1960-06-17 — Page 97

FOR FATHER'S

hate in their fists

Basilio waited nine years for revenge

By REX LOPEZ

Sugar Ray Robinson stepped from the thudding atmosphere of Stillman's gymnasium into the sultry New York day, Close behind, on that September day in 1948, followed his faithful retinue--trainers, advisers, personal barber, personal golf professional. Awaiting him were worshipping fans, and his heliotrope Cadillac. From a streetcur bounded an challenger. Sometimes he even cther boxer, small in stature and cut training to attend to business small-then-un importance. But interests. be was a fellow tradesman and greeting. up went his hand in "Hiya, Champ."

The champ, replied with nei ther a "Hiya" nor su much as a flicker of recognition. The words on the little and gesture froze man who had wanted only to be friendly.

Never again did he wish to be friendly with Sugar Ray Robinson, And the little guy,

Carmen name

Basillo, of swore that one day he would leach the high and mighty Mr Robinson lesson.

At that time, Basilio the same welterweight

But he did let it be known that he would pul himself In fighting mood when he entered the ring by telling himself. "Oh, yes, you're Basille, my opponent." Basilio did not need to tell himself anything when he entered the ring. Hly look spoke for itself: "If I'm alive at the end of the light, then I'll be the winner."

The clang of the opening boll still echoed around New York's Yankee Stadium as Basilio tore in with barrage of rib- smashers that gave Robinson the was in most anxious first round of his division career.

as Robinson. As far as class was concerned, he Was

divisions removed.

many

He still

Carmen is. But Basilio is not one to let a little thing like that stand in the way or lighting honours and cash.

Sufferings

He cuts easily. But what's a pim of blood or two, even your own, when tilles are at stake?

Such is the boxing philosophy of this rough-hewn character with a craggy ledge for a brow', a tight slit for a mouth and collection of knotted muscles for a body.

For whatever happens to him in the ring could not be worse than the things he suffered be- fore he took up boxing.

With his brothers and sisters, Carmen Basilio used to grub for a living on the family onion farm

Canatosla, New York State. On their knees they scratched a living from the soil with knives and their bare hands.

Still ingrained in his hands are the scars to remind Basilio of those days. Engraved on his mind is the memory of the tour- ists gaping at him and his family as if they were monkeys in the

200,

In the ring, Basilio revealed his outlook on life when de- fending his welterweight title against Tony DeMarco.

Basilio was getting the worst ham- of one session, taking a mering about the face while his legs wobbled in uncertain sup- porl.

Why didn't he go down for a rest?" wouldn't give him the satisfaction," he snapped.

Regained title

Having won the welterweight crown from DeMarco in June 1955, Basilio sucessfully defend- ed it in the return the following November

A setback occurred four months later when for all his toughness he could not outpoint slick Johnny Saxton. But the return fight in September 1956 saw him regain the tile and third meeting with Saxton five months later, ending with second round knock-out, con- ! firmed Basilio's superiority in the st. 71b. division.

2

1

So he turned his attentions to fighting bigger boys-like Sugar Ray.

The much-publicised hate Basilio fell for Robinson boosted the lakings for the light on September 23, 1957, to a million dollars, the biggest ever for a non-heavyweight title fight,

Was it all ballyhoo? Ask Archie Whitfield, the tough hired help who was closest to Basillo in those pre-fight halt ocssions they called sparring,

Archie is a Negro. Did Basilio think, for one fleeting moment, in his that he had Robinson sights when he snarled loose from & clinch, thumped Whitßeld in the kidneys, threw him across the ring and followed with d hook that shattered his jaw?

Another score : But before Basilio and Robin- san-climbed into the ring Basilio had another score to settle. Robinson,

tougher business than in boxing had wrung himself an incredible deal of a 255,000 dollars (£91,000) guarantee from television rights plus 45 per cent of gate; radio and film takings.

even

in

The only way to satisfy this demand was to lower Basilio's

cut to 29 per teilt."

"Robinson is arrogent and I derpire him." hissed the little man when they told him.

And Robinson? Engrossed i commerce he could not spATO the time to think much about his

a

Gashed

But the initiative passed to Robinson when, in the fourth round. his Immaculate counter- punching gushed Basillo's left

eye.

the two judges and referee Al Berl considered their verdict.

John Addie, the master of ceremonies, holsted his tubby frame into the ring.

