Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-12
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s7Auu
And in This Corner

THE FIGHTER WORE betrayed expression as he
regarded the stained weatherbeaen door opening onto
Ninth street "Footght Breakfast Club it read In smaller
letters the warning carried This is bottle club
For members only
Johnny Williams cautiously climbed the dark stairs
wrinkling his in dsaste The "Footght Breakfast
Club the only gym in town open pro fighters
rlckety smelly Secondoor with ring in the center
Long strips Of peeledo paint from the ceiling the
hair Of the taller boxers The sagging ropes only
token props.
The fighter muttered And Id heard so much back
home about American gymnasiums American hygiene Oh
well ."
Johnny Williams, former heavyweight champion of Eng
land and the underdog against Hurricane Jackson in Pro-
moter Godie Ahearns acknowledgement fight at Uline
arena tomorrow night began to diSrobe in cuttered
dressing room In his blue golf jacket Brtshc
trousers he was not imposing figure. HE looks"
observer said like belhop for 50 hotel"
But he peeled Williams grew in stature His legs
were good and his shoulders He looked his 1876 pounds,
looked plenty big enough to fight Rocky Marcano when
and if he should be SO fortunate. Or unfortunate.
THE BRITISHER WHO scored two-round kayo Of
Don Cocke but later lost decision and his title to his
pudgy fellow farmer is 90 years old prematurey gray
He has been fighting professionally for II and this
is his second trip to the United States hopes of winning
a .crack at the heavyweight championship.
II 1882" he said with the idea of having
go at Joe Walcott matched with Jimmy Rouse and
stopped him But then Wacott signed fight Marciano
l home"
You see Ahearn interrupted this don't need
no money He only wants the title which is why he goes
home
Williams smiled ndulgently at the promoter and went
This time understand that if I beat Jackson there
Is chance of fighting Marciano hope it's true. think
l can give good account of myself"
AS HE DoNNED his working clothes, Williams talked
of his boyhood when he first became interested in fighting
II started booth fighter" he said You know, fol-
lowing the carnvals and volunteering to fight They used
to line up four kids sometimes put in each
Then we'd go at each other"
How did you make out?" one asked.
Well at first 1 usually was the last one standing :"
Johnny said "but discovered didn't pay You the
crowd tossed pennies into the ring while the fighting was
in progress The boys who got knocked down quickly
moved their gloves and picked up the pennies.
"As a result those still fighting didn't get many pennies
just the shilling each of paid by the carnival
So Johnny grinned Il learned to pick up my share of
pennies"
onS AT first he said g" boxed under the of Young
Tay Then boxed as John Jones' My full you see,
is John Jones Williams
But the Young TaTy?" man inquired
Williams looked surprised why, I'm Welsh you know.
Back home the Scots called Jocks the are called
Paddles and the Welsh called Tays Didn't you know"
-
LIKE SO MANY BRITISH fighters Williams skin is
chalk making pink under his left stand
Il got that in Germany couple of months ago." he
said Il was fighting Willie Hoepner and he opened the cut
How did you make out with Hoepner?' he was asked.
Il hoored him four times Johnny said, land / should
have stopped him. But didn't and so l got a draw"
you knocked guy down four times and only got a
draw" asked in establishment.
Oh Williams said, that is very good in Germany.
But like to fight in that country Actually, am more
popular in Germany than in England I've never made
bad fight in Germany"
He don't make no bad fights anywhere" Ahearn in
erected This guy is real pro- Good boxer sharp hitter
Williams grinned and winked
THE BRITISHER is MANAGED by Ted Broadrbb who
handled Tommy Farr, among Others 1t Broadribb, an
old pugiSt who brought Farr to stay the distance
with Joe Louis.
How does Williams compare with Farr?' man asked
inevitably
Johnny boxes far better and punches harder than
Farr Ted replied "but 1t difficult to compare them be-
cause Johnny and Tommy different types You know
how tough Farr remember day before their
See WIN. LOSE OR DRAW, Page c..