On Second Thought: English Scribe Stirs Up Fuss, Daily Racing Form, 1955-05-14

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iKbbbb On Second Thought English Scribe Stirs Up Fuss I By BARNEY NAGLER NEW YORK, N. Y., May 13.— Peter Wilson is an English journalist whose newspaper, "The London Daily Mirror," herald as as the the worlds worlds No. No. 1 1 as as the the worlds worlds No. No. 1 1 sports writer. Inasmuch as the paper has the worlds greatest circulation, 5,000,000, Poor Peter is weighed down by an awful burden. It apparently goes to his typewriter. For some weeks now, Poor Peter has been in San Francisco straightening out a few clues clues before before Rocky Rocky clues clues before before Rocky Rocky iKbbbb Marciano resolves the challenge by Don Cockell Monday night ,and hes come up with a sports whodunit that has the British public clamoring for war on the U. S. Wilson, according to intelligence from London, has charged that Cockell cant beat Marciano because the reformed Bat-tersea blacksmith striker is confronted by four insurmountable handicaps: and * "1 — The Rock. "2 — The ring. "3 — The rules. "4 — The rackets." Poor Peter could have saved himself some typewriter ribbon and ink. He should have stuck with number one. The Rock will take care of everything. However, theres good reason for Wilsons reluctance to report the plain facts of CockelTs excursion to the U. S. hed have a difficult time justifying his expense account if he reported back to Blighty that the thickset Briton hasnt much chance of whipping Marciano, man to man. Might not have made the trip to begin with. Poor Peters too good a journalist to let the facts speak for themselves. Anybody can do that, up to and including Mushky Jackson, and a man doesnt get paid for composing A-B-C. A writer is a writer is a writer. In consequence, Poor Peter has been reading sinister meaning into any and all circumstances surrounding the inevitable ill-fate awaiting Cockell in Kezar Stadium. For one, he has insisted that the 16% foot ring which will be the scene of the crime favors Marciano, apparently because the champion is less given to foot-soldiering. Marcian depends on artillery not on movement. It remains a fact, however, that Cockell surely cant hope to win the fight running away; that he must punch to score points. It is doubtful that he would have any more luck running from Marciano in a 20-fot ring than in a smaller area. The smaller ring was not introduced as a gimmick. It is the one used at the Cow Palace, where Carl "Bobo" Olson defended his title twice. It is sauce for Marciano and the same for Cockell. Theyre both in the same ring. The rules do not favor Marciano anymore than they do violence to CockelTs chances. The objective in any fight is to slug the other man, nothing more, and theres nothing in the by-laws of the California State Athletic Commission to keep Cockell from putting the heist on Mar-cianos title. Only his shortcomings as a ring warrior encumber Cockell. As for the rackets," is indicated by Wilson, only he knows whereof he speaks. There are racketeers in boxing, but their .presence is not a factor in the Frisco fight. British journalists appeal to British misunderstanding: of American life, by invoking gangsterism at every turn. If Poor Peter were to report that Al Capones sinister influence was operating from the tomb of the late scarred one, there would be a willingness in London to accept this as just another indication of how rotten things are in the U. S. In truth, Poor Peter is seeing Americans under his bed. If one were to take all this seriously it might be proper to point out that Teddy Waltham, secretary of the British Boxing Board of Conrtol, went through a ring exercise with Cockell at San Rafael the other day. Now, how about that, and there you are, as G. Gobel might say. Waltham was a fierce defender of the decision against Roland LaStarza, in the Bronxites bout with Don Cockell in London, 15 months ago. Now he turns up as a partisan of the challenger. Hey, Poor Peter, theres skullduggery for you. To arms, America!


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1955051401/drf1955051401_2_8
Local Identifier: drf1955051401_2_8
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800