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Gavilan Faces Tiger Jones Tonight Welterweight King 5 Rated Solid Choice Ten-Round Non-Title Scrap In Madison Square Garden To Be Televised Nationally By JACK CUDDY United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., Aug. 25. Welterweight champion Kid Gavilan will risk his chance for a big-money shot at the middleweight crown Wednesday night when he faces middleweight contender Ralph "Tiger" Jones in a non-title, 10 -round fight at Madison Square Garden. The bout will be televised nationally at 10:00 p. m. EDT. Gavilan, the classy Cuban who rules the 147-pound division, craves a crack at the 160-pound diadem, which will be worn by the Bobo Olson-Randy Turpin winner on .October 21. But the Keeds hopes will be shattered if he cant beat Tiger Jones, of Yonkers, Ni Y., Wednesday night. And Jones, though rated ninth among middleweights, is a mechanical menace against welters. Jones, 25, administered a thorough trouncing to Johnny Bratton of Chicago, the No. 1 welterweight contender, last December 5. Jones also won twice and drew once this year with welterweight Danny "Bang Bang" Womber, who won an upset non-title decision over Gavilan on May 2. Jones is unbeaten in his last seven bouts. That includes the. Womber draw. Experience Makes Him Choice Nevertheless, Gavilan is a staunch favorite because of his speed and ring savvy. The 27-year-old champion was expected to use side-stepping and circling tactics against the forward-plodding Tiger. Bratton made the mistake of back-pedaling away from Jones on a straight line. And the ever-hooking Jones used Chicago Johnny as a punching bag, from body to head. Moreover, Gavilan is expected to be in much better condition than when he lost in May to Womber. He has been training seriously at Summit, N. J. He wants his condition to assure victory and, at the same time, prevent any injuries that might postpone his title defense against Carmine s Basilio at Syracuse, N. Y., on September 18. The Cuban Keed is only two years older than Jones, but he has had nearly three times as much professional ring experience. Bolo-punching Gavilan has had 110 fights. He won 93, lost 13 and drew in four. He knocked out 27, and never failed to go the distance himself. Jones has had but 39 bouts. He won 30, lost six and drew in three. Heknocked out seven, and was stopped once, by Henry Burroughts three years ago. This year, he fought eight times and lost only the first bout, to middeweight Rocky Castellani. He stopped Marvin Edelman in the ninth round, won two and drew one with Womber, and beat Jimmy Herring, Joe Tomasel-lo and Mickey Laurent. Gavilan lost only to Womber in seven bouts this year. Contracts provide that neither can weigh jmore than 156 pounds. Jones was expected to scale about 154, Gavilan about 152.
