Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-01-02
KanihaI and lavish
Bar NoryeI's Road
To Heavyweight Title
By Dick oBrien

By Dick Ubrien
Norvel Lee, winner Of two Ma
tional Golden Gloves heavy
weight championships. Ma
tional AAU crown and the 1852
olympic hght-heavyweisht title.
yesterday declared himself an
entry in The Star Golden Gloves
tournament. opening with the
first preliminary round ct Tur-
ner,s Arena February !.
Probably the most Travelled
amateur boxer in the United
states, Lee has toured Europe,
Canada and South America dur
ine his career, climaxing his ef-
forts In the 1859 Olympic Games
at Helsinki BY capturing the Val
Barker Trophy. an award pre-
scented to the outstanding boxer
IN the Games. Primarily, the
award Is based on ability; but
workmanship under IRE Is one
OF the contributing factors In
winning the favor Of the judges
for this outstanding prize.
For the last several years. Lee
has been engaged as . counselor
at the National Training School
for Boys, where he has been
cited BY the Attorney General
for his work. After he returned
from the Olympics he spurned
several offers to turn profess
sional, electing to embark on his
career in the juvenile field. Lee
commands great respect among
his wards at the training In
stitution-just as much. In fact,
as he commands from his oppo-
nents in the ring.
Seeks u. 8. Team Berth.
The Pan American Games 1T
Mexico City IL the bait Turing
Lee out Of retirement. He IL
anxious to 60 to the Pan Amer
lean trials at Lakeland Air
Force Base next month In an
effort to gain Q spot on the
American team.
II he should be successful In
the trials and should win .
place on the United States
team. he will have completed
the cycle Of competing In every
major boxing tournament In
the world. an experience few. II
any, amateurs can boast.
Lees efforts to return to
amateur stardom may meet with
stubborn opposition from such
up-and- coming youngsters as
Len Kanthal, the defending ma
tional Golden Gloves heavy
weight champion, and Gary
lavish. the strong boy from
Fort Belvoir, who win box under
the banner Of the Catholic
Youth Organization this year.
lavish won the novice heavy
weight title last year.
Both Of these boys are rugged.
In addition, they have youth
on their side. Lee. idle in 1863
and 1854, Is getting along in
years. II the pattern Of the
amateur ranks follows that Of
the pros, the odds against Nor
vel regsining the Gloves heavy
weight crown are mighty BIG.
None Have Comeback.
No heavyweight in profess
sionai history ever has been able
to regain his title once he gave
1t UP or lost It. The desires Of
the younger crop contenders for
recognition has made the role
Of the ex-champion attempting
. comeback . difacult one In
deed.
However, Lees return to the
ranks Of the Golden Gloves
should make the 1855 tourna-
ment one Of the most colorf,ll
and probably one Of the most
hotly contested in history. at
least from the standpoint Of
heayyweiRht action.
At no time In the Al years
Of Gloves competition In this
area has the tournament been
50 crowded with heavyweight
talent. One outstanding heavy
weight per year Is about par for
the course In Golden Gloves.
The Warrington tournament win
have at least three tsiis year.
Meanwhile. training quarters
for all Gloves teams win start
buEzing this week with the con-
clusion OF the holiday season,
Regular workouts viii mark the
activity at the boys clubs and
military installations.
Entry blanks for the Gloves
continue to remain available to
all attached and unattached In.
trants at the sports department
OF The Star.
Weight allowances for con-
testants In the novice and senior
divisions viii be announced
within 0 very short time.
Glovers also are reminded that
they must have their AAU cards
before they may compete. These
cards may be obtained any time
after 10 Am. ct the Boys Club
of Washington. Seventeenth and
Massachusetts, avenue Sc. The
.AAU fee for each card Is 50
cents,
go n