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On Second Thought Ten Years Too Long to Walt WaltBy By BARNEY NAGLEK NAGLEKBobby Bobby Gleason is a fight manager out of the old school which means he takes chances smiles when he gets the breaks and moans when the little men rule against him He has been up and down rich and less than opulent but always on the go Once he made a largesize touch in the taxi busi ¬ ness before American man came to regard the car as much a part of the family as the hearthstone Be blew it trying to get richer For the past decade or so Gleason has been running a fight gym in the Bronx picking up a few bucks from fighters and managers who pay their rent when theyve got it and make promises when they havent Hes been fortunate otherwise otherwiseSome Some years ago he took a little fellow named Phil Terranova and moved him into position as the world featherweight champion NBA type It was his high water mark as manager More recently he has ben managing Nino Valdes the Cuban who foreswore voodoo for a chance to become heavyweight cham ¬ pion He also has a Cuban named of Chico Varona in his barn and today before Varona was to take on Edwardo Lausse at St Nicks Gleason was visit ¬ ing at the International Boxing Club headquarters headquartersThe The occasion of Gleasons visit was his departure Saturday for Belgium where Valdes is scheduled to fight Karpl Sys shortly Gleason was nattily garbed in a blue ensemble The sartorial shade was in no wise related to his demeanor He was gay gayGuess Guess I might as well go to Belgium with my champ instead of waiting around for 10 years Gleason said saidTen Ten years another in the room re ¬ peated quizically quizicallyYep Yep said Gleason Thats what Al Weill says He says in Sport Magazine about his Marciano He says Marciano is going to keep the title for 10 years My guys a year and a half older than Marci ¬ ano so well wait until hes ready to give it up Well be 42 then thenYou You flying the other asked askedSure Sure Gleason said Were going over there make a pocketful and come home fast fastThats Thats all they give you over there said Jimmy DeAngelo who recently learned that a trip abroad with a heavy ¬ weight is financially rewarding but ar ¬ tistically inopportune inopportuneThats Thats what they said when I took Val dez over to fight Neuhaus We took care of it We knocked him out outGleason Gleason turned and left the room in triumph He walked down the corridor and entered the office of Harry Markson the IBGs director of antigambling crusades crusadesYo Yo uthink I can get half a dozen tax tickets for that fighter of mine mineWhat What fighter fighterVarona Varona Gleason said saidI I thought you were talking about your Cuban CubanHim Him were taking off tomorrow tomorrowSure Sure Markson said And youre mak ¬ ing a big mistake mistakeGleason Gleason turned and went at Markson You too he exploded They all say the same thing but I came back with a bundle here He patted his righthand pants pocket As an afterthought Gleason said You know a standing stone gathers no moss mossWhat What Gleason gasped gaspedI I said a standing stone gathers no moss mossYou You mean Markson said That a roll ¬ ing stone is worth a bird in the hand that gathers no moss mossOh Oh said Gleason I mean a rolling stone gathers no moss We cant wait around here until you give Nino a fight Wes got to keep rol ng ngThat That said the other Is what Jim ¬ my DeAngelo must do keep Roland Or maybe keeps DeAngelo I dont know knowYou You can all laugh Gleason said quite satisfied I know what Im doing I saw this Sys fight Itll go three or four maybe five fightNo Did you ever see him fight No Markson confessed confessedI I did Gleason said I know what Im doing At least I do things on my own When I make a mistake I dont cry at least its my mistake Besides its good when a fighter loses sometimes I had this Terranova and he won 21 straight You couldnt handle him lie was king So he got knocked out and he listened to me Three weeks later he was the champ
