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Show Sports Here and There by Al Ablett Just how wrong can one get. Yes Gene FuDmer fought a very disappointing fight, as far as I could see on T.V. Don't know how many will agree with me but I say he was hurt in the early part of the fourth round, then made the mistake of slugging slugg-ing with the sugar man at long range. Gene just doesn't carry that kind of power. The fight showed that you can't go on making the same mistakes against a man that knows the answers. Gene came out in the fifth round as wide open as Las Vegas, must have Himioht hp could take Robinson's 'best shots and still beat him, because as Ray moved back Gene came in with his hands down and after being hit with two right hand leads, still didn't get them up. It looked like he was getting ready to throw one of those round house rights of his, leaving himself wide open for a left hook. Robinson saw the opening, ; well a blind man could have felt it with his cane, and the left hook is what Gene got but good. No matter how tough you are when a puncher hits you on the button with a full shot something some-thing has to give, this time it was Fullmer and the middleweight middle-weight championship, i. To my way of thinking the toiggest mistake ever made by a manager was turned in by Marv Jenson, in this case toy committing commit-ting a return fight clause in the contract for this fight. It doesn't make any difference if you are fighting a fugitive from the old folks home, you should protect yours and your fighter's interest, because if you do lose you are assured of at least one more good pay day. Here is the case in point. In any middleweight or heavyweight heavy-weight championship, the TV take is at least a $100,000. If no one comes to see the fight you still get a good pay day. Gene didn't have this so what is the picture now? I say, now Fullmer will have to fight at least three good boys and beat them before he gets another shot at the title. The TV take in this case will toe about $4,500, a far cry from $30,000. The cry is "and I have been as guilty as any one." Jenson has brough hia boys a long ways. Now let us look at it in the clear light of day. The I.B.C. is the power in the fight game, this everyone knows. So how did Jenson get his boys up there toy doing business with the I.B.C. and on their terms. Rex Layne fought them all, ready or not he fought them. Gene fought three real tough boys in Eastern Parkway Park-way arena for peanuts. One of these was Gil Turner. The Turner j fight was a Garden shot if there lever was one, but Jenson took it in Eastern Parkway. He took the first Robinson fight for eating eat-ing money, far less I dare say than any other manager would have accepted, tout I say this wasn't a bad move. But to sign a return clause where the challenger chal-lenger got as much as the champion, cham-pion, I say this was foolish. As far as having to do this in order to get his title shot, that I don't buy. The I.B.C. as well as the boxing commissions, not counting count-ing public sentiment would have made Robinson defend against Gene, These are some of the mistakes mis-takes but they pale in comparison compar-ison to this no return clause. But if the fighters like it I should be as happy as a chick. Gene is still young and can still make plenty of money in the fight game, but the road to the top will be tougher than ever. All I can say is, he has my best wishes. AL |