Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-14

OOA SOSACh "a NcAAS1ChSS
in New York the other day.
which attracted a standing
room-only crowd when the met
ropolitan areas two opening
baseball games were rained out.
piqued the curiosity OF this
reader.
First thought was how could
a chap only 5-feet-l0, and round
as a beer barrel stand up under
Rocky Marciano's trip-hammer
blows in their heavyweight title
fight in San Francisco next
month?
Next, and possibly more i'm
portant, was the question OF the
English champions tempera-
ment. The reports were con-
flicting on this score.
At least one photographer left
the gathering, according to re-
ports, smacking his lips in an
ticipation of Cockell's introduce
ton to Rocky's right. yindictive-
ly predicting that Don wouldn't
be bothered by requests for more
pictures after that. The writer's
were more lenient, describing
the visitor as pleasant, but a
bit brash in challenging Mar
ciano.
One would be inclined to 60
along with the critics who found
Cockell a right guy had not one
of the New York papers printed
a story authored by Tom Phillips
of the London Daily Herald the
day before Don's arrival. In it.
Phillips explained why some Brit
ish writer's, like the American
photographer. found Cockell q
bit on edge and seemingly ILL
tempered:
Cockell was passing rich" in
tax-ridden England, the writer
explained, and could afford
household help, except that none
was available. Thus, when Mrs.
Cockell, who accompanied her
husband on this trip, became i'll
and required treatment in a
hospital at EPSON, so miles from
home. Don was put under great
strain. Now person can under
stand that situation right
enough. and we began to feel q
bit sympathetic for the poor
fellow.
The British champion, Phillips
went on to explain, not only was
worried about his wife, whom he
visited every day, but was bur-
dened with the added chores Of
being cook, housemaid and gen.
eral handyman while maintain
ing a full training schedule.
That's enough to make anyone
irritable. particularly a fighter in
training. and one who had to be
his own chauffeur to and from
the gym. That chauffeur BUSH
ness raised our suspicious. Then
Phillips, to our way of thinking,
let the cat out Of the bag. Cock
ellis eldest son. S-year-old Fat,
he wrote. was at boarding school.
and 3-year-old Peter was stay
ing with friends.
That did it. Cockell, in
word, was living alone and not
liking it, not really laboring I'M
der any great hardship except
for fretting about his wife.
The English writer went on to
say that Cockell was fed up with
people taking the Mickey out
OF him." or making fun Of him
In public because of his tendency
to be fat. He was annoyed by
references to him in the Amer
lean press as "butterball With
a physique like a fire hydrant."
Egad, doesn't any one remember
Tony Galento and the unfiat-
tering remarks about his "built?"
Or, Primo Carnero and a dozen
other boxers with freakish ply
siques?
1t seems to us that Cockell
may be too thin-skinned for the
game he is in, especially one
that has made him passing
rich and, to all intents and pur-
poses, given him a sound future.
Too bad he had to be his own
chauffeur while training in Eng
land. 1t may help explain what
is expected to happen to him in
San Francisco next month.
+
A caller, identifying himself
as John Crone Of Arlington, Va.
said one of the best points of
the column on DR.. Barry Wood