Show z You'd Be I SURPRISED I BY BILLY EY EVANS ANS Dp N y r l E 6 I IG G J EOR APRIL vICY VICTOR FATE F FATE plays some mighty peculiar pranks In fn the would world of ot sports Often Otten literally overnight some omo athlete Jumps jump into fame only to ta have his Ills light snuffed out almost as quickly Consider the case of Eddie Knockout Roberts welterweight fighter hailing balling from the state stale of ot Washington On December 4 4 1926 Roberts little known except on the coast met Joe Joo Dundee the boy who had hall stopped Mickey lIckey Walker and gen gen- generally generally considered the one fighter sure to beat Champion Pete Latzo whenever he got a chance at the title Dundee took the bout mere mere- merely merely merely ly as expense money to cover Cr a n. trip he and his manager made to the coast as a n sort of ot a vacation Roberts to the astonishment of or Dundee walked right out of ot his I. I corner hit Dundee on the but but- ton and an punished him co GO badly In the first round that tho the ret ref referee ereo cree stopped the bout Dundee has always Insisted he could have weathered the stormy as well as fatal first session That one punch made mado Roberts Robertsa a national figure a a. pugilistic big bl shot It got ot him a return bout with Dundee and real money lie lost a close clase decision that didn't hurt his prestige any an On April A. A 4 1927 Just four months after Roberts became fa- fa famous fa famous 01 maus by loy his Joe JOEl Dundee knock knock- knockout knockout out he met Al Mello ello of ot Boston probably gave Mello ello no nomore nomore nomore more thought than did Dundee Roberts Almost in the tho same manner as Roberts stopped Dundee did Mel Mello lo to upset tho the ring rin dope by knock knock- knocking knockIng ing out Roberts Tho rhe bout lasted lastell Just two minutes washing away Roberts Roberts' fame as quickly as M it had arrived d |