The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1954 BLYTHEVILLE (ARK.) COURIER NEWS Aiming (or Marciano fight. NEW YORK (NEA) By HARRY GRATSON NEA Sports Editor Tommy Jackson is as frustrating to write about as he is to The Animal, Tireless Tommy or The Hurricane, as he is known to New York fans, can't punch hard enough to dust off a tabletop. His defense consists of sticking put his iron chin or exposing his middle. He leads with his right, counters with his left, goes into the ropes. Yet his last three outings, he has knocked out Rex Layne, outgalloped Clarence Henry and stopped Dan Bucceroni.

And after just 18 fights and a little more than two years of boxing, Jackson, six-foot, two, 191 Vs pound, 22-year-old Negro out of Rockaway Beach, Long Island via Georgia is alarmingly close to being, a definite challenger of Rocky Marciano. As Harry Wltey, who trained Sugar Ray Robinson, says: "Jackson, don't know what he's doing, but he does it perfect." Jackson is to be back in Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway where he got his start, May 3- A June match with Nino Valdes is cooking. After that, "Oh, I have it in for that Marciano. Oh, boy! I'll give it to him. I was chased from his camp," ejaculates Jackson.

The Hurricane showed positively lightening qualities belting Buc- cerino out on his pins in the sixth round. Despite his "faults," he probably is a lead-pipe cinch to murder every big guy in the business today with the exception of Ezzard Charles and Marciano, and he's eager to try out his weird style on them. Energy beyond comprehension is what makes Jackson. His arms never stop pumping. His legs never lose their bounce.

He finished the Bucceroni battle, one of the most gruelling witnessed in some time, with nothing more than a cough, Wbich came from a cold. fights better when I have a cold," he observed. It. was just as well for Bucceroni that he wasn't is just plain animal," remarked Don Battles, Bucceroni's HAPPY CRITTER Tommy (The Animal) Jackson kisses the dome of trainer Whitey Bimstein jubilation after upsetting heavyweight Dan Bucceroni. (NEA) "I never seen nothing like it," says Whitey Bimstein, who helps train Jackson.

"He runs 10 miles every morning, boxing up to 20 rounds in the gym. We have to throw him out of the gym. The guy just doesn't get tired." "He likes to get hit," asserts Freddie Brown, another handler, "the harder the better. I don't think there's a guy living who can put him down." Bucceroni, the third ranking heavyweight, blasted right hands at a wide-open target. He sunk wicked right hands to the pit of the stomach, toed left hooks.

Jackson buckled three or four times, but his fighting instinct reduced the effectiveness of Bucceroni's belts. He swarmed all over the stand-up straight Philadelphian. That's his secret throwing the other bloke off his own style, giving him little or no room to punch, discouraging him. As Bucceroni punched himself into weariness and was having one eye closed and suffering an ugly gash above one and a cut above the other, Jackson, dancing in his in his corner between rounds, refused to sit down until shoved on the stool by Bimstein. "He hit me wonderful," he said after the upset.

"He punches wonderful. Did those body punches hurt? Did you hear that yell? That was me. I just said, I like fights like that. He hits me hard- I get stronger." Billy Graham wasn't surprised. "I saw this kid sparring with Marciano before Rocky's second fight with Walcott," recalled number one welterweight contender.

"He was giving Rocky a pretty' good tussle, and that was a year ago. I think he could fight Rocky right now. Can you imagine Rocky's face when this kid tosses that two-handed uppercut or the incurve or outcurve left jab?" He may have to be hit by Marciano before anybody knows just how well he can take it. He might even laugh at Ezzard Charles. Tommy Jackson is something of a big Henry Armstrong and very exciting.

Sox Most Likely to Succeed NEW YORK (NEA) Now that the Yankees appear ready to be taken, it is difficult "to put a finger on an American League club most likely to succeed. It easily could be Boston, where the youth movement is a couple of years ahead of schedule. Lou Boudreau's young men won on the road last trip. Parlaying this with a big run at Fenway Park and its beckoning left field screen could take Jt aid. Joe Cronin has the right idea finding and playing youngsters who f-igure to improve.

The Indians have been together I too long and have lost confidence. Outside of speed, the White Sox haven't enough of anything, and their Caribbean stars, Minnie Minoso and Chico Carrasquel, tail off as the result of winter ball. There is no other threat, stressing the weakness of the American League. After five years of frustration, it's too bad that the Indians are not now set to make a charge. This despite the fact that Al Rosen really hit the jackpot last season.

