Evening star., 1951-01-16
Boxing Interest Rises
As 2,44o Fans See
Cooper Score K0
By George Huber

summer, but the crowd of 2,449
that turned out for last nights
Jimmy Cooper-Little Dynamite
fight at Turner's Arena makes
Matchmaker Gabe Menendez be-
lieve he has the formula to bring
back the good old days of boxing
here.
That turnout was the largest
since the Sonny Boy West-Doug
Ratford fight early in 1949.
The new formula by which Men
endez and Mrs. Florence Turner,
promoter, will operate is: First of
all. good fight to head the pro-
gram. They will operate only
when good fight is available and
not every week. Secondly, no
television.
They think they found out last
night all about what television
has done to them. With television
gone from Turner's Arena. 2,449
customers turned out for a fight
between the same two feather
weights that drew only about 800
December 4 when there was tele-
vision. And that December 4 show
was a big hoopla program, too,
celebrating the 18th anniversary
of the arena with several special
events and Well-known guests.
Top Fighters Only Wanted.
Matchmaker Menendez says he
will operate hereafter only when
top drawing card is available
for a match. There will be no
show next week, for example. He
did have Coley Wallace, a rising
young heavyweight who is popu-
lar here, lined up for next Mon
day, but couldn't get q good
opponent. If he can line up op-
position for Wallace by the fol-
lowing week there will be a fight
show then. Menendez claims.
however, that there is plenty Of
boxing talent around, and he
doesn't expect much trouble book
ing a good show nearly every
week.
Cooper won last nights fight,
scoring a knockout in the sixth
round to balance decision Dyna-
mite won over him in their meet
ing last month. The end came
somewhat suddenly, with Dyna-
mite going down under a furry
of left hooks and at the same
time dislocating his left hip.
Dynamite was ahead on points
at the time and wasn't cleanly
knocked out. Because of his in
jured hip he was unable to rise
and that circumstance. coupled
with the fact that it was a very
good fight, the same as their pre-
vious meeting, makes rematch
very probable when he RECEIVERS.
Dynamite was taken to Garfield
Hospital, where he remained over
night for treatment and X-rays.
Dynamite Can't Get Up.
Dynamite made the fight in the
early rounds, keeping in close and
swarming over Cooper with a body
attack. He just wasn't letting
Cooper step back for those long
range speed shots with a left jab
for which he is noted. BY the
fourth round, though. Cooper was
getting Dynamite back with bolo
punches and in the fifth it became
a wide-open brawl with Cooper
starting to outlook Dynamite and
connecting with lefts.
Cooper was beginning to take
command in the sixth and al
though still behind on points he
was driving back Dynamite with
jab after jab when the end came.
A furry of lefts to the face and
body sent Dynamite to the canvas
and Referee Eddie Lafond count
ed 10. Dynamite was conscious,
but because of his hip injury
couldn't stand up and had to be
carried to the dressing room on
a stretcher.
Three Of the preliminaries end
ed in knockouts. Featherweight
Bill Mcfarland chilled Ted Yon-
kee in A seconds Of the first round
in the first pro fight for both.
while technical knockout winners
were Welterweight Young Satan
over Nose Herald in the fourth
and Middleweight Connie Wilkins
over Gene Harley, also in the
fourth. Going the distance were
Kid Slam over George Brooks for
four rounds and Pat Thomas over
Coffee Wilkinson in five rounds.