1961-01-05 — Page 9

K.O PUNCH!

PALO TWO

THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5. 1961.

Disaster came in two minutes to Max Schmeling, the man who promised Hitler that he would win. He had forgotten the hate of the Negro he had scorned. by ALAN HOBY

'It's revenge I want' said

The crowd, jammed into the Yankee Stadium, New York, on that humid night in June, had boiled up from the subways in great spouting gushers of humanity.

Then

brown tornado was upon him.

the

Back, back, under that storm of punches sanit the ropes bil into his sunburned shoulders, went the German.

The Cerman took a count of three and then, with incredible courage, crawled to his feet to walk straight into another short, murderous right-hander,

They had come from the four corners of the earth, from the 48 States by sea, and land, and from the throbbing heart of the big city itself by cab and gleaming automobiles. Now, munching hot dogs, log right-hander. and gulping down bottles of pop, they waited, outwardly grinning and wisecracking, but inwardly gripped by the same old atavistfe the urge, both compulsive which and Intoxicating, makes people pay morc than a million dollars to butter each nee two men

into Insensibility

other

with B-oz. gloves,

urge-

And for just over two minutes on that night of June 22, 1938, terror was unleashed under the the bilstering foodlights stadium,

nt

THE MEMORY

For exactly two minutes and four seconds those 80,000 specia- tors watched, at first in petrified awe and then amid a howling snarl of sound, as Joe Louls, heavyweight champion of the world, swept down on Schmeling of Germany like a dark nvangor.

It was a

Max

diabolical na it

was frightening. Right before their eyes the crowd-eould see

the thin vencer of

men peeling off.

civilised

they

Tout with horror, watched the Brown Bomber from Detroit become savage-

a savage whose, gigantic, pound- German's ing Bete clouted the

head this way and that as if it

was a leather punch ball.

"It's revenge I'm after," the usually placid Louis had sharicd shortly before the fight,

For still scaring through the young Negro's mind like a pain- ful burn he was only 22 was the humbling memory his

Orst Bght with Max Schmeling two years previously, when the German had knocked out Louls, then

unbeaten, in 12 amazing rounds.

Schmeling, n contemptuous smile playing about his lips, had done fearful things to Joe Louis that first time.

Using his cocked right hond like a poleaxe, the German had

Enormous, awelling with rage wounded pride, Louis and towered over him,

Crunch.. a short, shudder- Ing. six-inch hook thudded Schmeling's stubbly jaw.

on

This had him hugging the canvas in utter hopelessness.

Yet, somehow, despite the for which cloaked and clogged had his brain, the man who promised Adolf Hitler he would win, rose once more on

Joe Louis

The bitterest "grudge fight of

the century" had turned out to one of the most lopsided encounters

the in ever seen professional prize ring.

It had ended with one of the two principals being taken from the rise to hospital, and from hospital to the ship which eventually carried klm home to an ungracious and ungrateful Fuehrer. And it ended with the winter untouched and with scarcely [1 wobbling legs, his eyes dulled single bead of sweat on by the 6lding he had taken.

round Louls, who had shuffed to

was i neutral corner, stormed across the ring. For the third time that clobbering right swept over.

thick

Apun and alunned by the blow. bruta 'power of the

#lithered Belimeling

helplesly until bls chin

JOE LOUIS

resting on the top rope, and his broad

half- back was turned towards his tormentor.

There was a horrified gosp whist- breath from the Vast

smashed Louls to the canvas in from the ring-siders, a the fourth round, smashed himling intake again after the bell and gone at the end of the fifth round, and then, with a tremendous Jcap. ing right, smashed the coloured fighter to the floor for the final count.

thousands throughout the stadium, as they waited for the next punch to mash Schmeling's face to a pulp: to jerk his black- from his polled head back shoulders os 11 an axe had been laid to It.

But Louis had shifted his fire.

seen the opening.

It was the ring upset of the decade, and back in Nazi Ger-In his devouring hate he had many. Max Schmeling. the boxer the Yanks had labelled The Black Uhlan, became the hero of the goose-stepping

stormtroopers.

