Evening star., 1953-06-03
Cooper Turns Tables
On Smith With Kayo
In Furious Fight
By GEORGE Huber

Jimmy Cooper is king Of the
featherweightS in Washington
again. his popularity and self
confidence restored. He's ready
to continue the move up to the
big time that was interrupted
two years ago.
The man who stopped Cooper
two years ago, Ernie Gene Smith.
was the stepping stone Cooper
used to move back into promi-
nence last night. Before a SELL
out crowd Of 1871 at Turner'S
Arena, Jimmy knocked down
Smith four times in a really
terrific bout and finally kept him
down at 1889 Of the sixth round.
This was a reversal of q Grit
fifth Stadium fight in July, 1851,
when Smith stopped Cooper in
six rounds. From that bout Smith
went on the the big fight circuit,
earning a national ranking and
collecting a succession of big
televiSion purses. while Cooper
went back to the preliminarieS.
Course May Be Reversed.
The course of the two WASH
ington fighters may be reversed
now. Smith is going to get q
long rest, while the 22-year-old
Cooper will get the big chances.
Promoter Vince Mcmahon al
ready is talking Of signing Willie
Pep, the former featherweight
champion, for a Cooper bout
early in June at Griff1th Stadium.
Last nights fight was a slug
ging, dog -eat-dog, affair with
hardly letup. Both were swing
ing for a knockout all the way.
and from the time the first blow
was struck not a spectator used
his seat for anything except to
stand on.
Cooper Takes Command.
Cooper took command at the |
start. and made Smith fight his |
kind Of fight. Cooper swarmed |
over his opponent, keeping |
Smith so busy defending him
self that he seldom got set for
his own powerful left hooks.
It was obvious that neither
would be able to go the sched-
uled 10 rounds at the pace they
were setting. Cooper won the
firSt round because he hit Smith
more often, and the beginning
OF the end came in the second
when three sharp lefts to the
face drove Smith to the canvas.
The third round was Smiths,
the only one he won. He took
charge with lefts and rights to
Cooper's head, driving him
around the ring. On three sep
arate occasions it seemed Cooper
was ready to go down, but he
held out to the end and came
out refreshed for the fourth.
Both Fighters Tire.
Both were somewhat tired and
groggy by this time and already
seemed to be fighting on courage
alone. Smith went down twice, |
both times from roundhouse
rights. but he still was able to
get in few good licks of his own
when on his feet.
In the sixth it ended. A few
more body blows with a left
softened up Smith for the final
punch, a right to the jaw. With
that Smith fell slowly forward
and hardly stirred while Referee
Harry Volkman counted him
out.
The preliminaries, too, would
have been exciting fights ex-
cept for the terrific main event.
In the f1ve-round Semiflnal
Eldridge Thompson, Quantico
light heavyweight, beat Chuck
Taylor Of Baltimore for the Sec
ond time in three tries.
The other bouts, scheduled for
four rounds each, ended thus:
Heavyweight Tom Haskins of
Baltimore stopped Joe Sanchez
Of Philadelphia in three, Middle
weights Happy Jack and Kid
Stone Of Washington fought to
q draw, Heavyweight Edgar
Smith of Washington stopped
Kid Collins Of Baltimore in
three, Lightweight Tony Cilento |
OF Baltimore stopped KEN Jack |
son Of Baltimore in two and
Lightweight Tony Longo of Bal
timore stopped Bob Wright of |
Camden in A seconds.