Evening star., 1952-01-23
District Fighter
Is Even Choice
III Biggest Test
Victory Would Neon
chonce ot Big Time;
Both in Good Shape
BY George Huber

Il
Smith is will be shown tonight
when this popular Negro feather
weight meets a high-ranking OPP
tponent for the first time. The
District youngster. himself ranked
ninth among the 126-pounders.
Itangles with Corky Gonzales Of
Colorado. the eighth
lfeatherweight. In q hereunder at
Uline Arena.
Not only his District supporters
but fans across the country as
well have a chance Of getting q
real line on Smiths ability. The
fight will be shown by q network
Iof Sc television stations and will
be heard over 220 radio stations.
The Washington outlets will be
WTOP and WTOP-TV at 10 pm.
The fight should be very close.
The 23-year-old Gonzales has
more experience and recently has
met a slightly better class of OPP
position than Smith, who is 20
years old, but the Washington
|slugger has taken everything
tossed his way while running up
b string Of 27 victories. 81 by
|knockoutS.
Important Bout for Smith.
Naturally the fight is an Inn
portant one for Smith. He has
been brought along slowly against
an increasingly tougher class of
Opposition by Manager Irving Co
hen. II little Gene can continue
his power-punching against the
big names Of the featherweight
section. he'll be a real money at
traction. and Manager Cohen has
seen to it that Smith reaches to-
nights test in the best of shape.
Several big wheels from the In
|ternational Boxing Club. such as
Matchmaker AL WE'LL and Manag-
ing Director Harry Markson, are
expected at ringside tonight, and
these are the men who have it in
their power to make Smith into q
|big-timer If he shows he has the
ability.
With all that at stake the fight
can be a very good one. as those
between little men Of even reason
able ability generally are.
Smith has speed, as has any
featherweight worth his salt, and
hes a clean and sharp puncher.
Even in his early fights he dis
played the kind of class that gen.
|erally comes from experience. He
didn't pace himself well In his
first few 10-rounders. but he over
came that and recently In the late
rounds-or at least the few times
he's had to go into the late rounds
he's been as fresh as In the early
going. His last fight was January
Z when he stopped Leo LeBrun
in the fifth round.
Gonzales Busy. Fighter.
Gonzales is the busy club fighter
type of ringman who never lets
an opponent rest. He's not a
great power puncher. but he does
wear out the opposition with his
|unrelenting jahs and hooks and
body blows. and there's always
the danger he'll cross with right
and end matters. He, too, has
beaten LeBrun and took only two
rounds to do it.
Other opponents Smith and
Gonzales have in common are
Bobby Bell and Harry LeSane.
Both won decisions over LeSane.
while Smith stopped Bell and
Gonzales went all the way to win
a decision. Other than these,
Gonzales best opponents have
been Charlie Riley and Eddie
Burgin, whom he beat. and Willie
Pep. to whom he lost.
The preliminary card. starting
at $3.50 pm. includes three six
rounders and a four -rounder.
Skies are: Clarence Hinnant
against Tommy Reese, middle
weights; Coffee Wilkinson against
Eddie Ogda, feathers, and sam
Kelsey against al Avar1te, light
weights. The -four, sends Battling
Moore against Ludwig Otto,
|heavyweights.