THE CHINA MAIL TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1961.
SPORTING SAM
by Rog. Wootton
Great fights-great fighters... the thrill-packed stories of boxing immortals
STARTS TODAY
FAME in their FISTS
It was the wild climax of a bitter feud.......and the New York crowd soothed with excitement. It was thò night in June, 1934 when Primo Carnera, the “Ambling Alp,” defended his world heavyweight championship title against the clowning, wisecracking Max Baer
LTE stood 6ft. 7ins, without socks
Hast we ofte bus went 13 and 20
stones. He had a 53in, chest, hands as huge as pumpkins, and a pair of friendly eyes which, when he grew excited, rolled in his massive head like big, brown overcoat buttons.
But on that wild night of mayhem and savagery-June 14, 1934-when he defended his world heavy-weight title against Mux Baer at Long Island Bowl, New York, PRISIO CARNERA - "The Man Who Walked Like a Mountain" - felt anything but friendly.
The Ambling Alp as the giunt Italian was also known to every light fan throughout the States - grunted anch fumed with anger as his cocksure oppo- Bent strutted round the ring preening turkey cock.
like 11
He scowled and clenched his gar- guntunn fists as the handsome, posturing Buer danced and jigged in his corner, winking and waving at beautiful women and grimming at the cheering crowd as if he hadn't a worry in the world.
The lonely giant
was smashed-as
his rival laughed...
For if there was ohe man on ordinary.ortats as a mountain
worth the normally pideld peak. Camera buted above, all others
He spoke poor English in o on that warm June night 27 booming, rasping voice which years ago It was Maximilian rolled up from the deep cavern Adelbert Baer, from Omaha, of his chest Hte Einu about to
was gawked at and
Nebraska.
Indeed,
na they waited for i
Grupi,
the start of the first round the paraded before curious throng
ingrides could almost feet the wherever he went,
accumulated venem seething
the
resentment which across the
sizzled and crackled ring.
BROODING
mux [20
THE JEERS
of
worldly-wiss for this strange, uncommon leviathan with the size 10 feet..
He had few real friends and those he had vold never protect him from the jibes and Jeers
The populace of
Who regarded him as ttle more To understand the reasons for than an exhibit in a travelling this bruiding, passionate loath-side-shows ingt.
back le There were other factors, too, months to the time when Prime which stoked the derision and Max werv mikkingu mm the togeler In Healy weed.
When Baer met Carnera for the first time in the studio, after shaking hands with him he enught hold of Primo's hale none lou gently anch suld endless storles in circulation about Carnera. Stories wold with but one purpose:
to hurt and humble the bewildered Primo,
There was, for example, that droll moment when Carnera was asked if he led Hollywood.
"I knock him out in Two rounds," the ingenuous giant was reported to have answered.
"Hello, gigolo'
The big fellow
wna Bhundur
struck. He was not necustomed to being treated with, so 1:Bo respect and he did not know what to say.
During those days Bher. Jaughing and boastful, never ceased to nettle the Colossus from Europe,
"Lasten mountain," he would jeer, "this boy Her"--and then he would pause and point to himself-packs a punch. So the down will you, Alp? I don't want to have to hurt you."
Later, during training for his assault on Camera's world 2 heavyweight erowu, Baer, n shrewd showman, heaped fresh
|
Like everyone connected with the ring, the wisecracking, but enleutiating Baer had heard the
by ALAN HOBY
In the other was the man Everyone, it seemed, had gone who had mocked him behind stark, sturing crazy--and no one his back, to his face and now the ring self-the insolent, Insufferable Baer....
As the bell clanged Baer shuffed out, grinned at a blonde good-looker and-yawned.
Carnera, livid, and "growling like a mountain lion"-us one reporter described the seene afterwards rushed headlong from his corner,
The crowd stirred and hum
as a huge brown pillow med of a fist burled itself in Baer's kidneys. Then a rour be- gan to bubble in dry throats as a following right thudded hol- lowly on Raer's chin.
