Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-02
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS sTANN
Little Caesar Struck Out

ONE OF THE REASONS why Ingemar Johanssons
knockout of Floyd Patterson rocked the sports world
especially in this country that the vvacous Viking
approved opponent by DAmato the wouldbe
little Caesar Gus had exposed Patterson to fighter
who figured to hurt him in the past Where did he goof?
The story heard it is that DAmato okayed the
Swede the testimony Of Dan Foro Patterson chief
trainer and veteran of countless years in the
of top fighters THE Sweds won't bother Floyd" Forio
repeatedly assured Gus. IT know all about him"
Back in 1885, after winning his first II pro battles
in Europe JohansSon New York to study American
fighters He found his way to StillmanS gym and put
himself in the of the Forio brothers. Dan and Nick
reasoning that anybody could teach him what he needed
to know the FlorioS could
Dan and Nick put lingo through his PAGES and were
unimpresSed. They had chance to take him over and
passed it up Johansson went back to Sweden and won
10 in row. clmaxing his streak with that
kayo of Eddie Machen last September.
BILL RosENsoHN the 3s-year-o old neophyte promoter
with the League background had staged Patterson
Roy Harris affair last August and began cotton to pro-
noting The trouble that DAmato bitter suspicious
man. refused to have truck with Machen Fora Foley
and most other logical contenders With his suckneede
harangues, DAmato claimed they all tools of the
hated International Boxing Club.
RoSensohn who palsy with DAmato at that time
although the friendship has cooled telling recently
in New York why he went to Goteborg Sweden last fall
to the JohanSson- achen fight "DAmato told was
wasting my tlme-Machen would win l knew DAmato
wouldn't allow Patterson to fight Machen under any
circumstances but felt that if JohanSson could spring
upset I'd be in the promotion business again with
Patterson and the Swede.
After ngemar won, returned and proposed the
match to DAmato. He didn't hesitate. 'Okay' he told
me. Let's set it up for the summer.
Apparently there wasn't the slightest doubt in
DAmatos mind but that Patterson could take care of
JohanSson What made him so sure don't know"
This, then is where Dan F1oro into the picture
If nformants correct lingo have left dismal
impression Dan indeed if Forio could gloss over the
knockout of Machen and think of Johansson only he
when he was at Stilman's gym in 1855.
IT WAS THE ONLY MISTAKE DAmato really made
in protecting his fighter and building him up to world
champion After turning pro 1882 Floyd 10 in
of nothing fighters For his 14th fight DAmato
chose Joey Maxim fading ex-light heavy champion who
never had punch his best day.
Maxim was awarded eight-round decision but
DAmato hardly put the boy in over his head because
had won 1t took shine off Floyd who promptly picked
up where he left off IT to gain
shot at Archie Moore for the vacant title.
How he stopped Moore in the fifth round without
being beted himself is mystery unless Rocky Marciano
had taken lot out of Moore OF all the men Patterson
has faced Archie old he is is the sharpshooter
In Foyds four subsequent title defenses each challenger
hand-plcked by DAmato, the young champion the
floor, and he wasn't facing a single real puncher
Hurricane Jackson nothing Pete Rademacher, who
decked Patterson, aging amateur making his pro
debut Roy Harris. who also hoored the champion was
semi pro- Brian London of whom Johansson said HE
See WIN LOSE OR DRAW, Page CT