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Show Fred Meets Melio in Return Go NEW YORK, Feb. 1 (INS) Both hj tor a chance at Billy Conn's crown, Free ApostoU of San Fran- Cisco and Mello Bettlna of Beacon, Bea-con, N.Y romped through light tapering ta-pering -off drills today preparatory prepara-tory to their return fight In Madison Square Garden tomorrow night With aU boxing box-ing sessions terminated, ter-minated, ApostoH and Bettlna, both claiming to be . . n u top shape, Apostoa t piann.j mXy llm. bering-up exercises before resuming resum-ing hostilities which wound up In a wave of dissension when the Cal-Ifornlan Cal-Ifornlan copped a U-round hair-hne hair-hne decision early In January. Apoatoll won after being floored thrice In early rounds. Tr4 Oetl Nad ' Many who witnessed the Imbroglio Im-broglio held that Bettlna had built up too great a lead In the early rounds to be overtaken by the San rranclacan, but when the "final gong sounded, Fred took the official offi-cial nod, awarded for his vigorous late surge, which Included the dumping of Melt en the canvas. Heace, with so close an Initial tussle, the return encounter adda up to another Bv-tar thriller. With the bout elated for the 15-canto 15-canto route, ApostoU la a slight favorite. Advance aales Indicate a gate la th neighborhood of $35,000, with about K.0O0 fans looking on. or double the figures of the first fight. Several hundred loyal Bettlna supportsrs from upstate have arranged ar-ranged a junket to New York and will be present to spur "our Mello" to victory in the fight Melle la Shape Manager Jimmy Grippo has Bettlna Bet-tlna in what he called "the greatest great-est condition since he has been fighting." He said Melio has overcome over-come some slight weaknesses since his last fight. BetUna's apparent lack ef punch toward the end of their 13-rounder Inspired ApostoU's handlers to insist in-sist upon the longer fight this time. It still remains to be seen whether Melio hss learned the change of pace. Until such time, ApostoU has a slight edge. j |