Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-01-11

No Benefit Needed
For Jersey Joe
BY MORRIS SIEGEL

WHEN JERSEY JOE WALCOTT showed up in town a
dozen years ago to referee the Golden Gloves finals
dressing room visitor found him to be wearing mono
grammed underwear 1t hidden status symbol of the
new prominence his fists had brought him only several
weeks before the worlds heavyweight championship.
Last night Wacott back in Washington and the
same interviewer who first broke the of the champs
taste in skvvie there to inspect him again. This time
the conversation financial not sartorial.
The question was not about the shorts Walcott was
wearing but whether he suffering from another kind
of shorts His presence the referee of wrestling match
at Capitol Arena was by means evidence he free Of
money worries
What kind of financial shape am IMP" he smiled
peating the question We'll let put it this way get
up about 10 o'clock every morning but could sleep until
in the afternoon wanted to- draw $3.50 week out
of motel investment I've got great family peace of
mind, and do pretty near whatever want to do I'm
all right, thank you"
~ WALCoTT WILL BE 40 years old the end of this
month"; but looks no different today he did 10 years
ago when Rocky Marcano finally knocked him out in
Philadelphia to win the championship of the great
est heavyweight fights of all time Eight months later try
ing to regain the title Wacot firsround victim of
the young assassin in Chicago and Immediately
his retirement.
Is The instant kayo after only minutes and rs
seconds Of onesded activity all by Marciano Last Sep
tembe in the same CITY, Sonny Lson required 10 seconds
less to pulverize Floyd Patterson How fighters get
knocked out in round?" Walcott asked you
afraid of Marcano? Was Patterson scared stiff of stonP
Il don't know about Patterson" he answered softly
but don't think he scared wasn't. just got hit
1t can happen You hit mule in the right place and
knock him down.
But didn't lose the second Marciano fight the night
got stopped in round lost in Philadelphia in the
first fight 1t took too much out of me- but didn't know
it at the time. &c. he what 90? Father Time
takes care of all of What lot of people don't know
about that fight the second fight is that had made up
my mind, win or lose, was going to quit"
-
FROM HIS N5EAS1rPED orsrors o,o cot A.. ,.
sion Walcot doesn't think too much LiSton as fighter
or as person. He gives Patterson "a whale of chance"
TO win they fight again. AS for Listens personal quail
LEGATIONS to own the biggest title in sports Wacott said
LSton has got to find way of life. He's got to
take the chip off his shoulder He forges that what hap
pered to him he brought on himself"
In WalcottS estimation, Patterson rates return with
Lston on moral grounds alone 1t Patterson Jersey
Joe reminded who gave Liston chance when the press
and pretty the world was against it. He deserves an
other crack just for that"
He described Patterson as good little fighter
mean he's big nght-heavyweight, but small heavy
weight. They usually be dangerous than big
found it that way. little guy has to out-cute
the big fellow. All the big mans got is strength and
right hand The little fighter has to learn how to fight
WHAT MYsTIFIES WALCoTT is why Harold John
son. the heavyweight champ doesn't get more con-
sderation as contestant against LiSton He'd beat
Lston seven days week. Walcott said, like he it,
Hes got the style"
The ex-champ still lives in Camden, N j. where as
Arnold Cream his real name he is of the citys
man nighttime juvenile police force He works the late
evening shift, pm. to am
His speciality is in dealing with tough kids young
punkS DULLES Joe doesn't give the asphalt jungle set the
soft treatment but talks to them to when they
are brought in by the police IF the too serious
talk fathey to the boy Most of them when they told
they'd better shape up else to cry When they do
that you know you've them over"
No Wacott interview is complete without re-hash of
his first Joe Louis fight the epic wherein Jersey Joe twice
foored the champ and lost split decision in one of the
most controversial issues in years
i thought won" he said philosophicaly land was
disappointed when they gave it to Joe it turned out
good for like the long count turned good Demp
sey against Tunney they had given the fight would
have been the most hated the world beating an
idol like Joe Louis The way it turned all right"