Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-18
hrkWIN, LOSE OR
~ DR4w !, :..... sian.
The Story of His Life

TRULY REMARKABLE man in many respects was
the late Billy Cavanaugh-he died II day. ago in Central
Valley Y-and perhaps the wire service obituaries were
too brief.
Billy, 49, had been boxing coach at the United States
Military Academy for 80 years until his retirement in 198
But he also many other things and the curious mix
ture of mourners at his funeral the story Of his life
There were Army generals wearing two and three
on their shoulders and other distinguished citizens from
other walks of fe and there formidable but
Portable band (awed by the part of the world that
West Point of sportS-Shirted men, They could only be
they Enthusiastically wereprze fighters past and present
Billy touched them all during his life as fighter,
coach trainer adviser referee world traveller and author
Oh Billy wrote books He may have gone only to the
fourth grade but-we he Ihad spent the morning of
DEATH in fact working on his latest book That afternoon
he moved the lawn Early in the evening he died of
heart attack.
"IT WAS A TOUCHING burial" says Col. Donald F.
Hull who boxed under Billy at West Point and later
red his daughter. "We expected such as Gen. GAR
Davidson superintendent at West Point but to those
others-wel, it was symbolic of a great democracy"
Only of the prize fighters attended the funeral
stepped forward after the services and he may the
future mddeweight champion of the world His name is
Jose Torres Puerto Rcan now of Brooklyn who hasn't
been beaten MY false teeth nearly dropped out" Col
Hull says Torres Immediately and properly attred
he spoke the right words of coincidence and he
genuinely grief-stricken
"If Torres wins the te-and I'm pretty sure he will
NH NC dnoter 4edCIer III byS cap you see, CaVanaugh
the first to Torres potential when the latter was
a soldier at Fort Meade few years ago.
Il stationed at Meade at the time Billy had
out of retirement the Army fighters for the
United States Olympic trials He watched Torres for a
couple of rounds, then said This boy is a coming
champion.
Anyway" COL Hull says, Torres showed me at the
funeral he champ"
AS COL HULL REMEMBERS IT. Torres asked Billy to
manage him when he turned pro. Billy declined He
thought he too old and furthermore Torres should
sign with manager who had stable of fighters he
could receive proper gym work.
The hard-httng Torres is managed by Gus DAmato
controversial manager of Floyd Patterson Why DAato?
BILLY may have suggested Gus" admits Col Hull who
is stationed at the Pentagon in charge of the Army sports
branch of Special Services.
He laughed I'm kind of on the fence as regards
DAmato Billy my father-in-law my friend. Gus, in
my opinion got little too big for his brches the
other hand, he is good to his fighters
"CuS is criticized for protecting Torres just he
did Patterson Yet he did make Floyd the youngest heavy
weight champion in history plus lot of money And he
does polish them out of the ring Patterson kid
supposed to be ncorrgble He isn't now And told you
about Torres at West Point"
D'Amato hasn't been accorded such, kind words in a
long time.
GETTING BACK TO CAVANAUCH he was a 14-year-
old kid out of Lawrence Mass when he turned professional
tighter to help his widowed mother He fought until shortly
before World War He retired but returned to the ring
"hen Billy now head OF family needed money in hurry
Cavanaugh was running gym in New York when West
Point beckoned AS coach of the Cadets he won four inter-
collegiate team titles and developed % individual cham
pionS Meanwhile Billy sought referee of some of
the countrys biggest fghts-tle and nontitle bouts
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, Page A-1s