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AT THE RINGSIDE Bv R„„„v . , NEW YORK, N. Y., June 26.— This was ■n Jim Norris office in Madison Square Garden. It was a surprise to find him there. there. Divestiture, Divestiture, di- di-i i there. there. Divestiture, Divestiture, di- di-i i vorcement and dissolution had left him unafraid. And just as charming as ever. He smiled, spoke forth-rightly, told the truth and served, ice tea. The tea was rancid. Forty-eight hours earlier Judge Lester Patterson had thrown a .50 book at him. j The The price price was was set set by by The The price price was was set set by by the mimeograph squad in federal court. Reporters accustomed to operating on the arm had to dig. Forty-eight hours later, Norris was passing out his own copies of Judge Ryans anti-trust decision which, ordered the promoter out of the Garden and back to Chicago. "Were selling them for .50 a copy," Norris said. "We got stuck with a lot of copies and well have to eat them." The jocular note was a tribute to Norris sense of humor rather than to his arro-r gance. He was properly respectful of the governments right to cast asunder his fight empire, although granting nothing juridically, awaiting a meeting of his legal staff in New York. An appeal to the United States Supreme Court is likely. » * .* » Norris had been saying earlier that he believed. Judge Ryan had been sincerely concerned with the situation in boxing and that Judge Ryan had split out the Garden from the Chicago Stadium in quest of ruth and justice. "It isnt going to be easy, however, to just let either the Stadium in Chicago or the Garden to an independent promoter," Jim said. "I remember when we had independent promoters in the Stadium in Chicago. If they made money we got our 1 — money. If they didnt we whistled. Frequently, we had to pay their bills because the ones sending the bills said, The show was in the Stadium. Youre responsible. " Norris remembered this a while later, "I dont want to say anything that would prejudice the judge against me," he said. He added, "I mean more so." — AAA In between, he had talked about television sponsorship and the problem of putting on championship bouts, a job of work delimited to two a year for the Garden and Continued on Page Fifty-One j j j ] I AT THE RINGSIDE I By BARNEY NAGLER Continued from Page Two two a year for the Chicago Stadium in the final decree to be entered Monday. "There were times," Mr., Norris said, "when we put on championship bouts just to keep certain , divisions active. I would go to our sponsors and say, Lets put this one on to keep the thing going*. The sponsor would go along because it was part of continuity, part of having 52 fights a year." "It wont be as easy for an independent promoter," someone said. "Thats what I mean," Norris said. JJYou cant treat our business the way you treat any other business." "Like doing business with Ray Robinson?" "Thats exactly what I mean," Norris said. "Called him the other day and he was out on a boat. He walked out Monday-still demanding 45 per cent to fight Carmen Basilio. He knows we cant pay it when were paying Basilio 25 per cent. "The boat," a man said. "That must be the boat Robinson didnt go on during the war." "Do you think putting on the Robinson-Basilio bout," a man asked, "will be permitted by the courts limitation of two championship fights a year for the Garden and two championship fights a year for the Stadium in Chicago?" "I wouldnt know," Norris said, "but what Im worrying about now is making the fight. Its the best title fight in years, and well make it if we can. I think were within terms of the decree making it. Lets say its made, it can be figured later whether it was one of two fights for New York or Chicago. We dont want to be in contempt, believe me." "Heres ,a thought. Could the Chicago Stadium come into New York and promote a fight outside the Garden? Could the Garden go out there and promote in Co-miskey Park? "I would have to think its possible," Norris said. "But who knows. Why dont we all just wait and see." Norris poured a paper cup of tea. He took a swig of the dark unhappy brew. "One thing," he said, "is that there are going to be fights on television, no matter where I am." "Both Wednesdays and Fridays?" "Theyre both good Jiights," Norris said.
