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1 r ■ ! . • i ; " | i i 1 . I r I , i i Turn Thumbs Down On Two-Title Role N. Y. Board Rules Robinson Must Vacate Middleweight Crown If He Whips Maxim By BARNEY NAGLER Staff Correspondent POMPTON LAKES, N. J., June 20.— Momentarily set back by the New York Athletic Commissions ukase which would force him to give up the middleweight title if he covetously seizes Joey Maxims world light-heavyweight championship Monday night, Sugar Ray Robinson reacted quickly today. "It dont make no difference in this fight, do it?" he asked. Robinsons cover-up attitude failed, however, to mask his disappointment. He repeated that Robert K. Christenberry, chairman of the boxing board, had promised that he would be permitted to choose whichever title he wanted if he were successful against Maxim. "This here man here he pointed to Jimmy Cannon, New York Post columnist called Christenberry on the phone, from my office, when I wasnt wanting the fight," Robinson said. "He got told I would get a chance to choose between them titles." "Thats so," confirmed Cannon. "I didnt want to assume the burden, so I put Joe Louis on the phone that day. He spoke to Christenberry and came away from the phone with the same impression." The disclosure by Robinson of the promise drawn from Christenberry served to confirm, some 35 miles from New York, the fact that the boss man of the board was outvoted on the matter of dual championships by his fellow commissioners, Dr. Clilan B. Powell and Leon Sweers. Gain ford Gives His Ideas Word of the commissioners decision, which was based on a rule printed on page 34 of the rule book, came up the pike quickly. At first, George Gainford, Robinsons manager, responded angrily, then, when he had cooled down, he said, "fine, theyll have a tournament among the mid-dleweights to get a top guy and this will stimulate the decision. Aint nobody gonna recognize him as champion less he fights Robinson anyway." Robinson was perplexed by it all. Sitting on the lawn in front of the big old house in which he lives in this training venue, he smiled wanly. Upon reflection, he asked, "what they gonna do if I weigh about 159 and if I am able to beat Maxim? Thats gonna be a real problem for them." Just before this the middleweight champion allowed as how it was the only thing the boxing board could have done. "They cant go making rules for one guy when they got a lot of guys in boxing. Whats good for one is good for the other." Christenberry announced the boards decision in the presence of Dr. Powell and Sweers in the 47th Street headquarters. "Weve decided," he said, "to stick by the rule unless evidence comes up that would show we have to treat this individual different from the others." Ironically, the rule upon which the board based its decision was written on February 1, 1952, as a result of Robinsons bout a year earlier with Jake La Motta. Robinson was the welterweight champion at the time and was permitted to give up the 147-pound bauble after knocking out La Motta. Eddie Eagan, Christenberry s predecessor, stretched a point to help Robinson in that situation. Pertinent Part of Rule The new rule says, in its most pertinent and redundant part, "no individual may hold a worlds championship title in two or more classes at the same time, but the holder of one of such two or more cham-i pionship titles may enter a contest for the worlds championship in another class. In the event that such individual wins the championship title in such class, his original worlds championship is automatically vacated." In deciding to stand firm, Christenberry and company even went beyond Mondays fight, it named 11 middleweights who could qualify for a tournament aimed at naming a successor to Robinson. Why have the fight Monday night? Those named were Carl "Bobo" Olson, Rocky Graziano, Paddy Young, Norman Hayes, Dave Sands, Robert Villemain, Lauent Deuthuille, Randy Tur- pin, Gene Hairston, Charles Humez and Rocky Castellani. Christenberry apparently feels that at least one segment of the National Boxing Association will go along with him on the Robinson edict. He will meet next week with boxing board representatives from Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Maine, Rhode Island and New Jersey in a move- ment to arrive at a uniform code of rules for boxing.