But Batr
with armed
more so than Max Baer,
Fer, ns Carnera, no chleken- heart bul a giant with a heart to match, stüggered to his feet for the second time, a nil of blows enveloped him.
HAMMERED
Max Baer, as bis adversary crawled abjectly on the deck, hughed out aloud.
massacre
had
The crowd, ton, was as stunned as Carner. For hot since the | Dempsey-Firpo
they seen such a torrid threa minutes of trip-hammer punch- ing.
Yet is was only the prelude a fight which, at times, was as hai-raising as Grand Guignal and as preposterous as a Mors Broilers intee.
է
Londen Express Servicc.
even
chance to belittle the infuriated | tongue out at bin scored at the States, Camera became the Cartera,
him and hnbded him the worst anly Hving man to win a world ONE Homent Ener would whipping of his life.
heavy-weight title at wrestling delberately turn his back on Welding his loves ke
s well as boxing. the raging Primo and einble devil's paintbrush the Nebrasken Soon, before applauding audi- Jover to the rupes to exchange Adonis had plastered Carnera chees, he was averaging more wisecrackh with the ring-sidera.with blood and bruises until kở than £1,700 # week-btey
Then, just as Cartiera was could scarcely stand.
which he handled himself, Jabotik, lo chörit lith out of the Now I wng nil avt. is fact And today? At 54, Primo ring, 3der would sidestep at the putted, his nose bleeding, his Carners is a happy, prosperous, very just arend and double upright ankle swollen to twee lawryly humorous character with with laughter as the flabber-size, the Mah Mountain was les a house In California and C gasted flalian Roundered spoluek away to his corner-beaten on a sprawling 17-room vila hear the topts.
technical innockout.
Sequals, All around him, as he stoorl "No, I am not bitter at gny- NOT FUNNY
there weeping and heartbroken, thing that happened to me," he It wasn't really funny this the crowd acclaimed the winner said when last I met him "Why
should I be? I'm not humiliation of the brash, Joy-jigging Baer. dellBerate
Today, sadly, Max unsirally geritte sout like Primo
Bersantry at people who say I Had but the crowd lapped it up!ule Max-Inter he and Prime
dead, The engaging, unquench-a glass chin." like wild animals ravening over
brenme good friends-died from a jungle kill.
Their haying waxed even
Camera paused. then rum- louder a few moments later no
bled: "I know I could take a Back slammed Hubing rights
on But Cornera, the adversary he punch tho to Caratra's head nhl both men balled to calculatingly back in punches,
Jaw. Many I was a good boxer. fell down In on inextricable those shadowy days of Prohibi You had to be in those days." mix-up.
Bon and running gun battles, is
"What happened," I asked, "to It was at this point, while zill entertaining the customers, the gang who ran you before
werd alriving to rise after a comeback as heartwarm the war?" ther their feel, that Baer leaned over
In as any in the long roll-call As Primo sat. huge and and prodded Carnera in the of sport.
hunched, in the sofl Itallon chest with his glove.
sun, I thought he hadn't heard my question. Then at lost he raleed that leonine head and sold:
"Come on Primo," he bawled.
Last one up's n clsay?"
It was a classic quip and it was all too much for the puzzled and angry Primo.
a heart attack In Hollywood in 1939. He was only 50.
DARK DAYS
At Detroit, 12 months after Baer beat him. Primo was helted out in six rounds by the deadly
He boxed his best. He show-fists of Joe Louis,
ALL GONE
died by the gun.
"One died in the wutler. One One died in died of T.B. The others?" He snapped his
fall.
ed limitless courage. He dis- In the following year he wAR played nest footwork for a man nut in hospital, shockingly his size and he pecked doggedly pornlysed in the left leg, by fingers. "They have all gone."
away with a standard textbook left Jab.
TECHNICAL K.O.
and
Negro Aghter Leroy Haynes.
