12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62. 12 SPORTS ACES Fo Bere Deo O eo Breen Ber Perr GrePenBeehur er Pe BirBsOreSer Be De PenbeePr Ors OreSorGe Gr Ser Oe Ser SorGer Ser Pre Gree Genre Ber Penber Perea Per DenPe Per her Grea GerbriPrieos Sometimes Rowdy got a bum deal and didn’t collect a cent for his evening’s toil. But other times his bicycling kept him out of danger long enough to collect a nice piece of change. The only reason the carnival people put up with it was that even after they’d paid out their money there was still plenty of it left. Besides, they had discovered that Rowdy wasn’t trying for knockouts. Their two hundred bucks were not in danger. At the end of the month Rowdy said, “I think my hand can take it. The rest and the brine soakings have toughened it. I think I ought to try it, Marty.” “Okay. Give it the works.” That night Rowdy gave it the works. It was in the first round against Killer Blane. He smacked the Killer flush on the chin. The Killer was wide open. He had long ago learned not to worry about that vight. The Killer went down. He stayed down, It took fifteen seconds, counting the extra time the ref consumed. Rowdy collected his two hundred and they added it to their growing jackpot. “Now,” he said, “we’re ready. We’ve got. enough to take a gamble at signing the champ.” Marty Allen was frowning. “That,” he said, “might be difficult. The champ’s touring the sticks. He’s making plenty - of dough and he’s esa his title. But Pll try.” O THEY tried. They had a fight a month with the other contenders. But there was little money in it. The fans were interested only in the champ. And the champ wasn’t having any of Rowdy Madden. Rowdy began to fume, He was keeping in shape. He was fighting some good boys, © but they were not good enough. Rowdy knew that sooner or later he was going to find himself trained down too finely— that he would go stale. It was get the champ now—or regret it when he did. The papers were not exactly cold to the new team of Rowdy Madden and the man he had blasted to oblivion. They did not understand the collaboration. But they still respected Marty Allen. So they - began to give the Madden-Allen combina- tion some space. They began to focus upon another meet- ing between Rowdy and Gunner Bork- lund. But even that failed to do the job. The champ was touring the sticks. He didn’t want any part of Rowdy. Marty grew more thoughtful all the time. He began to say less and less to Rowdy. They had fought most of the chal- lengers and the rest were sidestepping the youngster. They were desperate for a fight and they could not get one.” Rowdy said, “Marty, what’s wrong? Are you getting sick of our partnership?” Marty was evasive. “No. Not that. I’m just trying to get you signed with Bork- lund. If I can’t I'l _Bive you a chance to get a new manager.” “Tm satisfied,” Rowdy said. “Stick with me.” A few nights later Marty disappeared. He didn’t show up for a week. Rowdy was angry at first, then disappointed, then scared. He thought Marty had run out on him. But at the end of the week Marty came back. “I did it,” he said. “ got you a match with the champ. You’ve got a month.” CHAPTER VI HIS time the fans did not stay at home. This time they packed the Garden. It was for the heavyweight cham- pionship of the world and the interest had been fanned to a high pitch. Rowdy stood in the center of the ring and for the first time in his life he heard a few of the fans cheering him. Some of the newspapers had hinted that Rowdy Madden must be an okay guy, after all, if he had joined forces with the man he had supposedly ruined. Nobody guessed the real answer. But the feeling had changed, The ref was saying, “You got a nice crowd. Give ’em a good show. Break fast and don’t hit in the clinches. You know the rules. Follow ’em. Now go to your corners and come out fighting at the bell.” Rowdy walked back to his corner. Mar- ty took his red robe. He put an arm over Rowdy’s shoulders. “Last time you fought Gomicbook Ecom-