Evening star., 1952-06-22
10000 Likely 10 See
Sugar Rays Bid for
Third Title Tomorrow
BY the Associated Press

BY the Assoeiaied Press
NEW YORK, June 21.-Sugar
Ray Robinson steps boldly up to
the weight scale Monday night to
bid for his third world boxing
championship in a 15-round
Yankee Stadium title bout with
the light-heavyweight kingpin,
joey Maxim of Cleveland.
In a throwback to the days of
Harry Greb and Stanley Ketchel,
when fighting men paid little at
tention to class limits, Middle
weight Champ Robinson will give
away some 16 pounds to Joey, a
master of the left jab.
If Robinson, former welter king,
grabs his third crown he will go
into the ring records with Bob
Fitzsimmons and Henry Arm
strong as the only men to hold
three world titles.
Maxim. standup boxing stylist
without a Knockout punch, origin
ally was a 7-to-5 favorite but the
odds slipped to even money after
his sparring partner, Joe Black
wood. knocked him down in a
workout at Grossingers. N. Y.
Many think the price will rise
again by ringtime with Maxim
once more the favorite. However,
Robinson, seldom if ever an un-
derdog in 1876 bouts, dating back
to 1910, was the 11-to-10 choice
this morning.
10000 Expected at Stadium.
With no home television or radio
broadcast, the International Box
ing Club expects 10000 fans to
pay more than 100000 to watch
the battle of champions" sched-
uled for 10 pm. washington
time.) 1t was in the same stadium
that more than 81 1000 saw Sugar
Ray regain his middleweight
crown from Britain's Randy Tur-
pin last September.
Theater television will carry the
fight into some 81 theaters in at
least "a cities, with New York ex-
cluded, on a closed circuit. A re-
ported minimum guarantee of
$125,000 from the theaters will
swell the receipts.
The fight will be shown on
theater television at the Capt.
tai, Keith's and Lincoln in Wash
ington, all in connection with
their regular shows. There will be
40 home television.
Tickets are priced at $240 at
all theaters, with some at So at
the Lincoln. While no seats are
reserved, the theater manage
ments guarantee a seat for all
ticket holders.
Each fighter will take 80 per
cent of the gate. The IBC has
contract calling for a rematch
within 80 days if Robinson should
dethrone Maxim. E1S-f q
Says Robinson Is Slipping.
Many think Robinson, now 81,
has lost his touch. They recall
how Jake La Motta jabbed him at
will in the early rounds of their
sixth and last meeting-before he
was knocked out. They remind
you of Robinson's dreary effort in
London last July when he lost his
title to Turpin. And they tell you
Sugar Ray trailed on the official
cards-before a cut eye aroused
him in the Turpin rematch.
Robinson admits he has lost
some of the speed he used to have
as the slick Harlem dandy who
whizzed out of the amateur ranks
to win his first 40 fights. But this
overall record for 1856 pro starts
shows 86' knockouts in 131 wins,
two defeats, two draws and one no
decision. The only men to beat
him over that long haul were La
Motta-once in six attempts way
back in 1943 when he also had
16-pound weight edge-and Tur-
pin.
It comes down to the old argu-
ment of the good big man"
against the good little man"
Maxim never was knocked off his
feet in six fights with Ezzard
Charles and three with Jersey Joe
Walcott, two world heavyweight
champs. Only once in SO fights
was he knocked out-by Hatchet
Man Sheppard in 1943. His record
for his pro career is 77-18-4. He
won only 20 by knockouts.