*
Finally, he hobbled on to ship-and home to the village of Sequals, in the shadow of the Tirth Italian Alps, where was born.
he
Then came the war-and the
But it was Carnera's tragedy his opponent's luck that he never punched his full weight and so the punish-darkest days of alf ment and the play-acting went
He lost all his money. The on, the walloping Beer pulling Nazis invaded Haly and made the strings and the elephanting him work with pick and shovel Hallon being depostled on the for 10 hours a day without pay. Often he was so hungry he canvas no fewer than ten tintes.
Finally, In the 11th
serays of food for his starving ratud. crept out at night looking for
to the last raw remnants of his
It was a crippling blow tamily.
in those pride stal, inthutes, he had never felt sick and miserable, and lonely.
For 11 brawling rounds Batr had spat at him, stuck is
quit
every angle,
Whirling In punctes front Baer chased the tottering Tilan round the ring.
Two more ramming rights In a second round, which has and Carntra's head was nearly gone into Hing shala na die of the mauled and battered Primo parted from its thick pillar of the matt extraordinary ever neck. Another battery of short-scen, Baer excelled events arm hooks and crosses and unabashed exhibitionism of the a Primo. stumbling, desperately opening aszalon..
sucking up breath from hi
17 Swaggering about as the heaving lungs, went down for a ring Was A stage, playing thei third time.
fool at every turn," he lost on
terrine clout and endowed with a body like a latterday Hercules shook of the Man Mountain's blow as if they were harmless drops of water.
Snorling, his extrovert smirk
extinguished, suddenly
the threw a challenger
whistling started somewhere in the next bludgeoning right which
parish.
The punch caught the aston- ished Cariera smaric on the whiskers and down. like mighty. crumpling tower, crashed.
DOWN AGAIN
he
There was the talk-whisper- ed with sinister frequency along
Now the spectators were howl- this boxing's grapevine-that
ing in a vast demented chorus. lumbering accent was mad. This was what they had poured ayed by gangsters: greedy,
(approximately hard-eyed, carbon-copy Capones out $428,000
£146,000) to see: * crash.. who had nelted more than two million dollars since they first between two fighting savages.
bash street corner slug-feast imported him to the States.
QUICK K.O.
And there
same
ridleul in the shy and renst-couraging statements by eye-monster rising slowly from the
וגו
The
Four D. Jones JONES (S BY MADDOCKS BYANENRAGED
CONFRONTED
GIRLFANCIER |
I SAY, YOU POURED {COFFER AND SUGAR OVER
MY BELOVED'S HEAD
?
FERDINAND
But what was this
had Abruptly, as if a great gog been plunged in their mouths. were those dis- the din subsided. Like
witnesses that the more odious deep, the stricken Carnera was tive champion.
henchmen in The Camera unwinding up and up until he "Il spread Primo
stretch of his canvas like an imported Italian rage had been weaned on stood at th
and | gun-smoke,
carried .43 boxing's Clown Priner automatics
Bit. 7in. zug"
in their bulging Out pawed Camera's left. Ho tolt fortern after one trala- shoulder holsters,
took a flat-footed pace forward, ing session.
Who could forget, either, that but before he could unleash his And electrifying punch, Boer, mouth wide open, grotesque
screaming at episode, right at the start of the
the top of his Carnern adventure, when ne voice, landed
another, terrine made his meticulously staged swipe. debut at Madison Square Gar- d in 18307
" kasek the big dumb-bejt for a row of us cans." Maxi chortled apply
Another 0#1 cension. "He ent punch. He's nothing but a paleoken."
Ani down, lurching and Daily the 6ft. 2, 14st,
Clad in hideous green tupping, thundered Carnero 10lb. contendej would wire Jersey, black trunks adorned by again.
insultin Carnert
morsages. n monstrous witd
bear's head,
The
Brona Wan now
+
thint
Yet, for all his bloodcurding and a strange inedieval-looking tumultuous, frothing mass of threats and crackpot taunts, cap with visor, Carnera trundled sound. The customers jammed Mnx Bac was no box-office | down the aisle surrounded by a into
Long Island bowl slooge intent solely en drum- posse of tile Jaen specially ceased to be human. They were ming
much cheap pleked to make him look even eruet like some unclent Roman up publicity as he could before the fight.
