Evening star., 1951-08-22
Challenger Says
He'll Win by K0
Inside I Rounds
Joey's Poor Showing
In Workouts Likely
To Send Odds Higher
: BY Murray Rose
Associated Press Sports Writer

Champion Joe Maxim and become
the new title-holder at about
1890 o'clock tonight.
I'm going to knock him out
within seven rounds with a left
hook to the body" said the husky,
hard hitting San Diego redhead
as he awaited the 10 pm. start
ing gong for the 15-round fight
in Madison Square Garden.
(The bout will be broadcast
and televised by the Columbia
Broadcasting System. In Wash
ington the telecast will be seen
on Channel 9 and the radio ac-
count will be heard on Station
WTOP.)~
I'll win-Tve got to win" was
the way Maxim put it. The tall,
swarthy champion is defending
his crown for the first time since
he lifted it from Freddie Mills
with a 10-round knockout in Lon
don early in 1850.
"ul ply DCGti18 SHUICCs
|. The hettors lean strongly to
Murphy. Solid support for the
challenger in the last few days
has changed him from an under
dog to an 8l2-to-5 choice. BY
fight time, the California south
paw may be favored by 2 to / or
more.
Maxim's lackluster workouts
are the reason for the switch in
odds. When the bout was first
made after Maxim took a 15-
round pasting from Ezzard
Charles. the champion was rated
a 2-to-1 choice to whip the power
full but crude challenger.
But in his recent drills, Maxim
looked slow afoot and he'll need
Shifty feet to elude the bull-like
rushes of the southpaw socker.
Maxim is the key to the fight.
Every one knows what Murphy
can do. The ex-sailor bores in
with a relentless attack. He has
a zest for fighting and a knockout
wallop in his left hand. He's easy
to hit and is willing to take a
couple of punches to get in one
swipe with his left hook or upper
cut. His right hand is feeble.
Might Emulate Matthews.
The big question is how good Is
Maxim. If he's close to the fighter
who stopped Mills or rs per cent
as good, he should be able to
handle Murphy as easily as Harry
(Kid Matthews did last March.
The old Maxim would keep Murphy
off balance and punish him with
left jabs. left hooks and snappy
right crosses and get away from
or tie up his opponents payoff
left.
Well string along with Murphy.
Five champions have lost their
crowns this year and we believe
Maxim will be No. 6. A long period
of idleness and his shellacking
from Charles appear to have taken
something out of the champion.
Although Maxim is only 20, the
same age as the challenger, he
has been fighting as a pro nearly
II years. Murphy, who started
boxing while in the Navy, has been
battling for pay for only six years.
The sailor started his rise to the
top about the same time Maxim
won the title.
Murphy has stopped SIS of his
IS foes, lost five bouts, and been
stopped twice by cuts. He hasn't
met the calibre of Maxim's foes,
however. The champion, in COM
piling a 75-17 record, has fought
the toughest of them all including
Jersey Joe Walcott. Charles and
other top heavies. Maxim has
been kayoed only once, by Curtis
(Hatchet Nam Sheppard, and he
beat Sheppard in a return fight.
Only 10000 Expected.
Because of the network tele-
cast, the bout figures to draw only
about 10000 fans at prices rang
ing from So to SIS. The gross gate
probably will hit around $4,000.
But the battlers will be cutting in
on fat 100000 melon for the
Iradio-TV rights. Maxim will re-
ceive 40 per cent of the net gate
and the air money. Murphy will
get 20 per cent.
There is no return bout guaran-
tee, according to International
Boxing Club officials. Bob Satter-
field, who had first rights to a
title go with Maxim. originally was
scheduled to meet the winner. 1t
looks like he'll be left out in the
cold, along with Archie Moore and
Matthews, in favor of Don Cockell,
the British and European 175-
pound champion.
Cockell flew in from London
yesterday to scout the fight. And
right now it appears like he might
meet the winner in London
September 25. London Promoter
Jack Solomons, another recent ar
rival, said Maxim's manager, Jack
Kearns, has agreed to have his
gladiator meet Cockell if he wins
tonight. The IBC said, however,
that nothing concrete has been
done about such a match.
Seventh Straight Knockout
Scored by Harry Matthews
PORTLAND. Greg, Aug. % [P.
Harry (Kid) Matthews of Sc
attic now has seven straight
knockouts to his credit. Matthews
added Joe Basora of New York
to hiS lict hnra lort .a;eL4 "a a %