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| Marciano Completes Training For Defense Against Walcott ► Pronounced Fit by Scribes After Sparring Two Rounds; To Weigh About 187 Pounds By BARNEY NAGLER Staff Correspondent The man has made it. Rocky Marciano has finished training for his title defense against Jersey Joe Walcott, the fuddy-duddy, Friday night without injury. Its official now. The fights on. The heavyweight champion went through his last workout, a two-round session with Willie Wilson, of Providence, R. I., at Holland, Mich., yesterday. When it was over, he was pronounced fit by a jury of journalists who had made the trip down Lake Michigan, around the tip of it and up to Holland. Marciano originally had been billed to fight Walcott in the Chicago Stadium ring on April 10. The fight was delayed for five weeks when .the champion came up with a bloody nose. Since he went back into training for the postponed event, more men have held fheir breath in this town than ever beforq Not even when the first stock yard was opened to the public did as many men hold jtieir breath. Today. Marciano will come to town from his training camp. He will be secluded in what his dwner, Al Weill, calls "a private I house," which could cover a multitude of sins. Nobody will be permitted to talk to the champ until the weigh-in at the Chicago Stadium at noon on Friday. Cha%fn Splendid Shape TJfjriHKnpions weight will be 187, or thereabHs. He appeared in splendid shape in his lENvorkout, although he did not extend hinfSelf. He is not a spectacular gym performer under any circumstances, being a puncher utterly without finesse. Today, when Re was just going through the motions ,-«lwas even less than that. OrLjtfle eve of his departure from Hol-landTtR| land of tulips, wooden shoes and proh"U»iJE n, he was asked, naturally, just how fajtthe fight with Walcott would go. He .gaTihe reply he has been using these pastfeweeks. "WRjent thought about it," he said. -Earter, he had been saying he was certain 4p bout wouldnt last the 15 -round distant?. Wjhai Marciano was finishing up, Walcott Tp going through another patty-cake worlgJK at the Midwest Gym. He has spanjS 141 rounds — to 225 for Marciano — but rSnt extended himself at all. If he woffcit all today, it will be a simple setting jjS exercise, nothing more. WsHcotts camp has expended a great dealrf effort, and time, knocking down the rods, which are much in Marcianos favoj Felix Bocchicchio, the ex-champions manager, has criticized Marciano as a fo||l fighter. He has even called Mar-cianA "punchy." Tmre wasnt an observer on the scene yestft:day who would support the notion that this will help Walcott once he steps intothe ring with Marciano. Bocchicchios abuse of Marciano hasnt had any effect on the odds either. Meanwhile, the International Boxing Club was more sanguine about the gate. Promoter Jim Norris said that, while the ticket sale wasnt as good as it should be, there was every indication that the bout would gross 00,000 at the gate, plus 50,000 for the TV rights. Walcott has been guaranteed 50,000 while Marciano is to get 30 per cent of all receipts, including that slice of the TV take and the swag from the 3-D film of th.e fight.
