St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-09-13

the floor, and the
look in my wife's ~
eye would con-
vince you why we needed the min
lister. Maybe you wonder where
my manager is--well, he's fishin'-
so sit tight and we are off.
Just how violent E L M Z r
VIOLENT" RAY is, you can't
prove by me. From the publicity /
have received the past few months
the fight fans will expect TO see me
power-divinR out Of the skies in a
Superman cape with fire leaping
from my nostrils. With the above
picture In mind-it must be a great
disappointment TO the fans to see
me tust walk into the ring wearing
a plain white robe.
The most frequently asked ques-
ton is how l feel towards an OPP
ponent. Do / hate my opponent?
/ don't believe that any young fight
err, unless he Is in a grudge fight,
hates his opponent. However, |
can say for myself that | have
developed a hatred for each and
every opponent that gets into the
ring against me, due to the fact
that the fight game is no longer
a sport for the fighter or the cash
paying fight fan. II has now de-
veloped into a game Of trickery
and politics between managers and
promoters. Yes, l have developed
a hatred towards all those man.
ayers and fighters who have
blocked my efforts to fight those
rated above me for my chance at
the champion Of the world-JOE
LOUIS.
Many people wonder why l start
fighting viciously from the first
punch. The answer is hatred. Hate
Is n nasty word but in the fight
game it is the only way you can
describe it. / can't speak for others
but can for myself. Over nine
years In the fight game, / have
been deprived Of fighting topnotch-
ers for several reasons, but mostly
color. The reaction Of the average
fight manager, with a white fighter
Is, "Why should l let a III
knock out a white fighter2"
Two other questions frequent
" asked me are why ] didn't
fight Curtiss "Hatehman" Shep-
pard In Baltimore, and EZzard
Charles at Pittsburgh, Pa. These
are fair questions, and here are
the answers:
When the Sheppard VS.. Ray fight
was first mentiOned-the two pro-
mOters, Fisher and Goldberg, sent
out a statement to all newspapers
that Elmer Ray had been offered
a guarantee Of $4,000 to fight
Sheppard. That statement is false
as my manager, Tommy O'Lough-
lin, was never offered that amount,
and when o'Loughlin went to them
for the contract asking for Sl0,-
900, not $4,000 mind you, they
turned the match down.
Sheppard is managed by Max
Waxman who is also cO-pTomoter
in the boxing club with Goldberg
and Fisher and a political power
In the town. When Waxman, Fisher
and Goldberg sent out, for pub
licity, ! suppose, an offer Of $4,000
and refused to sign for $4,000
your answer is as good as mine.
Ezzard Charles was signed to
fight me at Pittsburgh and the con-
tracts were returned to the box
ing club, and | started to train
for the fight. Between the signing
Of the fight and the fight date
the managers Of Charles decided
that he was too light for me, so
wiggled out of the fight on the
grounds that Charles weighed less
than 175 pounds, and the boxing
commission would not allow a light
heavyweight to fight a heavy
weight.
To prove this, all anyone need
do is spend a three-cent stamp and
write to the other parties. / am
still ready to fight both of these
fighters.
The question that Is most often
asked me and the one that Is the
most embarrassing Is, ''Why have
you never fought in Mime
apOHS?"
The answer is, your local boxing
promoter, Mr.. Tony Stecher, Of
fered my manager, Tommy o.
Loughlin, only 1914 per cent and
no transportation from Los An
geles, to fight any opponent that
Mr.. Stecher wanted to pick.
At that time the local fight club
was drawing around two or three
thousand dollars, so you can plain
ly see that l wouldn't need a man.
ager to get me only 12h per cent.
When this offer was made I had
just completed a record of 10
straight knoekouts on the West
Coast where l was being paid %
per cent and 80 per cent Of eight
and 10 thousand dollar houses.
Naturally, would like 10 fight
before the fight fans Of Minnie
apolis as l now consider this my
home.
Last week, Percy, in your column
you mentioned that Tony Stecher
said "I'd gladly use Ray II he were
only managed by anyone other
than 0'Loughlin." Well, Percy. I'm
afraid Minneapolis win never see
me II l have to change managers.
When finish with Tommy o.
Loughlin, I'll hang up the boxing
gloves. d.
a II