Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-16
Smith Agrees 10 Pay
Fine and RescheduIe
Fight With Longo
By George Huber

Featherweight Gene Smith is
going to pay the $500 fine levied
against him for not fighting Tony
Longo of Baltimore last night,
buckle down to training again
and fight Longo as soon as pos
sible.
The decision to accept in good
grace the fine and suspension
imposed by the District Boxing
Commission was made by Smith
and his handler. Bobby Brown,
after a phone conversation with
Irving Cohen, Smiths business
manager, in New York.
Smith, the country's fourth
ranking featherweight contender,
refused to fight Longo in the
scheduled 10-rounder last night
at Turner's Arena, claiming an
eye injury. His right eye was
slightly infiamed, but the Box
ing Commission physician, DR..
Clark Halstead, reported after an
examination that "It does not
affect vision and should not
prohibit the bout"
Commission Gets Money.
Smith still refused to fight.
and the commission acted
promptly. The suspension will be
lifted when Smith fights LOngo.
Present at the. commission meet
ing were Chairman Heinie Miller
and Police Inspector John j.
Agnew. The other member, DR..
Joseph Trigg, was absent.
Promoter Vince Mcmahon said
It cost him the amount Smith
was fined to make arrangements
for the bout. The commission
treasury will get the money.
however, not Mcmahon. Also on
hand yesterday wanting money
for training expenses and q
guarantee was Nick Trotta. Lon
COS manager. He got no results.
This was the first time a fight
er has been fined since boxing
was legalized 20 years ago here.
The late Promoter Joe Turner
once was fined for advancing
money on a fighters purse.
Declared Faithful in Training.
Opinions in fight circles va
ried as to whether Smith should
have gone through with the bout.
Some seemed to think Smith had
taken Longo too lightly and not
trained enough. James Dudley,
manager Of the gym where
Smith trains, denied this.
He has been in better shape
for some of his real important
fights" Dudley admitted, "but he
was in right good trim anyhow;
good enough for Longo. He was
in the gym every day except once
for 20 days before the fight,
sparring and doing his regular
gym work"
The injury to Smiths eye
came last Friday during SPAR
ring session with. Welterweight
Tommy Williams. Apparently
either Williams thumbed Smith
in the eye accidentally or some
dirt got in it. The eye was in
famed Saturday and Smith did
not spar, although he did other
gym work.
Scene Is Different"
On Monday Smith went to
Promoter Mcmahon with a COM
plant about his eye, and Nc,
Mahon took him to DR.. Hal
stead. The treatment did not
improve the eye to Smiths salts
faction, although the doctor
said Smith was in shape to fight.
Brown backed up Smiths re-
fusal to fight. Anybody except
Gene would have fought this
Longo with one eye closed and
one hand tied behind his back"
Brown said. But Gene is diff
ferent.
II have to admit he's a bit
babyish about some things. He
gets worried easily. If he thinks
his eye is bad, then his mental
condition is bad, and he won't
fight. even though the doc says
he's fit. r.-
THE doc may have said his
physical condition was okay,"
Brown added, "but he doesn't
know about Genes mental con-
dition. Genes not afraid of
Longo. far from it. We're going
to get whole lot less than $400
for this fight. We just took it
~ lyAAVA -