Evening star., 1950-12-23
Robinson Wins Praise
OF French for Easy
Tk0 OF ViIIen1ain
By the Axsoeioted Press

PARIS, Dec. 2S.-Sugar Robin
son, world welterweight champion,
was the toast of the French box
ing world today.
The flashy Negro fighting ma
chine from New York looked 50
impressive In his easy victory over
French Middleweight Robert VII
lemain last night that even the
Communist press. which criticized
him earlier, had nothing but praise
for his performance.
The end came after 2:4S Of the
ninth round Of a scheduled 10
rounder. French Referee Robert
Vesberg stopped the one-sided
contest after Robinson had sent
his rival to the canvas twice. A
series of lefts and rights fioored
Villemain for an eight-count only
As seconds after the start Of the
round.
Another two listed furry
dropped Villemain again. The
plucky Frenchman arose without
q count, but was plainly out on
his feet. The referee called a halt
and awarded Robinson the victory
via a technical knockout. Robin
son weighed 1854, villemain 1854.
Easier Than First Win.
Robinson had an easier time
than In his first fight against VII
lemain in Philadelphia last June.
The Frenchman lost 15-round
decision in the United States.
An estimated 10000 fans, one
of the biggest in French boxing
history, gave Robinson q tremen-
dous ovation, although they were
plainly disappointed that their
countryman did not win. They
paid a record $3o.000.000 francs
($85 ,000 to see the bout.
It Is the fourth straight Euro
pean victory for Robinson. He
knocked out Frances Jean Stock
in Paris, halted Hollands Luc Van
Dam in Brussels and outpointed
Jean Walczak of France In
Geneva. He winds up a six-week
business-pleasure trip in Frank
furt Christmas when he meets
former German Middleweight
Champion Hans Strait.
Frances Communist organ
'L'Humanite" reported Robinson
without trickery or irregularities
confirmed what had already been
suspected, to wit. that he is a
great champion and that he can
win without recourse to American
The same newspaper yesterday
attacked Robinson for having
spoken out publicly against Com
charges of anti-Negro dis
elimination in the United States.
1t warned also of irregularities"
in Robinson's boxing style.
Robinson replied before the fight
with one word-"nuts."
18th Kayo for Ray.
After the fight. Robinson told
"the referee did the
finest thing I've ever seen in stop
ping the fight when he did. I
would have felt awful If Villemain
had gotten hurt"
The Knockout is Sugar Rays
18th in 1875 professional fights. He
has lost but one, to Middleweight
Champion Jake La Motta whom
he has beaten four times.
Robinson is scheduled to fight
La Motta in Chicago for the
middleweight title in February.
Robinson several times won ap-
plause from the heavily pro-Ville-
main crowd by backing off to give
Villemain time to recover.
II hope the crowd liked the
fight" Ray said, because I wanted
to show them clean American
sportsmanship.
I'll do everything I can to an
SWer those pro-Communist Amer
ican Negroes who say that all we
Negroes are Disseminated against
in America.
Joe Louis Negro ex-heavy-
weight Champion Jackie Robin
son Negro baseball starr and I
will go all out to answer these
Communist lies every chance we
get"
Fiohts Last Nioht