Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-05

THE PROFESSIONAL, by
I've tried to think as ! read
this novel. when I'd read as
fine a story about prize fight-
ing. Before I reached the
dramatic ending I gave up
/ decided I never had.
Mr.. Heinz. who for years
was a highly respected New
York sports writer. has not
written q caricature Of the
persons In and about the ring.
They do not appear. at least
those the author concentrates
on. as dimwitted clowns who
spent four years in the third
grade and are fighters or
trainers or hangers-on be-
cause they can't think of
anything else to do. Mr..
Heinz's characters are rec
ognizable human beings. no
dumber. most Of them. than
any one else. and as Mr.. Kip
ling said Of Tommy Atkins.
''uncommonly like you and
me"
Nor has the author writ
ten an expose Of boxing as q
racket. though. from allus-
sioAs every now and then. 1t
Is obvious that he realized
this phase of the business.
The manager and the
fighter around whom the
story centers happen to be
decent. honest men. with the
fears and hopes and am
billions Of persons in almost
any other line Of work. They
are in boxing because they
like 1t and because they
ind 1t more absorbing than
accounting or selling In
surance or repairing cars.
The manager is the most
important character. Doc
Carroll is a veteran-he's the
professional. He has man
aged fighters for 40 years,
and he has never done q
crooked thing. He trains as
well as manages his fighters.
and he knows every nuance..
every pitfall Of the ring. At
this moment he has Eddie
Brown. q likeable young fell
low, whom he has brought
along for nine years until he
is ready to meet the cham
pion for the middleweight
title.
A Perfectionist
Doc. the old pro. has
taught Eddie until he, too,
has become Q professional.
Eddie. though he grew UP in
. tough section Of Manhattan
where q boy had to fight to
survive. Is no roughneck. He
went through high school.
He Is married and has q
small son. He's no Gene
Tunney. thirsting for culture.
but he has good manners and
speaks creditable English.
Doc has taught Eddie how TO
block and slip blows. to
counter like lightning. made
him so ringwise that nearly
all the sports writer's and
others close to the craft pick
him to dethrone the middle
weight king.
There are few professionals
In the ring these days. Doc
insists; most fighters are
clumsy amateurs who go in
for the money or the glory.
are disappointed in both, and
stay until they are punch
drunk. A real pro knows how
to protect himself. and rarely
is seriously hurt.
For we come to realize. in
this story. that boxing is more
than the brutal punch
swapping trade some hold 1t,
but. like baseball and foot
ball. golf and bullfighting. is
an art or can be. It has its
perfectionists: Doc Is one.
The story is told by a writ
er who is assigned by q
magazine to write the inside
story Of how q boxer preps
Tor a big night. He stays with
Doc and Eddie at the camp
In the Catskills. We follow
them through the training
grind. meeting the other
fighters. trainers and hangs
on at such q camp. We stay
with them through the fate
full night Eddie meets the
champ in the Garden.
Like all good novels. THE
Professional" Is more than q
story Of the occupation or
background against which
its characters are drawn. 1t
Is a story Of life. And as a
story 1t generates progressive
suspense.
I commend II heartily.