On Second Thought: The Last Look is What Counts, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-11

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mmphm Bl On Second Thought The Last Look Is What Counts By BARNEY NAGLER MONTICELLO, N. Y.f June 10. The fight writers are here incognito this week. Theyre posing as journalists, but they arent. Theyve turned mmphm up up as as head head thumpers, thumpers, Bl up up as as head head thumpers, thumpers, yclept psychiatrists, and theyre digging deep within assorted psyches. The job they are doing xn Ezzard Charles, in his training camp, is a caution. One writer, a report has it, came along with a rubber hammer by way of checking on the ex - champs reflexes. Another is reading basic Freud with a view toward learning just what makes Charles tick or not .tick. A backslider among the visitors was exposed today as the old-fashioned kind who actually watches the heavyweight challenger in a workout by way of detecting chinks, flaws and potentials. "I got a mind of my own," he ad libbed -upon being accused of lousing up the racket. Still another decided to search back in his own mind to recall a conversation with Doc Nardiello, the old stethesebpe man, who has checked Charles . anatomy by way of deciding whether hes alive. Tellows in great shape," the Doc allowed. "But what I want to wait for is the afternoon of the fight, Thursday, at the Garden." "What then?" "Then I will know. I will have Charles in front of me and Ill check his reflexes and his heart action and just look at him. I can tell then whether hes going in there to fight his fight. Sometimes a fellow isnt capable of doing that." "Remember any?" "I wont tell names," the Doc said, "but I remember one fellow fighting for the title went in there stiff as a board. I mean, Tie was so upset, he couldnt fight his fight, even if he had a chance. He was knocked out. Didnt throw a right." The interviewer tried -to pin the DocB down. "Must have been a guy fighting Joe W Louis?" he asked. "Your guess is as good as anybodys," V Doc Nardiello allowed. "But it really a doesnt matter what the guys name was. m The thing is he couldnt fight his fight and you could almost know it was going to happen when he was examined at the weigh-in." Doc Nardiello has been around a long time. He has been checking blood-pressures of blood-letters for years and while he has gone along with a gag "This guys in the best shape of his career" he really knows more about a fighters condition than anybody, up to and including the fighter. When he was up here, where the birds and the bees commune as fight writers attempt to uncover motivations for a mans behavior in the ringj Doc Nardiello said he gave Charles more than a little chance against Marciano. "Im not supposed to be talking about winners and losers," he said. "Not until after the fights. But I think they know in Marcianos camp theyve got a tough one. I saw Rocky real trim and I -saw that hes got the things to beat this fellow. Only thing is, I want to know how the fighters are the morning of the bout. "A lot of fellows think they can tell watching a fellow in the ring. Thats the best way if you cant check on the inside of these guys. But I got the last look, along with the other fellows on the commission staff. Thats the one that counts." Of course, there was the time the good Doc put his tools to work in examination of Joe Louis. He came away worried. The press came away astounded. "This man," the doc said, more or less, "has a blood pressure that worries me. I hope he can climb into the ring." Louis showed up that night, managed to be helped up the stairs and proceeded to knock out Billy Conn in eight rounds. Conn threw one punch out of the mental knot in which he was tied. The guys who paid 00 a ducat griped. "Trouble was," the Doc said in rebuttal, "Louis pressure was nice the morning of the fight." Guess, thats what he means; wait and see at the weigh-in. The fellows trying to find out why Charles has or hasnt been inspired, depending on the night and the gloved man opposite him, are wasting their time Their workruns for Freud.-


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954061101/drf1954061101_2_4
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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800