Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-08
Tale Of the Tape

favorite in the betting rooms,
but unbeaten Davey is the SEN
timental choice of the living
rooms where his six previous
televised bouts won him amaz-
ing hero worship.
Although it will be televised
locally as we'll as nationally, but
not broadcast, the 15-round
bout (starting at 10 pm. EST
will draw more than 10000 cash
customers into the stadium, main
scene of Davey's quick stride into
the championship picture.
$4,000 Already in Till.
With $4,000 already in the
till. a maximum net gate OF
$253,571 may be reached. Tru-
man Gibson, secretary of the In
ternational Boxing Club, said
Gavilan will haul down net of
SOL ,428, if a complete sellout is
realized. Davey, the educated
southpaw whose entire pro earn
ings in 1949 were $3.50, would re-
ceive SCOTIA. Gibson said these
figures include television per-
centages.
Much has been said about
Davey's cunning, : bobbing right
hand leads which his followers
claim will confuse and dethrone
Gavilan, who is making his fifth
title defense.
But the fact remains that the
27-year-old Gavilan, who once
went IS rounds with Sugar, Ray
Robinson, has a tremendous ex-
perience edge over Davey,
Michigan State College graduate.
Chuck is less than a year
younger.
Gavilan has been fighting pro-
fessionally for 10 years with 1O5
bouts under his belt. He won
80 (26 by knockouts), lost II. had
four draws, and has not been de-
feated since he dropped a 10
round decision to Gene HairSton
October 80, 1850. The following
year, the Kid whipped HairSton
in 10.
Davey Scored Is KnOckOuts.
Davey has had 80 professional
fights, since 1949 winning all ex-
cept two which were draws. Pos
sessing a whipped left hand solar
plexus punch, Chuck has scored
Is knockouts. In 1851, Davey
was held to a 10-round draw
by Ross Virgo at New Orleans.
Last year he had a draw with
Carmen Basilio at Syracuse, N.
Y, but month later took a lot
of punishment in winning a 10
round decision from Basilio in
Chicago.
Gavilan has been f1oored only
once in his career. In 1947, Ike
Williams downed the Kid in the
first of three meetings between
the two. Gavilan lost that bout
by decision in 1913. He later
won a pair of 10-round decisions
from Williams.
It was Williams, but a faded,
ragged copy of the original title
holder, who proved the spring.
board to TV fame for Davey.
The sandy-haired lad from
Detroit, who wears an Irish
shamrock on his fight robe,
pounded Williams insensible for
a fifth-round TKO March 26.
1852.
Beat Vejar Twice.
After that came two smashing
Davey victories over Chico Vejar,
another college kid who had
caught the fancy of the TV
audience. It was against Vejar
that Davey proved he had a
crumbling body punch, or that
Chico had a glass stomach.
The clincher for Wednesday
nights big money shot against
Gavilan came last September II
when Davey, circling constantly,
stabbed Rocky Graziano, former
middleweight champion. into a
10-round defeat.
Gavilan won the MIA version
of Robinson's vacated weller
crown from Johnny Bratton in
May, 1851. He was firmly en-
trenched as the 147-pound king
with a hard-earned. 15-round
decision over Billy Graham in
August of the same year.
His most recent title defense
was an easy 15-round verdict
over Graham last October S at
Havana TIIho