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j AT THE RINGSIDE By Barney Nagler | INDIANAPOLIS, April 30.— Floyd Patterson, who set the cause of local television back ten years last night, is going to enhance network broadcasting Friday night. He has promised he will definitely appear at the Fairgrounds Colosseum at 9 oclock, Central Daylight Time, to beat up Brian London, the bloke from backpool, in their world heavyweight championship match. The champion of the world was not among those present in the studio when a local telecast was to go on the air last night. He was the star attraction of a local show, with a supporting cast of his British victim and 22 assorted journalists. When he did not arrive by air-time, the presentation was canceled. This is not to be construed as meaning that Patterson is camera-shy. Indeed not, because there will be three NBC cameras peering at him Friday as he goes into the ring a 10-1 favorite to send London back to blighty an unhappy man. AAA In his fourth championship defense — he won the title from Archie Moore November 30, 1956 — Patterson is meeting a challenger no worse, no better than any vho came before. Hurrican Jackson, Pete Rademach-er and Roy Harris are a list as imposing as the price of kippers. Poor fish all, each was knocked out. It is Pattersons contention that fickle journalists have maligned him by first conceding that Jackson and Harris were authentic challengers and then downgrading ; them after he had knocked them out. The - ; fact is that Jackson was never a valid boxer. A freak, to be sure, but nothing more than that. Harris was a synthetic product produced in Texas by careful matchmaking. He was exposed as a rank amateur the night he fought Donnie Flee-man on TV recently. London comes here without portfolio, i Dishonored by the British boxing board of control and disregarded by English journalists as a representative of british boxing, he will have to achieve a height unassailed by him in the past. It is reasonable to assume that the altitude will give him a bloody nose. He gains no stature simply by being in with the champion. He must I I fight his was to acceptance. AAA All who have seen him say he is enthralled by inability. He is without poise, gait, defensive skill. In training here, he didnt miss a punch — thrown by his sparring I partners. He comes to this event a recent victim. He was beaten by Henry Cooper i | ! the last time gloves were laced on him for earnest combat. He was a hand-picked opponent, selected j largely because he was willing to take I 0,000 for the job of work. Not even the best heavyweight in England, he will en- j deavor to become the finest fighter in the world. He will not make it. Indeed, he will not get past six rounds. Pattersons fast hands, swift footwork, competitive and ring cunning spotlight him as the best bet since Joe Louis went in against Johnny Paychek for the greater glory of Mike Jacobs. That London is in with Patterson is surprising; that the fight is coming off at all is most unexpected. It started out with opera bouffe overtones. It would end in sheer dismay if London were to get lucky. Fellow name of Cecil Rhodes Jr., was the I I I i | ! first promoter. He clipped somebody for 5,000 before Cus DAmato, Pattersons proprietor, kicked him out for breaking in the stretch. NBC paid 00,000 for the television rights, with Gillette sponsoring Friday nights broadcast, but nobody knows for sure whose 5,000 wound up in Rhodes ! lap. In fact, nobody knows just how much Patterson is going to receive for Friday nights job of work. They are saying the I bout will draw 10,000 fans, 25,000 in receipts. I May be that DAmato is taking the entire net receipts, paying off the promotion, j and then handing the residue to the champion, plus the remainder from the TV fee. Only a ferret can get behind DAmatos facade. He will keep secret the fiscal details of this one forevermore because it is reasonable to assume that the numbers will not look good. Patterson will. He will get the 25th knockout of his 36-fight pro career. Unless the TV cameras scare him away.
