Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-23
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAU BY FRANCIS STANN
The Fight No Challenge
By FRANCIS sTANN

OF THE TWO So-CALLED TOP sporting events COM
ing up in the next 10 days. only the Kentucky Derby
to offer challenge to the imagination The other
one-the Floyd Patterson Brian London fight with
the world heavyweight title on the neappears SO pat
as to border on the unbelievable
This has got to be one of the most suspect of all
heavyweight title fights and the fact that is scheduled
Derby and moved to Indianapolis mere lOc
miles plus change from Louisville suggests that
for the convenience of chalk players who won't have
any chalk in the Derby
London the British challenger who is fighting Pat
terson is doing despite ban by his own British Board
of Boxing Control which considers him unfit for such
test This is not easy qualification to by you
may realize because Patterson has been defending his
only against the likes of Hurricane Jackson Pete
Rademacher and Roy Harris who strictly from the
bottom drawer.
LondonS chances Of winning appear to be so pro-
hibve that it hardly would seem worth the daling of
the TV channel on May much less the journey across
indianapolis street to watch the whaSt The wonder
is how it ever got sanctioned
****
LONDON is LIKE PATTERSON in that he has two
and two legs hence concevaby he could win Floyd
is pretty much Joke as a champion inasmuch as he's
fought anybody But London must be prize patsy
In the first place, Londons record is poor as to
be par with those Of Rademacher and Harris, who
had practically records. The fight moreover was ar
ranged after Patterson had signed to box Swedens big
boy, Ingemar JohansSon, in June for the title.
This in ITSELF is an oddity-an alleged heavyweight
champion laying his title the line in tuneup But
the werdneSS doesn't end on this theme There are COM
mission rules in all States that cannot double
promoter but Gus DAmato seems to rise above the
laws.
DAmato is Patterson's manager the man who pre-
sumably has kept him idle and unknown for so long,
except for those ridiculous excursions with Rademacher
and Harris. DAmato is the who proudly fingered
Jim Norris and his international Boxing Club
topuS organization and who refused to permit his tiger
to mingle with an IBC challenger.
YET THE PUBLIC invited to accept Patterson
London first scheduled at Vegas and later switched
to Indianapolis which closer to the Louisville crowd
at Derby time. In the beginning the promoter
body named Cecil Rhodes jrp identified Crawford
nj steel executive.
Few in the boxing game heard of Rhodes and
he replaced evidently because there great
enthusiasm for such thing Paterson-London bout
before the Johansson fight Supplantng Rhodes Al
Farb Indianapolis man, vino be aided by that
distinguished professional promoter Bill Rosensohn who
is promoting the Patterson ohanSSon bout at Yankee
Stadium June Is.
The real promoter almost has to be DAmato who
uttered many pous protests against Norris and his IBC
He kept his man Patterson well hidden during his
running fight against the IBC that the public not only
lost respect for but sight of young champion who might
even be one if given an opportunity.
THERE is EVIDENCE that critics. duly accredited
are getting pretty fed up with DAmato whom they feel
Is trying to set himself up as car One of New
most qualified experts author of noe put this way
"DAmato hand picked London as the challenger
spelled out and guaranteed the. purse hid him from the
New York press had him work out secretly in DAmatos
gym and at least OCCASION brought the Brit
1Sher and Patterson into conference
According to some reports, DAmato even has named
friend Nick Baf, to trainer for London
For all anybody knows, Baf may wind up in Londons
corner on the night of the fight.
There is the risk that London might hang one on
PatterSonS chin and win the title much to the conster
nation of RoSenSohn, who nitialy depored title fight
warmup because he pushing the Patterson
affair. This would upset quite few plans including
DAmato'S.