12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 105: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FIGHT FEVER restaurant suddenly lost its warmth. He hadn’t had a fight since he’d won the title three months back. His manager, Sam Bradford, kept puttting him off. Sam drifted in and Danny called him over. Danny said, “I want to be a good champ. I don’t want nobody yapping that Danny Cave sat on the titie. Sam, I wan a fight.” : | “Sure,” Sam said. “But there’s no rush. You’re doing swell, aren’t you? You’re making money. Everything is fine. But Ti get you a match. I'll put you on with Foxy Lawson, Maybe in six weeks.” “Lawson,” Danny said. “A has-been. He should have taken off his gloves two years ago. That’s a laugh. I want a guy like—”’ He looked past Sam as someone made a Noisy entrance. Three men came in. The one in the middl> was slim and broad of shoulder, and his face bore the marks of the fight trade. He was Grid’ Gaynor, a middleweight sensation from Gaynor saw him and came across to the table. “Hello, Cave,” he said. “Nice “Sit,” Danny invited. “Name your poison.” Gaynor sat down. He said, “You and me could do some business, Danny. In the ring.” Sam Bradford said, “Nothing doing. Go get yourself a rep.” Gaynor smiled at Cave. “Not scared of me, are you?”-he said. “Haven’t got a little yellow in you, have you, champ?” Danny started forward and Sam said, “Cut it, Danny. It’s a trick. I'll handle this fresh punk.” Danny said, “Don’t worry. I won’t swing on him here. But sign him up, _ Sam.” Gaynor’s managers were like bees who had discovered honey. One of them yelled to a newspaper reporter across the room. Sam Bradford kept saying nothing doing, - but finally he had to give in. Gaynor rose and gave Danny a mock salute. “P’H be seeing you,” he said. “I like this place. After we have our fight, I'll buy it from you, The new champ will take it over.” 163 E AND his handlers went outside and Sam said, “Well, you got it,. boy. I been handling you four years. And now you get to running off at the mouth all by yourself. See what it gets you.” “It gets me a title fight,” Danny said. “T been reading in the papers how they say I won’t give anyone a chance, I guess this’ll show ’em wp.” “You’re gonna be a hero,” Sam said sadly. “You’re gonna get knocked right on your parts. You got a nice restaurant, you’re making dough. Now you’re gonna be a hero and lose everything you got.” Danny’s wife, Efien, came through the door, her arms filled with bundles. She gave Danny a kiss and said, “How do you like it?” She pivoted, turning her head this way and that way, showing him the new hat. Sam said gloomily, “He’s gonna fight Grid Gaynor. In six weeks.” “I want to be a good champion,” Danny said stubbornly. “Besides, ’'H beat the stuffing out of that Gaynor.” “Sure you will,” Efien said. “He won't have a chance.” She said it a littl too fast. Danny could read her thoughts in her eyes and he felt very unhappy about it. Eflen loved him, but, like Sam, she thought he was nothing but a punk inside that ring, a prelim boy. But he was champ. The former champion had been thirty-three when he took on Danny Cave. His legs had held him up three rounds and Danny had won the title after four years of fighting around the country. No one gave Danny too much credit. They thought he was simply lucky. “Well,” Sam said, “you better start training tomorrow. See you at the gym.” He went out the door and Ellen sa, “I’m proud of you, Danny. You’re a fight- ing man.” : Danny said, “I don’t want to hang on to the title unless I know I’ve earned it. ’li whip this Gaynor and then they'll afl know I’m good.” “They like you now,” Ellen said, and that was true. Danny was a New York boy, he’d never left the big town except to fight..He grew up on the East Side and he had never had enourh to eat as # "A GComircebook (F@)