Shirai Registers Fifteen-Round Decision Over Marino in Tokyo: Flyweight Gives Japan Its First World Boxing Title; 40,000 Fans Witness Bout, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-20

article


view raw text

a — . 4 Shirai Registers Fifteen-Round Decision Over Marino in Tokyo Flyweight Gives Japan Its * First World Boxing Title; 40,000 Fans Witness Bout By LESLIE NAKASHIMA United Press Staff Correspondent TOKYO, Japan, May 19.— Little Yoshio Shirai brought Japan its first world boxing crown tonight as he scored a unanimous decision over Dado Marino, in a 15-round worlds flyweight championship battle before 40,000 spectators. Shirai, who beat Marino at the former champions own pushing, crowding - in fighting, received the decision of the judges bawling like a baby and a hysterical crowd mobbed the ring and refused to let the new titleholder go for 20 minutes. A squad of policemen entered the ring to protect the new champion. Several newsmen had to climb into the ring to avoid injury from the rushing crowd. As a world title fight the bout was disappointing. There were no knockdowns. The only blood shed was a light cut over Marinos left eye in the fourteenth round. Shirai, showing plenty of confidence, -refused to back away from, the opening round, determined to take a chance against Marinos highly-reputed left hooks. He outfought Marino in in-fighting and after the tenth round there was no question about the crowning of a new champion. No Alibis for Marino Shirai fought the kind of battle Marino likes best, but the Honolulu titleholder could not make the most of it and slip in his hard left hooks. Marino told the United Press after the fight, "I just didnt have the zip." Sad Sam Ichinose, Marinos manager, said, "We have no alibis. We have no com--plaints to make about the judges decision. Marinos timing was off." Dr. Alvin R. Cahn, American manager of Shirai, also was in tears and told the press, "We are very happy. It was a nice fight although I thought the bout would not go the full 15 rounds." Cahn, a historian with the Far Eastern command, is from Chicago. Promoter Ralph Yerhpuku of Honolulu declined to announce the gate, but observers estimated it at 43,000,000 yen approximately 20,000. The gate of fights has never been announced in Japan and this practice will be followed, Yempuku said. The purses, too, were not announced — another feature of boxing in Japan. Yempuku, however, said that Marino was paid a flat guarantee to come to Japan to defend his title and that he would get a percentage of the gate. He added that Shirai would get more money than he ever has made in a fight. Ichinose said a return match would be fought within six months as called for in the contract for tonights title fight. He said the terms authorized him to decide the locale of the return match.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952052001/drf1952052001_2_7
Local Identifier: drf1952052001_2_7
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800