BOTTLED ANGER

He was the Aryan unawer

Taking deadly alm, he sent a crushing right to the Ger- man's left kidney.

There W36 on appailing scream...a piercing cry which lanced through the night.

It

Max was

Schmeling,

В red-

to the challenge of "inferior shrieking ne if he had been races" like Jews and Negroes; pierced in the side by the incontrovertible proof-if hot spear. proof were needed—that the Germans breed.

were

the

master

But Schmeling, after being holled by the Nazis and acclaimed by Hitler, could not let his triumph rest there,

For

küller this was the punch the one chilling, super- human blow which led to Schmeling's knock-out.

CROWD AFRAID

It was the blow which hot only fractured one of the ver Apine, iebrae in the German's

hoapits! but put him between sheets. It was the blow, ghastly and terrible, which had the crowd holding on to their spats

He began to slight and scorn the man he had conquered

Schmeling taunted the Negro and, by implication, his people.

The German called Louis "on amateur-a fghter who goes to pieces when he is hit" la terror, then rising to their

And, suddenly, across the Atlantic, from New York to Berlin, hatred flamed, naked ond row.

feet and yelling.

· Schmeling—his face scrowed with pain or was it fear?- stood rooted where he stood, an

For Louis, now the world If chained to the canvas, heavy-weight champion in

American eyes after a thunder • ing victory over the holder, James J. Braddock, remembered how he had been hit by Schmeling, the Nazi here, offer the bell... how he and his race had been mocked and Hibed

and homemad this was the deadly insult the arrogant Schneling had said he couldn't take a punch...

All this bottled 'anger, all this deep-smouldering. resentment fused and crackled in Joe Louis on that hot June night in 1938 when he fought Max Schmeling

Ho

Ife couldn't move. couldn't think. He couldn't lift his gloves. Ilo

couldn't aven escape from his bondage of pain and purlahment Qy dropping to his knees atid taking a voluntary count. He could do nothing but take it

Many of the spectators, 251- deed, were afraid he would be killed by the black hammer fists of Louis. The more nervous turned their heads away."

For, as Joe Loula'was to my Ister on during his long and

again; when, at the sound of paralleled reign as: honvy.

the bell, he catapulted from his corner, his dark eyes alitted with hate, his round mon face shrivelled and vicious with 'anger.

wolght world champion: "They can run but they can't, hide."

MAX Schmeling i certainly couldn't hide, Reality is “the shape of the Brown Bomber had "Revenge, that's what "finity caught up with him, “

1

+

Allo, Yankee Stadium was Betmeling, shockud by the aflams now." Another, stumptying pulverán poecy of Layla's 'right and achreling were domest throw only one púboly, a wilkku | TammaPa

brow.

A

to

his when he had Afterwards,

wils. his recover begun Schmeling elölined he had been fouled.

NO FOUL

As he Bung it Louis' lips were pulled back from his teeth. This was it-the coup de

But Louts, a broad,

fallsfled

grace and down went Schmel-beam for once creasing his light Jag like a febled tree,

The German's sturdy legs shot abjectly into the air under

die force of his fall. He lay on the canvas, twitching and broken.

SURRENDER

The timekeeper had begun to call the count but, when It renched "eight," a while towel came Auttering in from Schmel- ing's corner.

Arthur Donovan, the referce, picked up the towel and fung it across the middle strand of a green velvet covering on the ring rope,

brown features, counicred; cilch not think That

is Fout*

it was a foul. always yelling

Never again, however, were the American fight fans to ace sleepy-eyed, impassive Joseph Louis Barrow, born in southern Alabaina, the seventh of eight children, in such cruel mood,

He was one of the greatest world heavy-weight champions who ever drew on a glove.

He defended his championship ---35 times-mure often than UITY other world heavy-weight titic-holder.

In his first two years he fought 20 times, winning 24 by For In New York this sign of

the knock-out, and the remain- zurrender from a correr hasing four on points. never been recognised.

Then Donovna, having He earned close on £100,000 chucked the towel away, stepped in the ring-most of it was forward and, amid a deafeningeuten away by the tax collector hubbub, stopped the legalised and was undefeated champion slaughter, It was all over.

for 12 years,

j

Altogether he was so good. that when he bent Buddy Baer, brother of Max, for the second time, the latter remarked after regaining consciousness:-

"Sure I'll fght him again if you give me a baseball bat."

