12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

™ : 12 SPORTS ACES + © Ger Qe Ger Bre Sor Gre Dor Green Dre Per Geo Gor Por Per Pre Por Ger PenPrr Ger Dor Pas Hore r Pee Boe 1 Hs Peer Gre Dee DoD ro Hs +See Dre Ges His Hoe Pre Por Ges Goo Ge eHor GB oer Ger Gre Grr Grr Gr Orr Gre GeeGo He whistled a hard ieft at Salbo. In his haste, it was wild. Salbo ducked and drove an uppercut to the body. The air whistled out of Steve’s lungs. He bit his lips in pain and doubled over. A hard right to the jaw straightened him up. A straight left to the jaw sent him reeling back, Salbo saw his big chance. He jumped in with his right and put everything in his powerful shoulders behind it. The blow landed on Steve’s jaw and Steve hit the canvas on his back. He rolled over with a groan and laid motionless. He saw the referee counting over him and struggled to get up. His mind was clear, but he had no control over his aching body. He laid there in a. trance. He could hear the roar of the crowd and he could see the referee’s arm. “Seven! Eight!” Steve gritted his teeth. It was one helluva way to even things up for Joe. Being counted out flat on his*back. Salbo hadn’t won over Joe that way. Why, if Joe was the kind you could count out flat on his back, there would be no use going to look for him. TEVE got up groggy at nine. Salbo s/ nailed him with a left, but Steve slipped the, hard right and went into a clinch. He looked over Salbo’s shoulder at the yelling crowd. _ Some were shouting and banging their fists together for Salbo to finish it. Oth- ers were pleading for Steve to come back. He looked at Edith. Her eyes were wide. She was looking straight at him. Her face was strained and pale, but what he saw in her eyes told him it was he and not Salbo she was worried about, Steve broke out of the clinch ashamed at letting her see him like this. He, the tough guy. The hard guy who was gonna knock Salbo stiff. = Salbo nailed him with a left and right and there was no strength left in Steve’s legs. He toppled over. He took six and got up. The referee looked anxiously at him. Steve waved him away. His nose bled and there was a big lump under one eye. Salbo’s mouth bled and there was a big lump on one cheekbone. But there were no bloody cuts. Salbo hit nim a left and right and Steve slid off the ropes on one knee, then pulled himself back up. Salbo said, “Aw, why don’t you stay down? I’m all tired out hitting you!” It struck Steve funny. He grinned and said, ““How’d you think I got this way?” He blasted a long left to the jaw. Salbo went back on weary legs. Steve hit him with a right and Salbo went down. It took Salbo five before he could grab the ropes and pull himself to his feet. He tore in at Steve. Steve tied him up and said, “What's your hurry?” Salbo said wearily, “Gotta get a good night’s sleep after I win the crown. IL enlist tomorrow. Gonna find me a guy. named Joe before the cannibals get him. Joe Riley. But he’s a better guy than you because I never could knock him off his feet.” ° 3 Salbo shot a right to the jaw. Steve dropped to one knee. Salbo lurched off balanee from his punch and grabbed the ropes to steady himself. Steve was up and waiting for him. “Yeah,” he said. “You're right. I only hope you got as much guts as he has go I can knock you stiff before you quit.” They punched at each other through the ninth and tenth rounds with the crowd in a continuous din. In desperate last second haymakers both men missed and fell against each other at the final gong. The crowd gave them an ovation which boomed around the arena for fifteen min- utees.. The referee’s and both judges’ slips were collected. The announcer frowned at the slips. He held up his hand for silence, “The win- ner!” came the announcement, “and still champeen! Steve Riley!” Steve rushed across the ring. Salbo met _ him halfway. They threw their arms around each other’s shoulders, and Steve said, “Sammy, you was robbed!” Salbo’s eyes sparkled. There was a tired grin on his face. “Never mind the speeches,” he said. “Ol’ Sergeant Joe is prowling around those Pacific jungles and hogging all the fun knocking the Japs cuckoo, C’mon, we got us a job to do.” Eomichboo <SiGO