Evening star., 1951-02-14

of fighting styles that promises to
be one of the best scraps Of the
postwar era.
Robinson, who decisioned body
sledging Jake four out Of five
times when the Bronx bull was a
middleweight contender instead
OF the champion, rules a 81 to
Al favorite for the Chicago Sta
dium showdown. starting at 10
pm. (EST. Such odds are un-
precedented for a middleweight
challenger.
At the weighing-in this morning
LaMotta weighed 100. making the
exact weight. Robinson scaled
1854.
Would Have Forfeited Title.
LaMotta's weight of 160 ended
considerable speculation that he
might be over the middleWeight
limit. He had requested the 10
am weigh-in, two hours earlier
than the usual noon scaling, ap-
parently to use two hours in melt
ing off weight if he failed to hit
100 lat 10 o'clock.
Had LaMotta, who has not
worked out in a gym since Fri
day. failed to make the weight,
he would have forfeited his crown
to Robinson. but the fight would
have gone on as scheduled.
| LaMotta disclosed he had moth
ing to eat this morning and had
spent the last few days jumping
on and off the scales in his room,
morning, noon and night to watch
his weight. He rushed to heavy
breakfast after the weigh-in and
planned a substantial meal around
pm.
There was a bit of conversa-
tional swapping between the two
fighters at the weigh-in. Robinson
told Jake: This is the sixth time
we fought. This is the most i'm
portant one because it's for the
championship. Let's make 1t a
good fight. We've always given
good fights and drawn good
crowds. Let's not disappoint them
tonight"
To which LaMotta retorted:
"Well. boy, you're getting to be
talker all of a sudden, eh? We
get paid to fight"
May Gross S175,OO0.
The International Boxing Club
card is expected to draw some
1880 fans and gross $175,000.
Millions of others will see it on
lteleviSion Or hear it broadcast.
CThe fight will be broadcast
and telecast in Washington by
Stations WTOP and WTOP-TV
Channel 81.
Robinson's only loss in 1913
fights (78 of which he won by
knockouts) was to La Motta in
the second meeting of their five
fight series. Jake won 70 out of
95 bouts. % by kayoes.
A 10th-round kayo of the late
Marcel Cerdan in 1949 gave La
Motta the middleweight belt. Last
year he defended it successfully
twice. taking a 15-round decision
from Tiberio Mitri and rallying to
chill Laurent Dauthuille in the
final seconds of the 18th round at
Detroit on September 13, his last
ring appearance.
Robinson. who recently returned
from European tour, has had
eight fights in the last 65 days.
La Motta Picks Up Backers.
Battle-scarred 29-year -old La
Motta has picked up number of
hackers lately.
| The trim Robinson, also 30,
says he is at his peak.
The two gladiators appear ready
to enter the ring in the finest
condition and brimming over with
stamina for their first scheduled
15-round go at each other.
Ring followers almost are unan-
imous that the title brawl will
go the full distance.
The rough-hewn LaMotta who
never has been belted off his feet
and Robinson also believe the
winners arm will be hoisted on q
decision. Sugar has never suf-
fered a knockout in his career, but
he has been sent to the floor -four
times, twice by Jake.
Robinson has the reach, the
boxing skill and probably the more
Furnishing punch than Jake. But
LaMotta has the ruggedness and
, comeback strength that may be
the key to the fight.
AS one boxing critic put it: "This
may be LaMotta's greatest per-
formance. win or lose"