The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1944-02-26
LOUIS. R0xB0R0UGH. BLACK
DENY JACOBS MANAGES JOE
BY Don DE LEIGHBE'R

NEW YORK Where stand John
ny Roxborough OF Detroit and Ju-
liam Black Of Chicago in the Joe
Louis managerial picture? Is II
true, as reported by the auihori-
iatiye AL Buck. boxing pnndIt OF
the New York Post, that Promoter
Mike Jacobs now is tho sole boss
and manager OF the heavyweight
champion, following coup detat
in which he produced 1887 con-
tract on Louis obtained when Joe
fought Jimmy Braddock. tho Gin
derella Man" at Chicago for the
title?
The Buck story was a WOW. In
fact Il was lulu. ~ followed by
almost two months the factual OBJ
servation by this writer that the
Louis funds were too low for com
fort and the champion was there
by forced to go on refereelng tour
after his sensational visits AZ the
head OF his troupe OF boxing gem
fuses 10 army camps throughout
the country. to replenish his rap
idly diminishing spending change.
II has been widely rumored that
Louis is property poor: that the
better part of his tremendous
earnings during the lush era OF
fights with Baer, Galento. Schmel-
Ing; Farr and Pastor had been sunk
by his managers, Roxborough and
Black, into property. thus prevent
Ing him from having available a
sufficient amount OF money TO meet
his standard OF living which has
involved plenty OF spending.
The inability OF the champion TO
meet his Income tax obligations
was highlighted two years ago
when a committee OF sports writ
ers were named by the war De
partment to promote the Joe Louis
Billy Conn championship fight
which never came of. At the time
Il was felt appropriate that enough
OF the receipts which had been
earmarked for Army Emergency
Relief were to be handed TO the
champion TO apply on his income
tax then and still In arrears be-
cause Of the suddenness with
which he was indicted into the
army.
The main obstacle in promoting
this fight. and which had much e
do with II being called of by Sec
rotary OF War Stimson, was the
mysterious appearance OF an lou
presented by Roxborough for a
sizeable chunk OF whatever gold
Louis might earn. Jacobs, sitting
on the sidelines and watching
closely everything that went on. de-
cided that II Roxborough could get
away with his proposal. he could
get some OF the money he had adj
yanced Lotus also, and forthwith
asked for It from both Joe and
Conn. Seeing which way the thing
was headed and moving quickly ia
forestall public criticism OF the
service. Stimson called the whole
thing Off, thus avoiding one OF the
major stinks OF the generation.
Plans For Champ
At that time, II was many times
brought out that Roxboroueh
Black. Braddock, and all else who
had anything TO do with the Louis
managerial arrangements were
completely out OF the picture ant
that Louis had but one manager
the greatest In the whole world
His Uncle Sam! The same sltua.
ton prevails today amid all the
hullaboo that Jacobs has taker
over as Joe's boss and that Black
and Roxborough have been ehunted
aside. Bucks article declared
among other things, that Roxbor.
ough. facing possible Jail sen
tence in his tin with the courts IN
Detroit over his participation in the
policy rackets. might not be avail.