Louis-Galen to Fight.

Yet another big sporting fixture was held in America during June, Tony Galento, known to the sporting fraternity as “Beer-barrel Tony,” or the “Fighting Falstaff,” failing in his attempt to win the world heavyweight boxing championship from Joe Louis, who has more ring names than a centipede has legs.

It was a good thing for boxing that Galento did not win. This unusual shaped boxer owns a “beer house” and trains on cigars and liquor, with the result that his line of publicity featured these commodities. Eventually, the Boxing Commissioners in America insisted that no pictures be published of Galento when portraying him in his customary imbibing or inhaling poses.

But behind his clowning there must have been a stratum of physical fitness. Galento absorbed tremendous punishment before the referee stopped the bout in the fourth round and only a fit athlete could have taken the knocks and then come back for more.

There have been cases of boxers in the past who fooled their opponents by embarking on a pseudo “spree” and lulled the opposition into a feeling of false confidence. Maybe that is what Galento was doing, but, if so, it didn't work out that way.

Louis is now reported to be matched against Bob Pastor, who lost to the negro on points in 1937, and recently outpointed New Zealander Maurice Strickland. The feeling in fistic circles, however, is that Lou Nova, winner of Barlund, Farr and Baer is the most logical opponent to face the “Brown Bomber.”

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