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j - y a | j j I j : I | jiiH h ai the his IP ~"**«™*~ -■■■ IliP Ai it i for in **%**** di »: *-;. , ~T Cl D. U. I | in I I lg in n ROLAND LaSTARZA— The Bronx e heavyweight takes on Vern Mitchell of f . Detroit tonight in the St Nicholas Arena in New York. f J I " j f- in £ ie It s" ] to 5 re I and 1C* ; by oy 3p c- r- at I j E. E. 1 1 0 0 a- ce ?I 1 £g j ""* |r; : Hans ins ld ;ra were ere when J" Jht less ess Dick ick ore LaStarza Meets Mitchell 1 I I 1 In St. Nicks 10-Rounder ! Bronx Heavy Must Display Some »e Savagery or Forget Title Hopes eS e By JACK CUDDY c United Press Soorts Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., May 3.— Reluctant nt Roland Lastarza will never alarm the for- ,r_ est rangers, but hed better show some fire j-e tomorrow night in his bout with Vern Mitchell or forget his heavyweight title tle j hopes. I Lack of battle-flame has been Lastarzas a,s j handicap as he plodded through 44 vie- j tories in his 45 professional fights. The black-haired Bronx Italian, who is is slated for 10 rounds with fair-skinned ed | Mitchell of Detroit at St. Nicholas Arena, ife has the best physical equipment among the worlds heavyweight contenders. But thus far his lack of aggressiveness ass has prevented his winning the popularity Hj his excellent record would seem to deserve. ve Approaching 24, Lastarza is a solid, . broad-shouldered, well-proportioned scrapper PJ who has speed, skill, punch, stamina na and ruggedness. He knocked out 20 of his his 45 opponents. His kayo victims include ide Walter Hafer, Gene Gosney, Gino Buon-vino n- and Curt Kennedy. Only Rocky Margiano, of Brockton, Mass., one of the most highly touted con- tenders, was able to defeat reluctant mt Roland. And Marcianos decision victory 317 on March 24, 1950, resulted from a split Jlit and widely disputed verdict. Lastarza will have wrapped up the Mar-®: aT" ciano result had he been willing to do l a a bit of forcing and leading instead of de-J?. pending upon his usual lack-lustre coun-111 in- tering. Appearing before millions of television lpn fans tomorrow night, the Bronx battler Jer can make a mighty bid for popularity by fey showing a bit of tiger for once. Mitchell iell is an opponent made to order for such i a a showing. Although Mitchell will outweigh Lastarza rza about 195 pounds to 188, the Detroiter J? lacks the weapons to beat Roland. However, Mitchell is good enough to "make him lim look bad" in case Lastarza refuses to cut cut loose. In other words, Lastarza again ain would win unimpressively. Ex-collegian Lastarza was heavily favored av- today to tag Mitchell with his twelfth Ifth defeat in 69 professional bouts.
