Evening star., 1953-11-14
Gavilan De|aysSwiteh
From Weller Division
After MauIing Bratfon
BY the Asseeicted Press

~ wv @SSoSioICd EfoSS
CHICAGO, Nov. 14.-Kid Cav
ilan, welterweight champion,
who punched Johnny Bratton as
If he was a rag doll last night,
today was ready to do more
147-pound business before shoot
ing at Bobo Olson's middle
weight crown.
Gavilan won a unanimous Is
round decision from Bratton,
who finished with a face like
a pumpkin worked over with an
iron mace.
It was expected that. win or
lose against the No. / chal-
lenger, Bratton, in Chicago
Stadium. the Cuban Kid would
abandon the welter class and
try to copy Sugar Ray Robin
son in graduating from the 147-
pound to 160-pound boxing
championship.
But the Gavilan who threw
countless hard punches at a be-
fuddled and helpless Bratton
was said to favor meeting Car
men Basilio or Gil Turner again
in couple of welterweight ef-
forts before taking on Olson
next spring. This was a change
of heart which may be traced
to the international Boxing Club
off the Kids performance last
night.
Gavilan Agrees to Wait.
1t had been freely predicted
that Gavilan would be thrown
against Olson next February in
San Francisco for the middle
weight title. But Gavilan's wife
is having a baby next February
and the Keed would Just as
soon wait until March or April
to meet Bobo.
And it isn't definite whether
Gavilan-Olson fight would be
in San Francisco. Jim Norris,
IBC president. prefers New York.
Olson wants San Francisco.
Gavilan was f1oored for the
scond time in his career and
had to scramble desperately for
l5-round decision over Basilio
in Syracuse in September.
The talk then was that the
Kid was rusty, incapable of max
ing the welter limit.
Artistic Performance.
But Gavilan's seventh defense
of his title before a surprising
crowd of 1890 which paid a
gross gate of SITS. 800 was one of
his most artistic performances
in 113 pro fights.
Bratton, who dropped the Ma
tional Boxing Association version
of the 147-pound title to Gavi-
Ian in 1851. never had a chance
against the Kid after the eighth
round in which the champ cor
nered Johnny to administer a
terrific pasting.
The actual count of Gavilan's
furious attack was SO blows, all
to the head. In a way, it was
reminiscent of Olson's recent
performance against Randy Tur-
pin of England. I seemed that
all Gavilan had to do was step
back and Bratton would fall
to the canvas. But. as Olson
did against Turpin. Gavilan
seemed anxious to belt his
rival on the chin and failed to
get over a crumpling blow.
After that blistering eighth,
Gavilan worked like a man who
wanted to break a crate of eggs,
one at a time. Whenever the
Kid elected to wade into Brat
ton. he did so with both fists
flying.
BrattOn'S Face Swollen.
Bratton's right eye puffed up
in the 18th round and after
that almost every solid blow
Gavilan landed seemed to swell
Johnny's face. In the closing
18th, Gavilan whaled away with
his bolo punches against a weary,
helpless Bratton who refused to
fall and got a roaring ovation
from the near-capacity crowd
for his courage.
Under the Illinois scoring
system of dividing 10 points per
round, Referee Frank Gilmer
gave Gavilan an 85-65 margin;
Judge Bill O'Connell called it
for the champ, 82-68. and the
other judge, Ed Hintz, saw it
the Kid, 1857.
The Associated Press card had
it for Gavilan, 1861, and on a
round basis, 11-2-2.
Gavilan, weighing 146, COL
lected 40 per cent of the net
gate of $134,739, a slice of $751;
895, plus $4,000 from television,
for a total purse of $73,859.60.
Bratton, 14512, received 20 per