Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-09-13

OF waste paper on
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 iiahin'-
30 sit tight and we are off.
Just how violent ELM n
VIOLENT" RAY is, you can't
prove by me. From the publicity I
have received the past few months
the fight fans will expect 10 zee me
pOweT-diVinR out Of the skies In q
SupePman cape with fire leAping
from my nOstrIls. With the above
picture In mind-it must be a great
disappointment 10 the fans 10 see
me Just walk into the ring wearing
n plain white robe.
The most frequently asked ques-
ton II how ! feel towards an OPP
ponent. DO hate my opponentf
| don't believe that any young tight
err, unless he IL In n RTudRe fight,
hates his opponent. However, I
can say for myself that ! have
developed n hatred for each and
every opponent that gets into the
ring against me, due 10 the fact
that the fight game IL no longer
a sport for the fighter or the cash
paying fight fan. II has now de-
velOped into game Of trickeTy
and politics between managers and
promoters. Yes, ! have developed
q 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 w0rld-JOE
LOUIS.
Many people wonder why I start
fighting viciously from the first
punch. The answer Is hatred. Hate
II n nasty word but In the fight
game II is the only way you can
describe II. I can't speak for others
but ! can for myself. Over nine
years In the fight game, have
been deprived Of fighting topnoteh-
era for several reasons, but mostly
color. The reaction Of the average
fight manager, with u white fighter
is, "Why should I let a n--r
knock out n white RghterH"
Two other questions frequent.
ly asked me are why ] didn't
fight CuTtiss "HatchmAn" Shep-
pAFd In Baltimore, and EEEard
Charles At Pittsburgh, Pa. These
are fair questions, and here are
the answers:
When the Sheppard vs.. Ray hght
was first mentioned--the two pro-
motors, Fisher and Goldberg, sent
out q statement TO all newspapers
that Elmer Ray had been offered
q guarantee Of $4,000 TO fight
Sheppard. That statement IL false
as my manager, Tommy 0Lough-
lin, was never offered that amount,
and when OLoughlin went to them
for the contract asking for &c.
900, not $4,000 mind you, they
turned the match down.
Sheppard Ia managed by Max
WRNmAn who IL also co-promoter
IN the boxing club with Goldberg
and Fisher and political power
In the town. When Waxman, Fisher
and Goldberg sent out, for pub
licity, ] suppose, an offer Of S25, 900
and refused to sign for 10000
your answer Is ~ good as mine.
EEEard Charles was signed to
fight me at Pittsburgh and the con-
tracts were returned to tho box
ing club, and ! started to train
for the fight. Between the signing
~ Nka AwkN nnA A. A..AN ia.
the managers Of Charles decided
that he was too light for me, so
wiRgled out Of the fight on the
grounds that Charles weighed less
than lT5 pounds, and the boxing
commission would not allow light
heavyweight to hght q heavy
weight.
To prove this. Rll anyone need
do IL spend q thTee-cent stamp and
write 10 the other parties. ] am
still ready to Aght both of those
lighters.
The question that 10 most often
asked me and the one that II the
most embarrassing 10. why have
you never fought In MinRs-
apOllsf"
The answer IL, your local boxing
promoter, Mr.. Tony Steeher, Of.
ferSd my manager, Tommy o.
LouRhlin, only i9h per cent and
no transportation from Los An
geles, 10 h9ht any opponent that
Mr.. Stecher wanted to pick.
At that time the local hght club
was drawing around two or three
thousand dollars, 80 you can plain
ly see that wouldn't need q man
aErr TO get me only l2S per cent.
When this offer WAS made l had
just completed . record Of 10
straight knockouts on the West
Coast whore | was being paid 2b
per cent and 80 par cent Of eight
and 10 thousand dollar houses.
Naturally, I would like 10 Sight
before the hEht fans of MlnRs-
apOlis a. ! now consider this nay
h0ma.
Last week. Percy. in your column
you mentioned that Tony Staehsr
said "fd gladly use Ray II he were
only managed by anyone ether
than 0'I,ougA hin" Well. Percy. I'm
afraid Minneapolis win never SEQ
me II have 10 change managers.
When I finish with Tommy o..
LouEhliR, III hang up the boxing