"Judge Artie Aidala scores it nine rounds to Basilio, five to Robinson and one even. Referee Al Ber! scores it nine, six 10 Robinson."

Addic took ३ breath that seemed to last an enternity.

"Judge Bill Recht scores it eight six, one-to Basilio."

Bitter row

hed We thought we

seen Even everything in that fight. Basilio reckoned that the return (inevitable with a change of champions) "couldn't be rougher than that."

He was wrong.

There followed six months of uneasy trace while the two great fighting forces prepared for the return fight,

IL

was marked by a bitter row when Robinson's camp

A SPECIAL CHINA MAIL FEATURE

BRITISH GOLF OPEN

By ARCHIE QUICK

The imminence of the Canada Cup Tournament at Portmarnock, Dublin, provided the "Daks" Tournament at Wentworth, Surrey, with added attractions and greater importance by raising it to a rehearsal for the golfers of 13 nations for the sterner contest ahead.

Among the two huifidred and he sustained a fractured the two Aus- skull, broken ribs and Injury to The return fight took place in entrants were Chicago, where they know a trallan's who won the Canada his left eye. thing or two about living by Cup in Melbourne a year ago, violence. But the town which Peter Thornsbis and Ken Nagle, knew Al Capone, Diliger and but the most intriguing cathpeti- machine-gun Kelly still had for was South Africa's Bobby quite A lot to learn about Locke "New Look" Bobby

censed violence from Sugar Locke

Robinson and Carmen

Ray

Basilio,

Before the first round was through they exchanged rabbit punches, low punctres, kidney punches, got through enough holding and armlocking for a wrestling match-and swapped in occasional legal blow.

As far as the spectators were concerned, the bell signalled the end of the round. But not for Robinson and Basilio. They had to be dragged apart by their seconds.

In the fourth round Robinson grazed Basilio's left eye. By the sixth the eye was a well of purple blood held back by a wall of flesh,

One-eyed Basilio battled on. scorming defence and standing square up to Robinson so that he could see him. With five was on "level rounds to go he terms.

But punching as quickly, as accurately and as mercilessly ag at the beginning of the fight Robinson continued to beat a ruthless tattoo on

Fully recovered

Over the years one has be come so accustomed to regard Charipion this triple ex-Open

as a portly, benign, untuffled gentleman' that it came as shock to see him reduced by at least three sumes following tris serious motoring accident near Cape Town. Locke natrow- ly escaped death at a level crossing when tit by a train,

CHESS

By LEONARD BARDEN

Control of space is the thème of this game from a match between Germany and Sweden (Unzicker v. Stahlberg) in which a grandmaster does down to quick defeat. IP-K4, F-K3; 2 P-Q. P-04; 9 KI-QB3, K-KB3; 4 BXt5, B-X2: 5 P-KS,

He told me that he felt fully recovered after a fort night's practice af Wentworth, and his American wife told me that "Robby is looking forward to challenging for the Canada Cup in partner- ship with Opeb Champion Gary

the Player." After Wentworth show he is to play at Leeds and Sunning- dale before

to crossing Ireland a

It only remains to be said that Locke's first round of the season in England on Wentworth's "Burma Road" was an unhappy seventy-seven.

ox

A fantastic prize of £4,000 has been offered by the sponsors the Sprite international tournament at Selsdon Park, Surrey, next month to any com petitor who succeeds in achley- ing a hole in one. That is twice the size of all the rest of the prize money!

Improved player

At Wentworth, too, there was a surprise special prize of £250 for any player who completed the first or second nine holes in thirty strokes or under. To the astonishment of the immaculate

Hallia's left eye. Finally the P-KRI, P-KB3; 7 Dach, Spaniard Angel Miguel he was

dam broke and his face' be. came a river of blood.

K-BI: 81 PXP KEXP: 9 8-handed the 42,000 pesetas after B3. P-841 10 PXP, P-KES: reaching the turn in 29. He 11 P-R5, P&P (better

The pure boxing in the fight alleged that Basilio had used a Almost unconsciau. P-R3): 12 Ropes. 13/unished the round with a Ave

could have graced on exhibition chloroform preparation which bout. Some of the other taelles

had affected Robinson's sight in

But

Castles, Ki-Q21-22),

Q-Kt: 15

K-B2

16 Kt-R3, P-RI: BXQKt. BxB

18 Bx Kt. BxB; 19 Ht- Kis ch. Resigns, for if 19 K-K2: 20 KtxF ch wins the

Still Basillo carried the fight preventing 1 would have made a street brawler the first fight-although how to his opponent and smashed wince.