And Max Schmeling?

He had one more fight in 1939 before serving as a paratrooper during the war. He returned to the ring in 1947 and had ave 1948. fights before retiring in He now has a mink” farm and Hom- soft-drink factory near burg.

NEXT WEEK; The wild man who smashed a champion.

CHESS

By LEONARD BARDEN

માં

INTERNATIONAL RUGBY PREVIEW

Pazo 9

England can halt mighty Springboks

London,

Two special factors make` England's clash with the Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday an international of fascinating interest: the belief that England has the best chance of becoming the first country to half the mighty South Africans in Britain since Scotland in 1906, and the con-

troversial return of Bay Risman at fly-half.

Last season, for the first time in the history of international Rugby, England fielded an unchanged side. They emerged undefeated, sharing the International Championship with France, the 1959 winners.

orc

Now thero

only three changes, only one in the pack which was successful in step- ping the fiery French forward from launching movements from the scrum and line-cut.

Rimpan or Sharp?--this is the most controversial ques"; tion in English' Rugby"` for many years. It is not merely question of individual skill but of two opposite kinda of Didy.

Richard Sharp gained his first England cap last sonson when Risman was injured. He was voted the player of tho year, Halfeti as one of the greatest_try-makers ever. Cer- itinly, his attacking

genius played a vital part in England's wiening the Triple Crown.

By-

JOHN COTTRELL

British Lions' tour of Austraila and New Zealand.

Sharp, in his own way, Is also a little genfas—and much too good to be wasted. I still believe he might be``suCOCKS- fally' converted into a centre, though such

ohange-over

has failed in the case of Ris- man.

Ignoring their contrasting styles, I certainly feel that the rugged Risman is better sulled to do battle against the power ful. hard-tackling Sarlag- boks And his partner is the equally rugged England captain back combination Indeed. Dickle Jongs-a formidable kalt

':

On the winge, England will again be served by international sprinter John Young, brilliant ki the trials, and the big, *strong-running Jim Roberts. Alas, even if he had caught thứ polectors' eyes, the great Peler Jackson is not available because of business commitments,

Blendy Don Rutherford, at full-back, completes A

behind-the-scrum

פט סתנן

which. defensively, wit surely be the toughest alde the Springboks have to meet.

Duel of packs

France has possessed ouisland- g packs in the past two sea- sons each time they have been Now, with only one change, now held by the England forwards. cap Laurie Rimmer, there are hopes that the England pack will do the same against the Spring-

boks,

A little genius Similarly, Bev Risman, son of Gus Rugby League's immortal

The outcome of the battle was welcomed as the discovery

| hinges, of course, on the duel of of the year in 1059. But was

the packs and it remains to be his method of play partly res-

Fruit-farmer Jeeps has for- seen whether the Teng-serving ponsible for England's failure to tunately, had second thoughts England men Bre stal at their score a single try that season? about his planned retirement best.

Ideal leader

羈

Sharp supporters bellave so. from the international game. He Jacobs Marques, Currie and They argue that their blend is an ideal leader, at the heart | Robbins, for example, have 76 Cornish idol is more construc- of the battle, with much exper- cops between them, and the Old tive in attack, faster than Ris- enco agiinst the South Africans | Firm of David Marques (611, man, and brilliant at the outside. gained during the British Lions' 5in., 15st, 1210.) and John Currie break. Risman, in contrast, is four of the Union In 1935.

foft. 3in.. 18st.) play together sturlier, stronger in defence. New can behind the scrum Is for the 22nd consecutive occasion and brillant at the inside-break. centre Bill Patterson, of Sale, in the second row-casily

My own preference 15, and who partners Mick Weston, the record. (3955)

always has been, for Rieman converted fly-half. Thus tho who displayed rather better form aclcctors have gone for solidity Hero is a problem by T. King- Parks (Chess Amateur, 1912). In the second England trial. I rather than speed and Patterson White to play and mate in two | contend that England falled to rela well-deserved chance moves.

score in 1959 only bestuse he after Bying out to Now Zenfond Solution No. 5954; 1 QxP chl, was not given adequate support last year as a Test replacement. RXQ: 2 R-RS ch, R-BI; 3 by the backs, There Was no He takes over from speedy Mad- Exch. ExE; 4 R-K8 mate. | Irek of scoring when Risman solm Phillips, who missed the

played superbly on the following lost trial through injury.

