Evening star., 1959-12-10
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS STANN
SugorIess Ray

INGEMAR JoHANSsoN who tore himself away from
his social industrial and dramatic obligations long enough
to spend minutes and seconds ring under battle
conditions is the Boxing Writers Associations Fighter of
the year. Whether he chosen knocking out Floyd
patterson or his manager Gus DAmato not specified
Trailing the Vivacious Viking Pascual Perez the
nywelght Champion Joe Brown, ruler of the ghtweighS
and Gene Fumer of the two middleweght kings The
other one Sugar Ray Robinson didn't get Neither
did he fight.
Somehow it seems that Robinson Qualities for prize
the BOBBY knd-becauSe if ever fighter who likes money
threw the stuff away Ray did in So How he managed to
make Uncle Sam happy and maintain his advisers Cadil-
lacS hairdreSSer and court testers without working vst
heS the boxing buffs.
Even difficult for Robinson was managing to get
himself forgotten The NBA took his title away-ony New
York and Massachusetts, dissentng-and gave to Fuer
after ne had whipped Carmen Basio Since then, Ray
has been virtually anonymous.
ALL ROBINSON HAD to do was say yes to a rubber
match with Basio and Sugar would become remark
ably solvent overnight. cool half million have
been Robnson's end, guaranteed by Madison Square
Garden.
Sugar Man sidestepped Basilio - and $5OoOOO - as
brilliantly as ne ever slipped punch. He had lost deci
sion to Basilio once and rematch, although he
finished exhausted and in half-fain the second time
Basio, the onion farmer taunted Ray avail Wheh-
er Robinson wanted no parts of Carmen from the stand
point of physical exerton of bigger game
meaning Archie Moore, is a moot topic.
Sugar made one foray against hght-heavy champion
back in 1882 weighing 1572 pounds to Joey Maxims 49,
and he piled big lead in 13 rounds The thermometer
was reading 104 that night in Yankee Stadium however
and the heat got Robinson, who failed to the bell
for the 14h Maxim probably because he remained passive
all evening was less troubled and thus retained his title
BUT SUGAR RAY, who had vowed he wouldn't step
out Of his weight class again. big payday this year
against the ancient Moore who for time was the hottest
Item In boxing This after he had annihilated Yvon
Dureue and before George Chuvao, another Canadian
came along and showed up his countyman for what he
really was-a fisherman who should have stood the
water. ~
Just as Robinson debating prohibtive terms to
BaSlo so was Moore able to do the Sugar Hence
Moore Robinson fight off, Archie blithely
TOOK on for Hollywood to raise theSpan Standards pausng
only to dignity Robinson by asking "Who needs hm?"
Thus Sugar muffed not but two paydays. Even If
ne couldn't have licked Moore he still would have had his
mddleweght title intact and Basilio it turned out
he got nothing.
THE IRONY OF 1T is that the Basilio whom Robinson
so deftly and studouSly avoided mere hollow she'll
Fumer was the lucky fighter who the ring at the
time Carmen found out that he through Basio had
nothing left except heart He so bad that Fulmer
actually looked like boxer-puncher that night when
actually Gene is neither At best Fullmer is awkwardy
tenacious.
For that matter Moore probably through too and If
Robinson isn't he can't be far from r. But such is the
state of the fight that all three these aging gents
could nave won some big BaSo and Moore didn't
hnSh the year as nonbread winners but Sugar Ray
one He both sugaress and voteeSs in the oxer of
the year" poll.
JohanSSon it is true, still hasn't collected his purse
Tor winning the heavyweight last g. but
anord to be patient Right he just about the big
money making end of the boxing business