Rosen was the most valuable everything, even though Mickey Vernon him out of the batting championship. The Miami mauler manufactured 43 home runs, drove in 145 runs (major league high), hit .336 and was a capable third sacker without too wide a range. During the winter, Rosen made a business connectioa with an in; vestment firm headed by Wing Baxter, who also happens to be a heavy stockholder in the Indians. Happily married and a papa now, Rosen is shooting for the financial moon. There should be no letdown here.

In the National League, the Giants have added something more than Willie Mays and the left-hand pitchers, Johnny Antonelli and Don Liddle. Big Ray Katt has made it behind the bat, and Wes Westrum is first to tell you there is no question about his hitting. "When Ray reported to us last fall," says Westrum, for whose job the large Texan is bidding, "his throwing was 100 per cent better than it was the previous spring. He's matured as a receiver." Katt, 26, batted .326 and drove in 98 runs in 114 games with Minneapolis. Westrum doesn't envy Katt's batting position eighth.

The old pro attributes his anemic .224 of 1953 to so being handicapped. "I never got anything good to hit," explains the Poughkeepsie Plodder. "With the pitcher batting next, they didn't worry about walking me. And what pinch-hitters have averaged one hit in five trips batting for pitchers? I know I always tried to keep our pitchers from giving the eighth hitter any- thing good." Westrum doubts that Roy Campanella would bat .250 swinging eighth. "The way it is, Campanella has Gil Hodges batting after him, so pitchers run the risk of his getting on base," he points out.

Henry Thompson is another reason for Polo Grounds optimism. Hankus Pankus of the long ball opens the campaign as a regular for the first time hi three seasons. Bobby Thomson had the third base job in 1952 and last trip young Daryl Spencer left Phoenix as top kick. Thompson, hard and fit, is bouncing around third base, with the' zest he showed in 1950, the year he broke Pie Traynor's National League record with 43 double plays. That's why the Giants' manager shows more concern about Second Baseman Davey Williams and his sensitive back.

Dave Hawkins of Harvard, national AAU breaststroke champion, hails from Manly, Australia. PAGE SEVEN Eddie Matfcews Ted KluszewsW Carl Furillo LUMBERMEN Eddie Mathews, left, of the Carl Furillo of the Dodpers is out to repeat as Braves defends the majors' home run champion- the National League batting leader. (NEA) ship against the Reds' Ted Kluszewski, center. TV Still Can't Match the Color Of a Prize Fight from Ringside By JIMMY NEA Staff Correspondent NEW YORK (NEA) Color television, which, they told you, was the ultimate in entertainment, was having its preview in a midtown theatre and the National Broadcasting Company's it was for a brought a healthy sprinkling of ringside regulars. It seemed strange to see these people standing in a well-carpeted room, waiting for the preview to start, instead of walking around Madison Square Garden's cement- floored lobby.

The man at tne door helped this feeling along. He was dressed, in a uniform which closely approximated that of a Russian general. His "This way, sir," was a far cry Jrom what the gathering was accustomed. Normally, on a night such as this, Mushky Jackson ushers you through the Garden press gate with a snort and a comment about the "good underneath we got for ya tonight." Uniformed pages bustled through the crowd and began leading it down a flight of stairs to a group of partitioned viewing rooms. About 20 people went into each of them and sat down on plush seats.

Two normal-sized TV sets were in the center of the room. One. a page stepped in and announced, was an ordinaryr black-and-white. The other was the color set. The lights dimmed, the screens brightened.

The color was a disappointment. Instead of a bright technicolor-type picture, the ring seemed bathed in a greenish haze. The fighters Al Andrews in gold trunks and Gustav Scholz in purple seemed to have no shoulders. The camera lost the details. Once past their forearms, the eye lost them in a colored smog.

As the fight went on, it was disconcerting to listen to the audience's talk. Fight talk was missing. Instead of anybody picking out that Scholz. the German invader, was a complete novice at stopping a right hand, this audience talked of color hues and fading images. "It looks," one said, "like a very poor water-coloring job." "That's because of the lighting," an NBC press relations man quick- ly said.

"This is natural coloring and there isn't too much brightness at a fight. "Football that'll be the thing. Or a baseball night game. Can you imagine, say, one of the California football games with bright uniforms and the crowds doing those card tricks? It will knock you dead," the agent said. You had to agree with the guy Exhibition Baseball By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Memphis (SA) 6, Boston (A) 5 Chicago (N) 2, Baltimore (A) 0 Chicago (A) 6, St.

Louis (N) 2 Cleveland (A) 10, New York (N) 8 Detroit (A) 8, Philadelphia (N) 2 Pittsburgh (N) 1, Philadelphia (A )0 Cincinnati (N) 9, Washington (A) 4 New York (A) 12, Charlotte (Tri-State) 3 Brooklyn (N) 6, Milwaukee (N) 0 Cincinnati (N) vs Tulsa canceled, rain. Fights Lost Night (Tiger) 157, New York decisioned Billy McNeese, 160 3 Central Isiip, N. Y. (10). Harris, 149.

