Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-16
Rocky and e
Sweat Out Title
Bout Tomorrow
Challenger Is Likely
To Be More Affected
By Pre-Fight Tension
BY The Assoeioied Press

NEW YORK, June 16.-The
long, hard months Of training
are over. Now the hours grow
longer for Heavyweight Cham
pion Rocky Marciano and Chal-
lenger Ezzard Charles as they
sweat out the mental torture Of
waiting for the opening ben Of
their title fight at Yankee Stadi-
UNI tomorrow night.
This is a bad time-the wait
ing-for most fighters. And most
observers feel that it will affect
the boxer-Charles- more than
the smuggling Marciano.
"It's the long ride to the sta
dunn the night of the fight that
gets the BOXERS" said Marshal
Miles, who managed the great
Joe Louis, and saw many Of the
Bomber's opponents freeze be-
fore the battle. "They die on
that ride"
Miles picked Rocky in ten or
less.
Charles probably will lead for
seven or eight rounds" said
Miles, land then Rocky will con-
meet just like Joe used to do"
Rocky Firm FavOrite.
The odds are 2 to ! that I'M
defeated Rocky will make the
former, champion from Cincin-
natl his 41st kayo victim. On
the fight itself, the 29-year-old
Brockton Bruiser held firm as
a Stool choice. It was ST.
against Charles scoring a knock
out.
Both gladiators were due to
leave their Catskill Mountain
training camps late today.
Charles who boxed a final four
rounds yesterday, planned to
leave Monticello by car at S pm.
Rocky. who did some roadwork
and calisthenics Tuesday, will
take helicopter ride from Gros-
singer, N. Y, to Newark, N. j.,
about 2:30 pm. Then the fight
erS will go into seclusion until
the noon weigh-in tomorrow.
Although there was a forecast
of warm and humid weather and
possible thunderShower tomor-
row, Promoter Jim Norris re-
ported a brisk ticket sale.
Norris said there was $500 900
in the till and that he expected
to go up to the stadium tomor-
row night with between $3.50, 900
and 100000. He held to his
prediction of a 100000 gate cor
more" with a break in the
weather.
Share $4,000 From TeIevisiOn.
The fighters will share in an:
other $4,000 or so from the
coast-to-coast theater- television
and $4,000 from the network
radio broadcast. There will be
no home television of the 1890
pm. washington time) Is
rounder.
A canvas cover will be hung
over the ring in case of a drizzle
late tomorrow night. The same
covering worked very well in
Miami last January for the
Archie Moore-Joey Maxim light
heavyweight title bout. It rained
in the evening before the show
started and the protective can
opy kept the ring dry.
In the event of a postpone
ment, the bout will be held the
following Thursday. Norris ex-
planned that difficulties in get
ting the co-axial cable for the
theater-cast made necessary the
seven-day gap.
AS Charles got set to break
camp, he expressed confidence of
victory.
II feel better now than I have
in Is months" said the 32-year-
old veteran, who hopes to be-
come the first ex-champion to
regain the heavyweight crown.
But Ezzy didn't give any de-
tails on the big question-how
does he plan to fight Marciano?
"I've had the idea for a long
time how I'll fight him." said
Charles, but that was as far as
he would go.