London Express Setpics.

Four D. Jones BY MADDOCKS

JOVES AND THE WEIRDIE ARE WALLOWING IN THE NEW WEIRDIE ISLAND

ECONOMIC BOOM

BY GEORGE, THIS

IS THE LIFE, HERE'S TO

THE FURMÁN MISSILES, "JUST YOU

[WAIT, MATE,

ENTER VLADIMIR THE COMUNIT ALL BITTER AND TWISTED.

HEY! I'VE HAD MY FILL OF YOU TITÍ LOT JACKBOOTING

OVER MY COUNTR

(OH YES)

FERDINAND

"

NANCY

I PUT THE MILK OUT ON THE PORCH

TO COOL AND IT FROZE

BRICK BRADFORD

WE'LL TAKE A ROUND- ABOUT WAY TO THE SPACEPORT FANMENNE HEAR IT YOU WELL HAVE

TO HOAKESP

DOWN

SHADY!

I WONDER IF

OUR AUTO RADIATOR

FROZE

LATER, SHADY APPROACHES The

SHETRAT ENDANGE

KORE COMES THE TUŠIJ# THEY -TUNIC IM LARRA WBSL HAVE (1 NADE BO SURÉ AND STAY

DOWN

NOW GET YOUR FILTHY) DONNIES OFF MY

LAND OR I'LL

JA CLIRISE IN J

DO YOU

By Mik

By Ernle Bushmiller

By Paul Norris

THEY WILDENİZE THE CAR AS LAKKA'Şİ THEY ARE WAVING ME DN 10 MOLD IT);

TROUBLE IN TIERES LAKKAD FATHER LARRA WELEDʻPEK MUMURI, WHAT

WILL I DO

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Can England succeed where all countries in Britzla bavo falled since 19367 I will stick my nook cut a long way and say that they most certainly can — though I would bu much happles if Whlijips and Jacksonwers also on parade. Hirtery strongly favours the unbeaten Fifth Springboks, where predecessors won the last three meetings and drow the Brat match against England unc try encis - on the old Crystal Palace ground in 1900. But they have never conquered .cnslly, the biggest

winning margin being 7-0,

Well-matched

This ure, the two countries look superbly well-matched. The Springboks have a magni- fcent pack and, as they showed with dummy scissors against Combined Services recently, they are far from being devold of ideas behind the scrum.

It should be a close result, Yet I gamble on England be. cause they are superior In one. department goal kicking. Rutherford and Risman are two accurate place-kickers; it the Springboks had such a mian they would not have needed a Just-minute pushover try to de- feat the Irish in Dublin.

Whether we like it Not, the foot can so often decide the

result in what is essentially a handling game. I may da 50° again at Twickenhams on Baturday.

One forecast can be safely made about the game: It will stract capnelty crowd of 74,000 to the headquarters of Rugby Union,

д

Never before have There so many applications for the throo International - mintches Twickenham; the visit of tho South Africans kas so fred the pubilo imagination that thousands of pounds in tjekat money has had to be returned,

Notts interested

in Graveney

London Jan. si Nottinghamshire County Cif- ket Club have medą: 1 official approach to Tom Cheney, the deposed Gloucestershire captain who waste to leave the cautaty, but they are keenly interested in his future.

It might be that they view, him ancestor to the captaincy for no new leader has been, ap- pairited. Miter the retirement ot Test cricketer RT. Simpson at the end at last surmenor.S

Mr. R. M. Poulton the Noking.... hanghire, secretary aid today. at the moment dething can be.

We are of coured whiching thig potion, most carefully.

Roula Graveney 5oblala,

Crée us to act and attors Would bring him to Nottinghamshire.