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BILLY GRAHAM -, Graham, Castellani Ring Foes Tonight Billy Rated Favorite Oyer Rocky in Television Scrap At Madison Square Garden By BARNEY NAGLER Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, N. Y., May 15.— There is so a fight in Madison Square Garden tomorrow night between welterweight contender Billy Graham,, veteran east sider, and middleweight speedster Rocky Castellani, of Luzerne, Pa. The emphasis on this is necessary because all the talk in the International Boxing Clubs Garden quarters yesterday concerned Lauro Salas unexpected seizure of Jimmy Carters world lightweight championship in Los Angeles; Wednesday night. Graham-Castellani brings boxing back to the Garden after the circus-enforced hiatus, but the IBCs main concern is with clearing up the debris in the path of a return bout between Salas and Carter in the Garden on August 27. Harry Markson, the IBCs man in charge of manners, conferred with Robert K. Christenberry today in an effort to gain the reinstatement of Willie "Ketchum" Friedland, Carters manager, who is under suspension in New York for reasons known only to the gods and Mr. Christenberry. Unless Friedland is restored to good standing and is granted a continuation of his license as a second and manager, the lightweight title fight will not be held in New York. Authority for this was Jim Norris, president of the 3BC. While Salas emergence as a champion Jj drew the major spotlight, there was a minor glow left over for Grahams battle with Castellani, a 10-rourider on the NBC video network at 10 p. m. Graham Will Haye to Force Fighting " Graham is the favorite, 6YZ to 5; because of his manifest skill and his ability to make Castellani fight his fight. Grahams purpose will be to get Castellani, a bouncing, running, slithering kind of competitor, to stand still for a body assault. In order to do this, Graham will have to force the fighting, which he will do, according to his manager, Irving "Careful" Cohen. Unswerving Irving, who has never lost the notion that Graham is the best welterweight in the world despite the split-decision loss to champion Kid Gavilan last August, isnt worried about the outcome. "Castellani cant hurt you," he pointed out yesterday. "And Billy can take care of him." Some time back, when both Graham and Castellani were working at Stillmans gym, they engaged in a sparring bout, with unhappy consequences for Castellani. In a moment of unexpected gymnasium exuberance, Graham floored Castellani with a right to the jaw. "He knocked me out, sure," Castellani has confessed. "But itll be different tomorrow." Cohen doesnt put much stock by the gym knockdown. It wasnt a knockout, he insists, and it doesnt matter. What happens tomorrow does. Graham cant leave welterweight standing by losing, but he isnt in the habit of dropping decisions. In 111 fights going back a dozen years, he has lost only seven times. Castellani, four years younger than 29-year-old Billy, has been beaten four times in 39 bouts, including a recent knockout by Ernie Durando. He whipped Johnny Bratton in his last Garden assignment. Graham will give away some five pounds, 150 to 155, but this will not matter. He is too knowledgeable a fighter for Castellani, who is scary and depressed under pressure.
