Black Hope

In the parlance of boxing, a Negro contender for the heavyweight championship, when this is held by a white, is a "black menace." When a black menace becomes champion, search starts for a "white hope." Boxing experts have been so sure that the current black menace--Joe Louis of Detroit--will win the heavyweight championship as soon as he fights the current holder, James J. Braddock, that talk about a white hope started prematurely as early as last autumn. Thus far no white hope has appeared, but last week it became apparent that if, after first disposing of Max Schmeling on June 18, Louis finally does beat Braddock, boxing experts may have something else to talk about: a black hope or Menace No. 2. He is Negro Leroy Haynes of Philadelphia.

Black Hope Haynes shuffled into Philadelphia about a year ago, inquired where he could find a boxing promoter's office. He was directed to Matchmaker Pete Moran. After one look at Haynes's powerful 6-ft. frame, a glance at his record of fights on the Pacific Coast, Moran retired as a matchmaker, became Haynes's manager. Since then, Haynes has had 14 fights, won ten of them by knockouts. Joe Louis knocked out Primo Camera in six rounds. Haynes did it in three last March. On the ground that this performance was worth repeating with more ballyhoo, Haynes and Camera were rematched. Last week, after Haynes had been carefully studied by boxing experts, photographed with Champion Braddock feeling his muscles, pronounced better than Louis by famed Jack Johnson (who is jealous of the fighter who may become the second Negro heavyweight champion in ring history), Haynes and Camera climbed into a Brooklyn ring. Less impressive than their first performance, the bout lasted nine rounds, ended in a technical knockout. Pounded on the head by 87 of Haynes's looping righthanders, Camera suddenly stopped fighting, dragged himself over to the ropes, announced that he could not move his left leg. Doctors, after jabbing the leg with pins, agreed that he was suffering from temporary paralysis.

Leroy (pronounced Leeroy) Haynes grew up in South Bend, Ind., where he sang in the Baptist Church, hung around the Notre Dame football field to run errands for the late Knute Rockne, learned to talk and dress like a college boy. Six years ago, when he was 18, he went to Los Angeles to live with his sister. His brother-in-law persuaded him to try professional boxing in 1932. Last year, when Joe Louis arrived in Los Angeles to fight Lee Ramage, he offered Leroy Haynes a job as sparring partner. Haynes refused, offered to fight Louis instead. Louis' managers countered with an offer to manage Haynes. Wary lest he fail to receive a full share of their attention, Haynes declined again, decided to go East. If he failed to make a living with his fists, he knew he could depend on a baritone voice so good that Orchestra Leader Fred Waring had offered to pay for his singing lessons.

By no means so polished a fighter as Joe Louis, Black Hope Haynes nonetheless has a record that invites comparison with that of Menace No. 1. Louis outpointed Natie Brown, knocked out Hans Birkie in ten rounds, Red Barry in three. Haynes knocked out Natie Brown in two rounds, Hans Birkie in seven, Red Barry in five. White menace to Black Hope Haynes has so far been a thoroughly second-rate Philadelphia heavyweight named Al Ettore, who beat him twice last summer. They will fight for the third time in Philadelphia June 22.

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