Evening star., 1952-07-27
Winner 10 Get Shot
Al WaIcott's Title;
100000 Gate Likely
BY the Associated Press


Mass, slugger, and Harry Mat
thews. the slick pride of the great
Northwest, collide tomorrow night
at Yankee Stadium in a 10-round
elimination bout to set up a Sep
ternber challenger for Jersey Joe
Walcott, the heavyweight cham
pion.
Marciano's record of SO knock
outs in Al winning bouts, includ-
ing a TKO over Joe Louis, made
the swarthy New England lad a
strong 2-to-1 choice over the 90
year-old kid" from Seattle who
hasn't lost a fight since 1943.
It's the classic match of a slug
ger and a boxer-two hungry
heavyweights gambling all in one
daring bid for a title shot.
No TeleviSiOn Planned
There will be no radio, television
nor theater TV for this Interna-
tional Boxing Club production,
scheduled for 10 pm. In the
event of rain, the show will be
pushed back 48 hours to Wednes-
day.
Although the ringside advance
sales parallel the demand for the
recent Ray Robinson-Joey Maxim
fight that drew a gate of more
than 100000, the IBC probably
will settle for 10000 fans and
100000. Each fighter gets 30|
per cent.
Under New York rules, the
winner will be decided by two
judges and a referee on the basis
of most rounds won with the help
of supplementary point scoring
system.
Match Tribute to Hurley.
This match is a tribute to the
shrewd manipulations of Jack
Hurley. Matthews cagey manager.
Matthews does nothing - says
nothing-without Hurley's okay !
His 105-bout career dates back toI
1887 when he was Is. Unbeaten
in his last 10 bouts, including two
draws, Matthews has knocked out
% of 35 opponents since signing
with Hurley in 1949.
Marciano, carefully led up the
heavyweight ladder. was being
groomed for the Walcott bout
until Hurley started to shout.
Hurley, a smart manager of the
old school dating back to the days
of Billy Petrole, shouted so long
and so loud about his athlete
being shut out of New York, that
the match finally was made.
Actually. both are more or less
unknown quantities as far as the
big time is concerned.
Barely Beat La Starza.
Marciano. now 27, barely got
past Roland La Starza on a split
decision, scored a sensational
knockout over favored Rex Layne,
stopped Louis and then lost face
in winning on a TKO over old
Lee Savold at Philadelphia.
A Swarming puncher who can
knock you down with left hook
or a long looping right. Marciano
often founders when he misses.
No boxing master, the Rock still
is not as easy to hit as it seems.
Powerfully built with rugged legs
and short, strong arms, he bur-
rows low. trying to pin his man
against the ropes for his heavy
bombs.
Matthews made a smash hit in
his lone New York appearance,
March 2, 1851, when he gave Irish
Bob Murphy a sound whipping.
Murphy was red hot then and
Matthews cooled him off with a
solid body humping.
Big Coast Attraction.
With the exception of one
Cleveland television shot when
Danny Nardico gave him trouble,
Matthews has kept close to home,
where he is a terrific attraction.
"A 10-round decision over Rex
Layne at Portland May 19 was his
last start. He is a standup boxer
of the classic style, primarily a
counter-puncher with his quick
hands.
For his entire career, Matthews
record shows 96 wins. three losses
and six draws. He was stopped
once by one Eddie Booker, Aug
ust 9, 1943, his last loss.
An overstuffed middleweight
when he hooked up with Hurley,
Matthews was built into an 180-
FOUNDER. Although Matthews has
been working indoors at the CYO
gym in Manhattan in the hottest
summer New York has known for
many years, Hurley says he will
come in about 1872"
MarcianO Does More Boxing.
Marciano, drilling in the noun
tains at Greenwood Lake. N. Y,
probably will weigh 1875 or 1856. He
has done much more boxing in
camp than Matthews. who did not
arrive from Seattle until two weeks
ago.
In this day of so many fights
that mean npthing-except to en-
tertain television audiences-this
bout is a novelty. The winner gets
Walcott and a piece of million
dollar gate. Both can be expected
to shoot the works.
The enthusiastic IBC publicity
department calls it the greatest
heavyweight fight since Dempsey
F'irpo" or another Dempsey -Tun-
ney bout" 1t hardly figures to be
that. But it should be a blood
and thunder scrap as long as itI
lasts.