy
s1O4,976 house last night-may try
to rematch the two for Is rounds,
with the Beau's world lightweight
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in New
York-on the line. Henry. who
scaled only 1873 last night, wouldn't
mind this bit, after taking a rest
at Hot Springs, Ark AS for the
Beau, he wasn't talking, but his
manager, Chick (Hercules) Wer-
geles-the little man who's as quiet
as an air-raid siren - said mo
thanks for both of them. At that,
you can't blame him. The priorities
on bicycles may be tightened gain.