Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-19
SEGH AT LARGE
Rosensohn Tells
Of SkuIIduggery
BY MORRIS SIEGEL

By MORRIS SIEGEL
WANTED MAN TO PROMOTE heavyweight cham
ponShp fight No previous experience necessary Must
hate International Boxing Corp Must also be willing to
take orders with questions asked Apply Gus DAato
No such classified ad ever appeared in New York
paper, but if had Bill Rosensohn surely would have
swered it Bill and still eagerbeaver sports kook
with itch to De on the in. Currently he's doing well
appliance distributor in Philadelphia but he had
his way he'd be in boxing again.
Bill who needs introduction even though he expert
enced the fleeing spotlight of prominence for about
year, is Madison type who brought in to
mote three heavyweight championship fights for Floyd
Patterson Without warning he abruptly dismissed
and told to go back reading Shakespeare whatever
other hobby he had picked up at Williams College
1T was an experience shall forget" he unused
here the other evening while watching the headbanging
between Colts and Redskins. 1T experience I'd
also like to do again. but playing rules this time
That I'm afraid isn't possible under present conditions
THE VIPER" IN RosENsOHN's path was the willy
DAmato and his gang the group invited him pro-
mote three Patterson fights and then invited him to leave
while the leaving good. Bill didn't tarry to find out
what would hit him. but he got the idea that he didn't
step out he might not be in the appliance business to-
day. He took the hint.
They took in Bill originally in 1858 when Patterson
"rSked" his title against Shoot Harris in Los An
geleS Bill became their choice when AL We whose name
unaccdentaIy got mentioned in the frankie Carlo jack
pot couldn't get license promote in Los Angeles which
of its infrequent cleanup kicks Actually all
RosenSohn did front for DAmato The fight crossed
than 100000 Bill got little piece of change and
nice thank-you.
DAmato must have liked the way his associate
looked in his Ivy League blazer and buondown Oxford
shirt Several months later RoenSohn again invited
to promote another Patterson title defense This time it
indianapolis and the opponent was Brian London,
who will go aforementioned for his timid approach to the
fistc problem Patterson posed They did about $4,000
at the gate for that farce and again RoSensohn out
in for little bread money
"BY THIS TINE" Bill recalled, II actually be-
ginning to think I a promoter. After all, many
fight promoter promoted championship fight in
his life Here was not even 40 years old and already
heavyweight championship fights under my belt
Bill walking Cloud 9, but trouble was Just around
the corner
when can promote again?" he asked D'Amato, who
already looking for somebody else to stooge for him.
Two years now you're lucky" the unappreciative
if you want to do it quicker find me
fighter who doesn't belong to the IBC and who'll let
name his New York manager and you've got another
job"
Meanwhile Bill had heard of a Swede with "toonder"
in his who creating quite stir in Swedish fistic
and social circles Ingemar JohanSSon He hustled to
Sweden in time to watch lingo faten Eddie Machen In
round He quickly offered lingo contract TO tight
Patterson for the world title JohansSon insisted that
Rosensohn post $4,000 forfeit bond and If the match
made in 40 days the deal was off and lingo would
wind with the III grand just LOT meeVlhg hoSeSOl
Two days before the deadne, DAmato agreed to per-
nit tiger Patterson to box lingo with RosenSohn as
promoter Meanwhile, there Skulldruggery coming
from the outs The IBC, according to RoSensohn re-
Gently kayoed by Supreme Court ruling which declared
it monopoly sent envoy to Sweden to give Jo-
hanson $4,000 to fight Patterson. The idea OF
course was to knock off DAmao the sworn enemy of Jim
Norris & Co.
1T WAS STRICTLY power play. The public was
firing PatterSon defenSeS against sobs like Pete Raoe
macher Harris and London The outlawed IBC was try
opponents thus forcing surrender or at least COM
promise.
However lingo kept his word with RoSensohn and not
only fought Patterson also knocked him Keeling in
three rounds to the title DAmato swore double
crossed him RosenSohn said "e said knew how tough
Johansson was, that didn't tell him and purpoSey
brought lingo beat Patterson They didn't want
anybody stood much of chance with Patterson AT
least then they didn't"
ANYWAY D,Amato told RoSenSohn he was through,
that he'd again get another crack at being pro-
moter He also threatened withhold any money Rosen-
sohn had coming This time Rosensohn went to Frank
Hogan the New York district attorney and spilled the
story In the subsequent hearings it developed Rosen
sohn had cut in few "undesirables for piece OF the
promotion.
at was the only way to get into the picture, ne SAID
They were Gus friends and without them it was no go
for me. 1t the price had to pay
That's all over now and RoSensohn believes he's
learned his lesson embarrassing and costly as 1t turned
out to be- But I'm still hankering to do it agaln-my
wav of course" he sighed What do, I'm sports
nut?"