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Williams Favored to Defeat Carter Champ s Weight Remains a Mystery Loses Crown Automatically If He Cant Make 135-Pound Limit on Commission Scales By BARNEY NAGLEIt Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, N. Y., May 24. — The Question of Ike Williams poundage, and not the outcome of his 15-round lightweight title defense against undistinguished Jimmy Carter in Madison Square Garden tomorrow night, had the boxing boys talking to themselves today. Nobody gave Carter, decided underdog, a chance against Williams unless the ordeal of making 135 pounds had stripped the taciturn champ from Trenton, N. J., of all his strength. None believed that Williams would not make the weight at the 12:30 weigh-in at the state athletic commission dungeon downtown. Indeed, there was a willingness to concede that hed tip the tumbler at just 135, on the nose. , However, the consensus was that Ike would have too much left, enervated though he might be by the skin-and-bones struggle, for Carter, who came to the championship chance without winning any distinction as a challenger. The pick here is Williams, probably by a knockout within 10 pounds. He has too much class and punches too hard for the 27-year-old Harlemite. Putting the title on the line is an experience so remote for Williams it should find him a bit surprised at himself. Not since December 5, 1949, when he edged Freddie Dawson in 15 rounds at Philadelphia, has the lightweight leader defended the gaud. Hhe should not have as much difficulty tomorrow night. The passion of Williams went right into the last hours of training at Pompton Lakes, N. J., earlier today. He labored through 15 rounds of muscle flexing in the liotbox gym and, reportedly, came out weighing 135%. If he isnt 135 at the weigh-in, he will be stripped of the title. However, Carter will not gain the championship even if he should upset Ike in the ring. Eddie Eagan, state athletic commission boss, has ruled that Carter simply would be named a leading challenger. Small Crowd Expected The match has produced so much indifference among the customers not more than 8,000 will be in the place for the struggle. This should bring a gross of about 0,000, lowest for a lightweight title fight in the big place. This is understandable, for example, Carter has had three fights this year. He subdued Percy Bassett in one of two and lost to Calvin Smith. Overall, the Harlemite has had 62 fights. Eleven defeats and six draws blot his record. Williams hasnt sparkled of late, losing to some mediocre opposition, but was effective whipping Fitzie Pruden-in Chicago last April 11. However, the champ weighed 145%, 10 and a half pounds over the lightweight limit, for that one. Shedding so much poundage may have filched the coordination that has made him a dangerous puncher. In 137 professional fights he has knocked out 56 victims. Carter, a natural 135-pounder, takes a punch, but can be drawn and quartered. He has scar tissue oyer his left brow, victom of an earlier fight. The brow was gashed by Bassett in March, but appears to have healed. Carter is possessed of an effective left hook, but Williams has always encountered difficulty against jabbers. Willie Joyce, a most artistic left-handed operative, subdued Williams with this. Kid Gavilan did it twice. Carter is in the class of neither. Only strength, stamina and determination run for him. It could be enough, but this is hardly likely. The fight will be televised by the National Broadcasting Company channel 4 at 9 p. m. CDT. * Joe Louis comes to town tomorrow and will sign contracts Saturday for his 15-rounder with Lee Savold at the Yankee stadium June. 13. Thereafter, he will go down to Pompton Lakes, N. J., to start training. . . . Savold is to work at Nemer-sons, Fallsburg, N. Y., in the beef juice belt. » i JAMES CARTER — Underdog in title fight tonight.