Detroit stopped Irish Bob Finnerty, 152, Cleveland (5). San Cage, San Frank Skidmore, 148, Salinas, Calif. (10). when the commercial for the next week's fight came on. It was brilliantly shaded and the pictures of the two fighters sparkled.

But something was completely lacking in the plush ringside room in which you were sitting 1 The fight was in front of you and, to be sure, it was, when you shifted your eyes to the black and white, a good deal better than ordinary viewing. But it did not seem like a fight. The audience was more like a theater crowd watching a drama. You couldn't tell what was the effect of punches. There was little talk.

Finally, in the minute between the eighth and ninth rounds, Mike Lee, the sports editor, began to talk about the 3-1 price on the fight and you knew what was missing. At the fights, you see, this kind of chatter goes on all night. You miss it, and you're not going to get it in front of a color television screen. There Is nothing like going out and seeing an event in the flesh. Rodriguez, Zimm Win Mat Feature The brawn of Wild Man Zimm and Curios Rodriquez proved too much for Lester and Jack Welch they bowed to the two toughles in the tug match feature of the American Legion's wrestling bouts in Memorial Auditorium last night.

Zimm. making his wrestling de- bute here, proved the perfect partner for Rodriquez. the 230 pound Mexican bad boy. The newcomer equalled Rodriquez in sine and aggressiveness and IKissessed a little more wrestling know how. Jack Welch was called in as a last minute substitute for his younger brother.

Edward, who had to cancel his booking hero because of a minor automobile accident in Alabama yesterday. The Welch's got things going their way as they stepped through the first fall in winning form. After 14 minutes of hard grappling. Jack defeated Zimm with flying tackles and a body pin. But that was nil the Welch fans had to cheer about.

From there on it was all Zimm and Rodriquez. They muscled their way through 1954 Season Officially Opens LOS ANGELES W) 1964 baseball season is officially under way. The Pacific Coast League inaugurates its 53rd annual campaign today with five games and President Clarence Rowland, always an optimist, predicts an upswing in attendance all around tto circuit. The league is committed to 168-game schedule instead of the 180 games played last year. The teams are permitted to have working agreements with major league clubs and may accept from them.

This is a departure from the practice of the last two seasons, during which the POL outlawed the option and took on open classification. The theory behind this was that the league eventually would attain major. league status itself. the second fall in Just eight minutes with Zimm beating Joe Welch with a crab hold. Then came back to capture the third and deciding fall in 13 minutes with Rodriquez pinning Lester.

In the two preliminary bouts Jack Welch beat Rodriquez and Zimm won over Lester. For players not 13 by January 1. 1054 and who are not now members of a Little League team. This registration must made or you will not be eligible for the try-outs to be held the first week In May. NAME Phone Address Date Of Birth Mail or deliver this registration blank to: Albert Taylor.

Ark-Mo Power Co. Local Office. This registration is for all players not 13 by January 1. Those registrants not selected on a Little League team will be eligible for teams In the Pee Wee TERMINx Bruce Company P. O.

Box 1270 Memphis, Tenn. Phone 62-3531 Only DAYS LEFT! To Get Your BEAUTYREST MATTRESS or BOX SPRINGS $5 DELIVERS a Week Pays for Iff I (No Carrying Chargt) HUBBARD Furniture Appliances tune in! BASEBALL PLAY BY PLAY KLCN-FM with HARRY CARAY BROUGHT TO YOU BY ANHEUSER-BUSCH, INC ST. LOUIS NIWARK LOS ANGfliS Badweisee I A 01 ft III! ROBERTSON DISTRIBUTING CO. A treat worth repeating! 707 Fifth Pint plus State Twt YOU'LL LIKE ITS GOOD TASTE, FINE QUALITY AND FAIR PRICE YEAR OLD KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON STRAIGHT MUUON WHXET. PtW.

ftW ym MSTItllNfi LOUISVILLE, KT SEARS Catalog Sales Office Greatest Gym Set Value in Years' ONLY SO £88 Reg. $45.95 Quality Phone your order 8131 Chains hold 1000 Ibs. Seamless tubing Real Shower Trapeze bar Metal slidt 2 chinning bars 2 swings 2 rings 2-play Skyride Basketball goal NEW 11-Play Gym Str Here's an unprecedented value in healthy outdoor play for your kiddies. a gym set built to stand all tht hard usage they can give it! Tubular steel, enameled in red and green, with chains tested to hold 1000 pounds. Fun for the family for many ytan to comet SEARS Catalog Sales Office 217 w.

Main Biytheviiie.