Evening star., 1946-05-19
Capitals Middle Title
Tilt Tomorrow Ends
Open Debate
By GEORGE Huber

District boxing fans. steamed up
for months over whether Bee Bee
Washington is a better man than
Aaron Perry or vice versa, will get
: their answer tomorrow night in the
only way possible The local IA
vorites will settle such differences of
opinion in the most approved way
after climbing into the Griffith Sta
dium ring around 10 o'clock for a
scheduled l0-round fight that will
return one as District middleWeight
champion.
The title that goes with this fight
Is only incidental to a dispute that
has split the District fight front
since talk of a match between Perry
and Washington first was heard last
fall. 1t was hard match to make,
with neither Manager Harry Garsh
for Perry nor Billy Edwards for
Washington apparently desiring too
much to risk his charges reputation
and local following with such
fight.
It finally was arranged when the
District Boxing Commission put on
a little pressure, and the backstage
pickering that has gone on both be-
fore and after the matchmaking
only has served to add more interest
and Importance to the outcome.
Winner Goes on Gravy Train.
The fact that Washington had
been doing most of his fighting un-
der Joe Turner's promotion and
Perry had done his under Goldie
Ahearns auspices was another
stumbling block, as neither of the
towns rival promoters was anxious
to lose his meal ticket 1t finally
became copromotion, with the two
sponsors splitting so per cent of the
gate and expenses and the two
fighters splitting so per cent. The
winning fighter and promoter should
be on the gravy train for the re-
mainder of the summer.
There were other squabbles about
weights, forfeits, ticket distribution
and even about whose name was to
go first on the posters. These were
ironed out to some extent, and
everything will be settled tomorrow
night Washington is to weigh 159,
give or take a pound, while Perry
will go in at catch weight, probably
Isl or 152. They never did decide
the poster issue and finally each
outfit printed its own sheets.
Odds that early last week favored
Bee Bee slightly are shifting the
other way, with the latest quotation
1910 for Perry It's a question of
whether Perry the slugger can beat
Bee Bee the boxer. Bee Bee will
have height, reach and some ada
vantage in skill, but Perry packs a
chill in each mitt and there is sus-
picion that Bee Bee has a glass jaw
Fight Is Natural Here.
Washington has been knocked out
only once in his career and that
was some time ago, but he has not
met too classy opposition. Perry's
record, while good, isn't as excellent
on won and lost figures as is Bee
Bees. but his opposition has been
of better caliber for the most part
and this department picks Perry to
win by a knockout.
What makes this fight appear such
good one that promises to gross
more than $4,000 is that the prin-
pals are local boys who have done
practically all their fighting in Dis
trict rings. Both are willing mixers
who have been crowd pleasers, and
with so much riding on their bout
a slam-bang scrap all the way looms
Maybe the fight would not draw
anywhere else. but it's a natural
here. So the crowd is pushing to
pay from 50 to $40 per seat, and
unless Perry and Washington are
away off their past performances
the customers will get plenty for
their money. Bee Bee and Perry
aren't champions, but they're fight
ers, and good at their business.