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; I 1 • , 5 » , 1 * " j t » r 5 ; _ ; x 3 . r x 3 r ! 3 ; I [ . ; . t I 3 i Hairston Expected To Defeat Cartier Neither Ranked Very High In Middleweights Class, But Winner May Meet Robinson By BARNEY NAGLER Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, N. Y., May 10.— Walter Cartier, 27-year-old good-looker from Greenwich Village, has been called the "picture puncher" by way of stressing his formful flailing, but Gene "Silent" Hairston, partially mute and wholly deaf middleweight from the Bronx, is favored to expose him when they meet in the post- circus 10-rounder at Madison Square Gar- den tomorrow night. Hairston is the choice despite a thwack - ing imposed on him some 18 months ago by Cartier in a St. Nicks duel. Mostly, this is based on the coming of age of Hairston, who apparently has matured as a fist-; fighter since Cartier gained a unanimous, if close, decision the last time out. Those who go along with Hairston, who lost his last Garden start to eminently sat-- isfactory Kid Gavilan, believe he has gone past Cartier. Walter the Walloper, win-ner the last 16 times out, allegedly is beset by a timidity that keeps him from capitalizing on his inherent talent for slug-; ging the opposition. Cartiers First Bout This Year Cartier, a fine left-hooker, hasnt fought since last December, whereas Hairston has been active right along. The 22 -year-old handicapped lad boxed just 10 days ago up in Boston. He sparkled tearing apart Paul Pender, a fine prospect, in three rounds. Last December Cartier pulled out of a Garden bout with Hairston because of a virus knockout. He spent some time in Kingsbridge Veterans Hospital and is tak-3 ing on the rugged lad in his first start. This inactivity prompts most to go along with Hairston, but the feeling here is that Cartier is too stiff and too precise a punch-r er for the free-swinging Hairston. Cartier-. should win in 10 and may score the knocflil out that eluded him the first time around. Both Cartier and Hairston are high-, ranking middleweights. The underdog to-t morrow night is rated No. 9, a notch above Hairstown. This would seem to place them in the nether bracket, but most of the middleweights above them are not Ameri-3 cans. Tbis, among home-growns, these two are in line for a shot at middleweight cahmpion Ray Robinson. Hairston has lost only once in his last 15 bouts, to Gavilan. However, he did upset the Cuban welterweight contender in an earlier match. Among his victims were Lee Sala, Art Towne, Lester Felton and Paddy Young. The latter was stopped by Hairston in a bizzare bout at the Garden. One factor forcing consideration for Hairston in this one is weight. He gave away more than eight pounds the last time, approximately 152 to 160, but has matured in the 18 months since the St. Nicks setback. Each should hit about .160 in this first fight since the circus six-week oc-r cupancy of the Garden. There should be 8,000 paying 2,000, in the Garden. Those stick-at-homes can view the fracas on the NBC party-line Channel 4.
