Word: servo
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1940-1949
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...more than four years, Sugar Ray Robinson had been known as the uncrowned welterweight champion of the world, the man the champions were afraid to fight. Last week his big chance was at hand: Champ Marty Servo had retired with a bad nose. As No. 1 boxer-in-waiting, Sugar Ray had only to beat fellow Negro Tommy Bell to get the title. Sugar Ray's good friend Joe Louis dropped into his dressing room in Madison Square Garden with some advice: "You got to pace yourself, because you can get awful tired in 15 rounds." A few minutes...
...that the phrase came out of their typewriters automatically. But through the war years, an amiable, not too able fighter named Red Cochrane had the title frozen. When it came time to defend it last February, Red passed up Sugar Ray, who was first in line, fought one Marty Servo, who had put up $50,000 for the chance. Marty took the title by a knockout. Last week Sugar Ray was 1-to-5 betting favorite to whip Marty Servo...
Three days before the fight, ominous words came from Servo's camp. Cried Servo's manager Al ("The Vest") Weill: "My boy can't breat' t'rough the right side of his nose; he ain't gonna fight no Robinson. . . ." The official explanation: Servo had been biffed by a sparring partner...
...redfaced New York Athletic Commission, as fed up as Sugar Ray was, promptly took the title away from Servo, ordered an elimination among other welterweights to see who would fight Robinson. The winner would be champion of the state of New York only: the National Boxing Association still called Servo champion. Said Sugar Ray: "I've waited so long it's not new any more...
Boxing (Fri. 10 p.m., Mutual). Fifteen rounds in Madison Square Garden for the world's welterweight championship between Champion Marty Servo and Challenger Ray ("Sugar") Robinson...