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Castellani, Bratton Scrap on Tonight Ten-Round Match Tops Stadium Card Both Confident of Victory By Knockout; Ward to Meet Gray in Semi-Windup Bout Rocky Castellani can clinch a berth in ! the middlewight championship division tonight if he can make it two straight over c Johnny Bratton in their 10-rounder at the I Chicago Stadium. Castellani, who has lost only four fights 5 in 40 pro bouts, won a unanimous decision 1 from the classy Chicago welterweight when they met in Madison Square Garden last t March. With Sugar Ray Robinson moving into the light heavyweight ranks there is s a chance that the 160-pound title will be J vacant. Even if Robinson loses to Maxim, . there are strong reports that he will retire I after the fight, which would still leave the title vacant. Castellani, of a good showing with Bratton, • could insure a place in any tournament that would be staged to pick a new champion. He already holds a decision over Eugene Hairston, at the moment the hottest middleweight in the ring. Rocky, who hails from Luzerne, Pa., where his father was a coal miner, is a colorful slugging scrapper who has taken l on all comers. In two fights with Ernie ; Durando, Castellani won 16 of the 17 rounds. In their first meeting Rocky won i all 10 rounds in a unanimous decision. The » | 1 second time, he was leading in all of the ; first six rounds, only to have the referee! ; | stop the fight on the first real good punch i that Durando threw, which knocked Castellani • down. Late Getting Started However, Bratton, who carries the most L lethal wallops in the welterweight division, believes that he can avenge his previous loss. "I won the last three rounds decisively. If I could have got started sooner, Id have won the first time," Bratton explains. I "I think I can knock Castellani out this time." Rocky is also predicting a knockout saying: "I learned Johnnys style in the last j fight and know where to expect an opening. I think I can win by a kayo this time." If Castellani wins the fight, he wants a match with Rocky Graziano first. This is j in line with his plans to cement a place in t the middleweight rankings. If Bratton wins, he would probably be matched with Johnny Saxton, the No. 4 welterweight, who was so , impressive in victory over Luther Rawlings ; here on June 4. However, a Bratton-Graziano . match isnt out of the question, either. The Castellani-Bratton bout will be televised nationally over the facilities of the ; Columbia network starting at 9:00 CDT. . Moses Ward, 19-year-old Detroit middleweight, • takes on Jesse Gray of Chicago in I the eight-round semi-windup. Ward has 1 won 14_of 17 pro fights, and is considered I one of the outstanding young prospects to come along in recnt years. Gray has looked ; good in sevral victories at Rainbo arena recently.
