12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

KILL THE CHAMP! 61 say it, I know what you just said, and, friend, it was a mouthful. Lemme see that hand.” Marty looked at the hand, felt it with sensitive fingers. He said ex- citedly, “It’s a good job of knitting. You need a few more months of rest. Then you'll be ready.” His eyes were bright as he studied Rowdy, “I’m ready to join up with you. You’ve got a new manager if you want it.” Rowdy swallowed. ‘‘You’ve got a fight- er,” he said. “Brother, have you got a fighter !” CHAPTER V HEY had two hundred dollars-and it wasn’t going to last long. Marty said, “I heard your fight with Gunner Bork- lund. Even with a good right hand, you’d have trouble with him. You’ve got to learn some more about boxing. You need more than a punch to stay up at the top. I think I know an angle.” Rowdy said, “How can I learn it if I ean’t get fights?” Marty grinned. “You don’t like Killer Blane.”’ “If that’s news, you oughta hear me tell about the Civil War they had once.” “Ym not kidding, Rowdy. I know where you can get all the fighting you want and never have to use that right of yours. That carnival pays ten bucks a round for every round a guy can stay with Killer Blane. A good clever kid could keep the Killer out of range with his left. But he’d have to be clever as hell.” Rowdy thought it over. “I get it,” he said. “I go into the ring against him, | don’t try for a kayo. I just circle, I keep him off balanee with my left and I never fire my right.” “You'll learn plenty. And it’ll sharpen your left. At ten bucks a round, you can keep in spending money.” “T’m ready,” Rowdy said. Two nights later they found the carni- val. Killer Blane blinked as Rowdy ' gtepped up. They tried to ease Rowdy out of the picture, but the crowd liked Rowdy’s looks. So the tickets were sold and the show had to go on. That night Rowdy Madden went three $9 Qe Sor Soe Sor Doe Gor Gee O se Per Ger Ser Ser Gor Ger Gor Ger Gor Ger Gro Gro Ger Grr Gro Gor Gre Hse Grr Gro Qor Ger Ger Ger Orr Orr Gs GroGroGe os rounds before Killer Blane landed one against his chin. Rowdy fought a strict- ly defensive battle, bobbing, weaving, feinting his right and jabbing with his left. For three rounds he had the Killer in knots. Then the Killer got him. Rowdy rolled with the punch, but not enough. It knocked him off his feet. The ref picked up the count and it didn’t take him long to reach eight. Rowdy glanced at Marty, but his new manager gave him the sign to stay down. . Later, after they had collected thirty - bucks, Marty said, “’There’s no point in getting up off the canvas and getting killed. You got a lot of experience and the crowd got a good show. Next time you’ll do even better.” Rowdy fought again the next evening. He stayed the full five rounds and when it was over he was fagged out. But he had another fifty bucks. “We'll give it a rest for a few days,” Marty said. “I saw a few things I can teach you. When you shoot that left, don’t drop your right so much. It leaves too much chin out in the cold. Do that against Borklund and you'll wake up with an icicle on it. Here, like this—you shoot the left and then you pull your chin down in the little hollow of your shoulder. That way you're protected.” Rowdy practiced it against Marty. It took half an hour. But when he finished he knew that he had added another trick to his eollection. Marty was a good teacher. - They laid off three days, then found - the carnival again. Rowdy went a couple of rounds before he was tagged. Next day he tried it again. That day he went the distance. Seventy bucks more. Killer Blane was upset. Killer found Rowdy and Marty in a cheap flop house. He said, “You guys are giving me a lot of trouble. I got a wife and kid myself. Why don’t you blow?” Rowdy shook his head. “We’re sticking around,” “There’s gonna be blood flowing if you do,” Killer said. Rowdy yawned. “Yours,” he said. They stuck around. For a month Rowdy and Marty followed the carnival circuit. comichook (E@)