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SPORTS GLOSE-UPS By Ira Seebacher NEW YORK, N. Y., June 3. The monthly ratings of Ring Magazine, latest of which have been released, provided no astonishing shuffling of the hordes of names the board must, consider in picking the top 10 contenders in each division. Perhaps boxing could stir from its lethargy if, in some way, in the coming months more of the leading fighters in each division were matched, bringing about a series of fights with some pretense of being interesting. J A A Of course, one of these is very much in the making, that between Floyd Patterson and his No. 1 challenger, Hurricane Jackson. While this does not shape up in minds eye as the fight of the century it is still the best that can be concocted from the heavyweights around. We would like to think that this fight will provide some element of surprise, but despite the fact their last meeting reaped a split decision, in this writers opinion at least, it wasnt close. Patterson had it won from here to the corner. He would win again if he and Jackson were to fight a dozen times. A The light heavyweight division, as it has been for years, seems more of a dream put down on paper than a reality. Ring says Archie Moore is champion but it is doubtful Moore could make the weight even if he tried and it is doubtful if he did make it that Tony Anthony, the man behind him, would draw a crowd big enough to make it worth Moores efforts. Of all the divisions, the one most attractive to this observer is the middleweight. Not that we werent impressed by Ray Robinsons victory over Gene Fullmer, but wed like to see the two of them in a rubber match. Perhaps Rays knockout punch was a fluke. If it wasnt, a third, fight would go a long way to satisfy our craving to see Mr. Robinson hustled around once again by a strong younger foe. With others in the division such as Charles Humez why doesnt he fight here; hed draw?, Spider Webb, Joey Giambra, Joey Giardella, Rory Calhoun, et al., it is, by far, the outstanding division doing its bit keeping the sport alive. ,A A A Just what is in store for the welterweight division is anyones guess. Right now the Boss Man, Carmen Basilio, is eyeing Ray Robinsons crown. If Basilio wins, of course, he will no longer be the welter boss. This would leaye the throne vacant for such claimants as Tony De Marco, Gaspar Ortega, Isaac Logart and Virgil Akins, the ranking contenders in that order. A pretty good elimination tournament would result. Others in the group such as Vince Martinez and Johnny Saxton might be able to establish their waning claims as well. From there on down, the picture is a rather sad one. The lightweights, headed by Joe Brown, are not much. There is no featherweight champion and hardly anyone knows or cares that Alphonse Halimi is the bantamweight champion and Pas-cual Perez the flyweight king. Still, the embers are there and with a great deal of nursing, we feel something I Continued on Page Forty-One I SPORTS CLOSE-UPS , By IRA SEEBACHER Continued from Page Two more than a sickly flame could be fanned to life. AAA Unfortunately, where is the leadership to come from, the brain behind the organizational needs of bringing boxing back to its feet? Such leadership isnt to come from the LB.C, whose wings already have been so severely clipped the whole thing may never again take off. And even so, where was this leadership when the LB.C. , was the monopolistic king of the roost? It never was intended to function as a sort of benignly despotic but well-meaning dictatorship. As we see it, in looking back over Jim Norris reign he ran boxing pretty well into the ground. He inherited a pretty robust empire from Mike Jacobs, but Mike never really had to deal with the problems Norris raised for himself by attempting to feed the voracious maw of" TV. Mike was also smarter than Norris in that he knew the outlands had to have a healthy program of boxing if the top events were eventually to be staged at the Garden. Norris always operated on the basis that if a fight was programmed for a given date, any two clowns in boxing trunks was more than enough to fulfill the commitment. Consequently, any two clowns was what the public got and the sport coasted down-hill at ever increasing speed. Its at the bottom now and no one seems to have the strength or inclination to start the upward haul.
