Evening star., 1952-07-06
Gate in Philadelphia
May Set New Record
For WeIterweighis
BY the Assoeia,sd Press

~~A"AA~~A4A1A 4AA<A, " O1y ~ uDdL
Kid Gavilan. IRON jawed veteran
OF 80 pro fights. risks his priced
world weight championship
Monday night against unbeaten
Gil Turner. 21-year- Phila-
delphia sensation, in 15-round
bout at Municipal Stadium.
With a hometown boy shoot
In gfor the championship and no
radio, television or theater TV to
hurt the gate. Turner fans (both
pro and antD are expected to
turn out 10000 strong. The fight
is scheduled for 10 pm.
II Herman Taylor's promotion
gets a break from the weather. it
may set new high for a welter-
weight bout. bettering the $194, 800
drawn by Barney Ross and Jimmy
McLarnin in New York on May %,
1884.
There is every indication the
fight will outdraw the recent Jer-
sey Joe Walcott- Ezzard Charles
heavyweight championship bout
IN the same stadium. They crossed
only $210.3l5 with $50 tops as
compared to SIS top for Gavi-
lan-Turner.
Turner. the hometown boy
who made good by compiling an
amazing 800 knockout average by
stopping 25 of 81 opponents, has
captured the imagination of Phila-
delphia fans.
Five-Year Age Difference.
The baby-faced Turner didn't
start boxing until 1850 while
Gavilan was punching for pay in
1943-back when young Gil was
12-year-old. Still. the difference
in age isn't as great as one might
think. Gavllan's long record makes
him seem older than his 26 years.
A glance at the records would
indicate a test of an indestructible
Jaw (Gavilan's) and knock 'em
-cold-puncher (Turner), but that
Is not the case. Gavilan has the
solid jaw-or always did have
but Turner is not a one-punch
K.O. boy. He wears 'eln down
with his windmill attack, some
what on the style of Henry Arm
strong and Beau Jack in years
gone by.
The sleek champion from
Havana has been knocked of his
feet only once. Ike Williams did
1t in the first of their three bouts.
Gavilan took an eight-count from
a right cross in the eighth round.
But he got up. The best shots of
Sugar Ray Robinson, Paddy
Young, Gene Hairston, Robert
Villemain, Johnny Bratton and
Billy Graham haven't been able
to dent that jaw.
Split Decisions Save Title.
In SO fights, Gavilan has an
S2-12-4 record. Since he won the
137-pound crown from Johnny
Bratton on May Is, 1851, he has
defended it twice, winning both
on disputed split decisions. Most
Of the ringsiders. except the Of
f1cials, thought he lost to Billy
Graham last August. But they
gave it to Gavilan. Many be-
lieved Bobby Dykes beat him at
Miami in February, but Gavilan
copped another of his specialties-
q split decision.
There is no question that
Gavilans legs have lost some Of
the bounce and dazzling speed he
showed when he first shipped in
from a Cuban sugar plantation.
Instead of his old rhumba dance
and bolo punch, he often stands
flat-footed and punches harder.
He proved he can punch when he
knocked out Middleweight Walter
Cartier in the last round in De-
cember when he needed a K.O.
to win.
Unknown Quantity.
Turner is more or less an un-
known quantity. He has been
mingling with name" fighters for
only a year. Most of the names"
he whipped were over the hill
men like Beau Jack. Charlie
Fusari and Ike Williams. Still he
has beaten everybody he has been
asked to face and you can't do
any more than that.
Gil's fights inspire stories about
machinegun punching, rat-a-tat
fire, human buzzSaw and so on,
He has the youth and stamina to
pour it on from bell to bell. But
he never has gone Is. Neither has
he fought a furry puncher like
Gavilan who can dazzle a judge
with a spectacular squirt.
According to Harry Mendel, the
publicity purveyor, Turner has
been on the deck twice-for
no count by Irish Jimmy Sanders
and for an eight-count by Fusari,
Two judges and a referee, to be
selected at ringside, will decide
the winner on the basis of most
rounds won. As in the Walcott-
Charles fight, officials will be adj
vised to come up with a definite