Evening star., 1960-12-05
WIN, LOSE OR
1NAV By FRANCIS sTANN
The Referee and TV Dissented

TIME HAS TARNISHED the shining skills of
Sugar Ray Robinson The years sapped his stamina
and those fawess combinations of old were
against Gene Fullmer.
Yet it says here if Sugar Ray didn't win the middle
weight title for the sixth time last Saturday night in Los
angeles then TV screen is monstrous distortion And
for that matter the fighters the referee
is impractical too
The referee, Tommy Hart scored it under the FIVE
point system 1l4 Robinson Our Tv scoresheet gave it
70 sugar Ray l24 But Judge voted for Fullmer and
ne otner called it draw leaving the from West
JORDAN Utah, as the NBA champion of the world
Even at SO years of age his talents diminishing
Robinson looked like handy winner both from 5000 miles
away, and from Harts view few feet away for Funer
seems like nothing so much as nothing fighter.
1T is INCREDIBLE that Fullmer has not lost fight
IN 2a years He implausbly crude and awkward not as
gooo at ~ as he was on January 1857 when he lifted
'ne tie from Sugar in the first of their three fights
When he uses his left Fulmer looks like drunk irving
to ut key into door in the pre-dawn On defense with
MS arms crossed in front of his face Gene looks like man
Trying TO ward of cloud of mad hornets Certainly he
was tne most over-favored fighter in years at IL to
Fulimer is the "mostest" middleweight champ carry
ing the recognition Of the NBA states but now the New
York-Massachusets ttleholder Paul Pender is looking
ike tne more impressive of the co-clamants Holding
no orlef for Robinson whose faults are
legendary ana numerous he also given unofficial
nod in the first of his two abortve fights with Pender
although that one seemed closer than Saturdays.
Pender at least made Robinson work and in both of
their bouts ne unveiled Sugar Ray ve-round clas-
Scst then weary old guy trying to go the distance
Against Fumer it appeared Robinson captured four
OF the last five rounds and won the 11th big.
In that l1th round he rocked Fumer with his best
shots of the night lefs and rights True Fumers
round was the 18th and final but with big age advantage
on his opponent it was no more than expected
IN THE BACK OF Genes mind, as he admitted later
was the memory of his ve-round knockout by Robinson
May 1857 in Chicago He cautious and Sugar
Ray was intent miserng his strength for long
evening that in the first three rounds they like
men doing caishenics under water in diving gear.
But then Robinson began to stick Fullmer with his
left At times the NBAS ruler seemed to be appendage
of Sugars glove True, Robinson threw few rights that
hit Fumer the hip and also true that Tv
the old guys flasher punches impressive than
Genes grinding shots But how Judge Lee Grossman
could 95 Fulmer is to wonder he competent
or if any reliance is to be credited to TV
Oddly both the Associated Press and the United
International gave it to Fulmer by shade although
the UPI admitted that poll of % working newspapermen
for Robinson six for Fullmer and
three called it draw
Fullmer's corner men, included Manager Marv Jenson
and Genes dad also it their fighters night the
Utahan related later They said in front and could
coast" Fullmer said Whether coast the proper word
as against simply being unable unwilling to bare his
fangs Fumer fought little that this distant card he
lost 10 of the IS rounds.
1T WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS after the fight that
Fulmer and his manager weary of the series with
Sugar Ray Gene said in the dressing and Jenson
the TV network from the ring
It's just WELL perhaps. Fullmer never has been
highly entertaining performer although game rugged
and articulae out of the ring and Robinson with each
fight becomes and caricature of the splendid
boxing machine he use to be-
Sooner later probably will be Fullmer Pender for
the undsputed 160pound crown not that the world is
waiting with bated breath If either of these co-title
holders goes to the well too often in the interim he
might well wind up tte-less, bad the modern crop