view raw text
Charles and Maxim Finish Training Champ Doubts Joey I mproved Too Much IBC Announces Supporting Program; Bascom to Battle Sommerlin in Six-Rounder By JACK CUDDY United Press Sports Writer Ezzard Charles -said yesterday he expects to beat Joey Maxim much more decisively Wednesday night than he did in their last bout at Cincinnati more than two years ago. The heavyweight champion, ending his sparring preparations, explained he doubted that light-heavyweight king Maxim could be "sharp" for Wednesdays 15-rounder at the Stadium because he had been comparatively inactive during the past year. Contemplating his eighth defense of the heavyweight crown, Charles said he rated Maxim now a less dangerous contender than either Joe Louis or Jersey Joe Walcott. "Both Louis and Walcott are still good punchers in spite of their ages," he pointed out. "I didnt find Maxim a dangerous hitter in any of my three fights with him. And I dont know of any reason why he should be a knockout artist now." Chatting in his dressing room at the . Midwest Gymnasium, the perspiring champion in the blue trunks and white sweat- j shirt added, however, that he had trained "like a beaver" since April 20 for the Maxim fight. j "And Im not just making talk when I say Im in the best condition of my career," he emphasized. Trainers Jimmy Brown and Ray Arcel pointed out that yesterdays four rounds with Doc Williams and Al Smith had brought his total of sparring sessions to 1 130 rounds. Ezzard never had sparred • more than that for any fight, they said. Ezzard About 182 Brown said, "Ezzard will weigh between 182 and 183 for the fight. Hell be sharper and more explosive than he was against Maxim at Cincinnati because hes had several good fights under his belt since then and hes got a lot more confidence as champion." Backers of Maxim claim Joey will be the aggressor Wednesday night; that he will pile up points by forcing the fight. Trainer Brown scoffed at those claims. He said: "Ezzard did all the forcing at Cincinnati". Maxim back-pedalled in every round. Ezzard will not only do the forcing this time, hell knock out Maxim within 10 rounds — as he should have done at Cincinnati." Brown" explained that Ezzard had staggered Joey in the third round, and then had concentrated on trying to get one good "pot-shot" at his chin to put him away, instead of swarming over Joey and forcing a "set-up." "He kept waiting for that shot until the tenth round, and by then the fight was so close we told him he must open up," Brown continued. "Ezzard opened up during the rest of the fight, and we won going away, although one of the three -judges called it a draw. The referee at Cincinnati had no vote, you know." Maxim, wholl scale about 180 pounds, merely limbered up with shadow-boxing and bag-punching today. He finished his sparring Sunday. Charles was still favored at 13-5 although a drop in the odds was expected. The International Boxing Club announced that the Wednesday-noon weigh-in would be staged in the auditorium of Goldblatts department store, and that it would be televised. Weigh-ins usually are staged at headquarters of boxing commissions or at the battle sites, and never before has been TVd. Six Preliminary Bouts The IBC also revealed the complete supporting card for tomorrow nights program. Besides the 15-round title affair, four six-round bouts have been arranged along with one and possibly two four-rounders. The extra match is an emergency fill-in. All preliminaries are in the heavyweight division. Wesbury Bascom, up and coming St. Louis youth who is unbeaten in 10 professional fights, will meet John Sommerlin of Detroit in a six-rounder. Bascom is no newcomer to the Stadium, having represented his city in the Golden Gloves tournament a few years back: A natural light heavyweight, Bascom recently stopped veteran Nick Barone and took a unanimous decision from Vern Mitchell, the IBCs Motor City trial horse. Jack Nelson, Salt Lake City, stablemate of Rex Layne,- makes his first local appearance against Kevin Allen of Patterson, N. J., in a six-heat, affair. Nelsons manager, Marve Jensen, says Jack has everything Layne has plus lots of speed. A pair of well tested punching bags, Doc Williams and Dale Hall, will square off in another six-rounder. Williams has been working in Charles camp for the past few r weeks taking everything the champ could I throw. Hall, on the other hand, has been trading blows with Maxim at the Catholic Youth Organization gym. Both are Chi-cagoans. The last six-frame bout brings" together Cincinnatis Lloyd Gibson and Jimmy Sheets of Louisville. Oscar Serenian of Waukegan is scheduled to go four with George McDonald of Grand Rapids. The emergency four-rounder has been arranged in the event there is a long lull in operations prior to the title bout. In this one Dick Guerrera, long time CYO and International Golden Glove titlist, is pitted against Verne Roberts of Gary. The above bout will go only as a fill-in before 9 p. m. CDT televising of the championship event if it is found necessary.
