Evening star., 1952-01-30
Hunt Certain
He Can. !. Make
Title Match
Says Nevada Becker
Con Offer Champion
$250, 900 Guarantee
By GEORGE Huber

l
Harry Hunt, a West Coast pro-
Imoter, who has had his finger in
various sports ventures. arrived in
Washington today and, said he is
l"99 per cent dertain'' he can make
Ia match for tie heavyweight box
ling championship between Jersey
Joe Walcott and Harry Matthews.
Hunt planned conference later
with Felix Bocchicchio, Walcott's
manager. and Jack Hurley. Mat
lthews' manager.
Hunt said he has the financial
backing to offer Walcott $3.50, 900
Ito defend his championship
against Matthews on Memorial
Day at Las Vegas. New. He said
he talked to ,Bocchicchio l three
weeks ago In Chicago and the
latter appeared in favor Of the
IDEAL.
/ Bocchicchio Expected
Bocchicchio, who was with Wal
Ecott in Lewistown, Pa, last night
where the champion put on an ex-I
Iaibition. was expected in Wash
|ington. but early this afternoon
had not arrived :.
Hurley and Mattheys arrived
last night, but Hurley said, I'VE
|are here on business not connected
lin any way with boxing. ! have
mot heard from Hunt today, but
lii he wants to see me I expect
Ito be around for about q week.
i want to emphasize, however.
that we did not come to Washing
ton to talk any boxing business"
The fight manager would give
|no indication as to the nature Of
THE business that brought him
here.
Hunt said he has the financial
backing of Wilbur Clark, multi
millionaire owner Of the famous
Desert Inn In Las Vegas. He said
CLARK had wanted to put on big
fight in Las Vegas for some time
Ito help promote the resort. Hunt
added that he and Clark figured
la heavyweight championship fight
between WalcOtt and Matthews
would draw between $500. 900 and
$500, 600 and that with television
the total receipts would be close
Ito 81 million.
No Definite Engagement.
Hunt said that he has no def
mite engagement with either of
the fight managers, but he ex-
|pected Bocchicchio to stay with
him while in Washington.
WaIcott has been under pres
sure recently to defend the title
he won from Ezzard Charles last
July 18. He has been warned by
the New York State Athletic Com
mission to sign by February 5 for
Ia title defense or be stripped of
his title. A return bout with
Charles or q bout with hard
hitting Rocky Marciano were Sug-
gested as logical title matches.
Matthews also has been on the
pan recently. Long a challenger
for Joey KMaxim's light-l1eavy-
weight title, Matthews suddenly
seems to have lost interest in that
division and is looking toward the
heavyweight title. Offers from
the IBC for championship fight
with Maxim have been turned
down, although not long ago Mat
thews. through Hurley, bis man.
ager, was charging that he was
being shut out and that he couldn't
get Maxim to fight him.
Led to Investigation.
The Matthews-Maxim situation
was one Of the things leading to
the resolutions introduced in the
Senate last August calling for q
congressional investigation of box
ing. Yesterday. on the floor of
the Senate. Senator Cain called
attention to the IBC proposal for
a Maxim Matthews fight, and
said that he would withdraw his
demand for the investigation un-
less Matthews agreed to fight.
Hurley said his visit to Wash
ington has nothing to do with the
proposed congressional investiga-
tion Of boxing. He said he had
no engagement today with Sem
ator Cain, but added that, II pos
sible. he would see the Senator
during his stay here.