Os
Although his first cbjective was "o get Carnera's goal," the challenger soon became coh- vined that Pelo really was a dum peasant, na stupid as he was large.
There were umptech mililou other citizens of the United States wha shared thu mlsluken view. They too totally talled 16 duteel the real man
the bahindl
distorted pubile Image of this lanely and mis- underslood Goliath.
To tiem he was a gigantic curiosity as remote
frem
Sports Diary
Ladles
TODAY
Tenis
"D" Division:
Recreio, Urban Cv LaC.
Colony
V
more awesome.
mob.
"Get him, oh get him, Maxle honey", shricked
of his feminile admirers.
Uls handlers actually studied "Kill the big slob," a man's his boxing boots with puper 10 hourse volce Glurted from the give the "Alp extrn altitude." top-price mink-and-tuxedo-
That night Carnera knocked seats. out a second-rate pug called Big Bay Peterson in one wound fat.
Some 60 odd fights and three years Inter, after stumping the States in one of the most un- believable bulld-ups on record, the big fellow had pounded his way to the top of the heavy- weight heap.
MAX YAWNED
And on June 29, 1933, in New York City, this mammoth money-aplimer who had roved Europe is a hungry wrestler in a circuls, sometimes tackling 14 men a day, knocked out Jock Sharkby to become the new | heavy-weight champion of the
world.
This, then, was the sordid and
| cynical Bäckground to what, one year later, had become a sim- inering grudge dight--a burning felt between two men.
Abwi
In che eder, an 52,000 avid cimmplonailp Hingien matches (ištų, round), de Decrelo, i spectators cmned forward, the PRE, JKre, IkeĽ, Khut, Talkoo, blood hammering in their veins, KCC.
slood the huge mass of Prkno Water Pole
Corner, the "boxar who was CYMCA ♥ Bouth China, 9.30 Pinj
as mbré,freak Hos Tirpimy laland; ↑ pm Vici regardé torta Park Fool.
than Aghter.
CHESS
By LEONARD BARDEN
Here is a problem by B. J. do C. Andrade (New Żoriand Citeraplayer. *1038-80),
White to play and mate in two moves, London Explora Karoson.
NANCY
TROUBLE!!
MUST PROTECT
THE IDIOT
THE FAT LADY NEXT DOOR MUST BE TAKING
A SUN BATH
BRICK BRADFORD
THE ROMAN SPACE- MEN! WH FORdar ABOUT THEM!
STAND ON HIS RIGHT FOOT WITH THE HEEL
OF YOUR BOOT,
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK
50 ?
TRY TO GET INTO. THE SHIP,BADİR. İLL MAKE THOJK ROTIAND STAY. Put!
fading
JONES IS UNDER AY EVIL SPEN
And then Carnera, ex-stone- culter, ex-bricklayer, ex-circus strongman, ex-boxer, and cur- film actor, revealed an ingrated rently successful wrestler
wisdom no so-called would ever possess,
and
simpleton
Speaking of the rapacious crew who, during his years as boxer, regarded him mainly as a means to make a fast buck, he said simply.
"Life found them out. It always does.
Next week - The Bul. event in the hardest times, greatest heavyweight
of them all
Primo Carnera nover, gave up. Hla courne was as high on it had always been in the ring.
And, suddenly, after the war. his luck changed. Returning lo
HOW SPLENDID TO WATCH HIS FACE CHANGE COLOUR AS THE AGONISING PAIN INCREASES
k
THAT'S MY
By Mik
By Ernie Bushmiller
I NEVER SAW SUCH ENTHUSIASTIC MOSQUITOES
wow
1 NSED HELP. WITH THE
PILOT!
ERNIE BUSHMILLER
By Paul Norris
WHATIS GOING
ONE WHAT HAPPONEIO TO HIME
HE HAS BREN. DHOTI TURN THE CHIP
CANNON ON THE ROTIANS!! QUICKLY!
101
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1