The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-07
Cerdun Clicks for Hord-Win Verdict OUer Geo Abrams

NeW HoTk, ESec. H-NOED-MArCct Cerdan of Morocco was the toast of tin-ear terrace today. No foreign phony was he. Tn his American debut, this French-African "Ace Hudkins"-tie middlewelght cham pion of Europe-exceeded the prom iseS of his publicity.
 Before le,s7i thrilled fans in Madison Square Garden, the Casa blanca clouter out-Americaned ahee oeorgie Abrams to win the unani- nous decision last night in ten rounds of furious and bloody fight ing, for a gate of eeS, ,a5e.
 Although pale-faced Marcel learned the rudiments of conflict as a child in his rough-and-tumhle tuSsles with Arab urchins on the streets of Casablanca, he fought in super-A1nerican style last night. He proved himself a super club fighter"-a super "crowd pleaser'' who could toss menacing leather from gong to gong, and who could rally magnfficently when all seemed lost.
 EiehGh Was We're
 And all did seem lost in the 9th round, when se-year old Abrams of Brookiyn-formerly of Washington
 had Marcel staggering from the combination of fatigue and Q ter rife right uppercut to the chin. Tired Marcel weathered the blows of the ex-title challenger who had had the great Tony zale on the floor in lo4l, and he came stor1ning back in the ninth and 10th rounds to sew up the fight-to cmplete what he had started so spectacularly in the early going.
 This tntefnationa classic, in which Cerdan made . robust bid for recognition as challenger for zales world title was bloody brawl in which both participants bled freely from gashes near the eyes. And the faces of both were puffcd and red-battered at the end.
 Although 2e-year-old Abrams en- joyed advantages of youth. height, reach. and weight over his 30-year- old opponent. it was Cerdan who forced the fighting throughout Cerdan. i5e, scored the only knock down of the bout in the ninth round when his left hook smashed Abrams, i90 3-s, into Q forward half-bend until his gloves touched the canvas and prevented him from stretching out on the floor.
 The fury of Cerdan's attack and the surprising effectiveness of his hooking combinations to body and head prevented speedy Abrams from taking advantage of his edu- cated left jab and his long. sharp rights until well past the midway mark in the bout.
 Decisiea Very Close
 Cerdan accomplished his victory without beneflt of training against able professional sparmates. In the dressing room, Manager Lucien Roupp disclosed that he had been forced to spar only two rounds daily with amateurs because a chest cold contracted on the voyage to New York had given him severe muscu- lar pains.
 For lack of proper sharpening, Cerdan was wild" in several | rounds-missing almost as many punches as he landed. In the furi- 1 ous seventh round. he slipped to | one knee when he missed a hard | right.
 It was q hard. close fight in | which Abrams suffered . gash at | the corner of his right eye in the 1 second round. and in which Cerdan suffered a gash beneath his left eye in the sixth. Both gashes were l so deep that they required stitches. |
 It was so close that Judges Frank | Forbes and Marty Monroe gave each five rounds but threw the 1 fight to Cerdan on points. Referee Ruby Goidstein voted six rounds | for Cerdan. two for Abrams and two even. The United Press fay- ored Cerdan 5-3-2. Cerdan lost | the fourth session on Q foul for low l hlOWg