Basilio was supposed to have away at Robinson's body. Both fighters were still on escaped the same effects, they fighting with one eye is 100 their feet at the end of the 15th did not say. round after 45 minutes of hand- ing out some of the cruellest punishment.the ring has seen- and absorbing it,

The Anal gong went. And for six minutes, the 40,000 specta- tors and the millions of the television and radio audiences waited on a razor's edge while

Four D. Jones BY MADDOCKS

J.1045

FERDINAND

NANCY

LET'S GO LOOK

AT THAT NEW OLD-FASHIONED SKYSCRAPER

"Nonsense," snorted Basilio. "If Robinson hadn't butted me. I wouldn't have had to use that ointment anyway."

What would he do if Robin- son butted him again? "Butt him right back."

In the event, Basilio made sure by getting in his butt 'first.

ANOTHER OF THEM BOW. REGISTRAR

[FEAR, EGBERT

BRICK BRADFORD.

WE'VE DROPPED THE FIRST STAGE! NOW WE CAN RIPE OUT OUR GLIDE TO

THE SPACE PLATFORM!

THIS IS

GETTING SERIOUS, WE ARE FINDING THESE CREATURES ALL TOO REGULARLY

THESE DAYS

USED CARE

HOW CAN A NEW SKYSCRAPER BE OLD-FASHIONED ?

RIGHT! AND THE OTHER STAGES SHOULD CARRY US THROUGH

CUR MANEUVER AND RETURN TO TITAN!

SINCE THE METAL OF THE SPACESHIP CANT. BE PICKED UP ON RADAR, WE SHOULD TAKE THE PLATFORM CREWBY SURPRISE

much of a handicap even when your heart is as big as Basillo's. Robinson got the verdict on a 2-1 vote this time. The conquer ing here was half-dragged, half- carried to the dressing room- almost unconscious.

A victory party? Only rela- tives and a doctor were allowed

in.

(AND CONFIDENTIALLY }THEY COME IN VARIOUS COLOURS. RED, WHITE,

BLACK, YELLOW

POP

queen.

Solution No. 5837: 1 Q-Wt4 baiting), Q-B5 ch: 2 QxQ. or f 1. Q-84; 2. Q-—K4, or 1

Q-B3; 2.0-Q, or 1 ; . PAPĪRU, 2 Ki-K7, or 1 PXP(K3): 2 B-83. Interesting duct between the queens.

London Ezprara Birstol.

JONES IS TOSSED INTO THE CAMP

COOKOO

DR EASTLANDS DIVERSIONARY. ACTION WITH THE

TIME TOP SHOULD BE VERY HELPFUL

מטר

OH DEAR, YET ANOTHER OF

US LOST SOULS

at the eighteenth but still had a record score of 63 to lead the field on the first day by two strokes.

Watching the play I came to the conclusion, however, that the best long odds bet for the

"Open" is Harold Henning, the competent South quiet but African. He did a smooth 65, and Locke told me afterwards that he considers his country- man has real chance ot winning the Big Prize. "He is a fifty per cent better player than he was a year ago," said Bobby.

By Milk

USED CAI

SWISSAP

By Ernie Bushmiler

COD

000.0

-ÉRNIG BUSHMILLERA

**

#

да

By Paul Norris

| MANY HOURS LATER... ON THE EARLY:

WARNING PLATFORM IN ORBIT AROUND THE

PLANET MAGA

CAPTAN/I'VE PICKED UP SOME-

THING!

IT LOOKS LIKE THE

BALLOON-LIKE SPACESHIP WE DESTROYED SOME

TIME AGO LAUNCH

A: MISSILES/

----

Sheaffer's

Ak! That Food!!

That Bervice!

That Swissair!

SWISSAIR

DAN OF PHATELLANE

PEM

Pen For Hen THE BOLD NEW PEN DESIGRED EXCLUSIVELY FOR MEN

ROWNTREE'S

AERO

THE

MILK CHOCOLATE - THAT'S DIFFERENT!

As always-

ILFORD

منوع و مے نے جو مین

DAY

Bunday

June 19

complete underwear freedom

Jockey SKANTS' brief

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made only by

Cooper

FASHION

for

FATHER'S

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DAY

Sunday June 19

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