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Pennsylvania Ring Solons In Ruling Against Moore Declare Archies Title Vacant For Failure to Fight Johnson PHILADELPHIA, Pa., June 18, UP. — The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission today declared the light-heavyweight championship vacant and said it would recognize an elimination tournament to find a successor to champion Archie Moore. Commission chairman Frank Wiener, announcing the vacancy, said "I have excellent reason to believe that other National Boxing Association states will concur in this action." Wiener said the "utter disregard" of Charley Johnston, manager of Moore, to commit the champion to fight Harold Johnson, Philadelphia contender; prompted the action. "Johnston has been able to avoid this bout by putting an exorbitant price of 00,000 as a guarantee for. the services of Moore," Wiener said. •The bout had been announced under International Boxing Club promotion for San Francisco in July, but was called off when Johnston demanded the 00,000. Wiener also said he believed it was impossible for Moore to make the 175-pound limit and be at his best in that he weighed 189 pounds in his last bout two weeks ago. The chairman said the champion had considerable trouble making the poundage for his defense against Joe Maxim in Florida last winter. "The only possible action the commission, in good conscience, can take is one which we have postponed many times with the hope that Moores manager would see the fairness of our request that he defend against Johnson, and that is to declare the light-heavyweight championship of the world vacant. This we do as of this date," Wiener said. The chairman said the NBA as well as the Pennsylvania commission had tried for a long period to make Moore defend against Johnson, and that it "made no difference to Pennsylvania where the bout was held."
