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jffiUjJIffi mW .... ... ..-..■ AT THE RINGSIDE By Barney Nagler NEW YORK, N. Y., May 10.— The morning after Jim Norris had failed to land a ; world middleweight championship fight between Ray Robinson | and Carmen Basilic ! and a world featherweight bout between Cherif Hamia and Ho-gan "Kid" Bassey, a man reported that the fight promoter was fed up with the boxing business in general and humanity in particular. "How would you feel," the man said, "if nobody wants to do you a favor when youve been doing favors for them all the way?" No answer was forthcoming. "Take Sugar Ray, who wants to fight Basilio in September and not in July," the man said. "Hes a guy who is licked by Tiger Jones in his second or third comeback fight. Another promoter, knowing Robinson, might dump him because the best Robinson gives anybody is a headache." j **Even since he discovered religion?" "Lets not be profane," the man said. "At any rate, Norris didnt toss Robinson aside. Indeed, the International Boxing Club went along with Ray and got him a shot at Olsons title, and Robinson ate humble pie when things were tough. They got better and Robinson got heady, and dont you think for a minute hes ever going to change." The one who was listening smiled. The smile curled around his lips. Call it smirk, if you will, * a ■ "Now Robinson wins the championship from Olson and he gets two real touches, only the governments* after him, but Norris IBC comes along and tells the Internal Revenue Bureau it will be responsible for payment of Robinsons taxes. So theyre soft on him." "Did Norris pay Rays taxes?" "No, of course not," the man said. "Nobody can pay another mans taxes. Robinson paid his own taxes, but the government | held back because of the IBC. They col-i lected the last of the taxes after Robinson beat up Fullmer in Chicago, about 3,000. Anyway. Robinson loses the title to Fullmer in the Garden, and its a fight nobody thinks is all clean and proper because guys have a way of thinking about such things, they think so much of Robinson as a fighter they cant imagine him losing to a Fullmer, so they think Sugar Rays looking for something aint visible to anybody." "Well, the way I understand it thats what tables are made for." "Anyway, this here man Marv Jenson, who manages Fullmer and aint half the man he thinks he is, has a contract for a return with Robinson, only he suddenly decides to push Ray around a little, which is understandable because Robinson gave Fullmer nothing of the best of it the first time." "In the ring?" "Not in the ring, in the pocket,- the man said. "Remember how he took all the TV money, which is just like him, and left only 12Y2 per cent for the challenger? And made Continued on Page Forty -Bight I AT THE RINGSIDE By BARNEY NAGLER Continued from Page Two p Fullmer agree to split 60 per cent of the g gate and the TV take for a return?" Typical of Robinson. I think." AAA "Well, Jenson had a chance to push Robinson |j around, by saying Fullmer wasnt 1 ready for a defense in May. which came 0 only three months after the first fight p February 22. A smart manager does that t, to Robinson to get hunk and to protect his fi fighter, who gets the feel of being a champ the longer he waits. And besides hes got s six months to make a defense." "So. why didnt he make Robinson wait?" "He didnt make Robinson wait because t the IBC put the pressure on Jenson and s said the fight should be made as fast as F possible. Why? Because Ray put all the * pressure on the IBC, which falls for his B line all the time." "You mean the IBC was altruistic." "Like in politics, altruism is a luxury, a man r said, or something like it. The IBC 1 was doing Ray a favor, of course, and itself at ! the same time. The fight they wanted was a June or July fight between Robinson 8 and Basilic which would be good if Ray i got back the title, or maybe Basilio and Fullmer if Fullmer keeps the title. Only he c doesnt." "So theyve got Robinson and Fullmer." "And theyre stuck with it. Robinson wants to wait until September, which is a way of making Norris an unhappy man. Hes waiting to see what the court does in that anti-trust thing, to see how the IBC stands, thats what." "And giving Norris a headache in the bargain." "One thing I know." the man said, "talking about bargains. Robinson aint one. Even at half the price."
