Cerdan Victory

In Madison Square Garden, it was an even pleasanter affair for another Frenchman. He won.

Marcel Cerdan, middleweight boxing champion of Europe, had a handicap to face in the U.S.; European boxers have a long-standing habit of being put to sleep or putting the customers to sleep. But when Marcel promptly pounded out a decision over George Abrams (TIME, Dec. 16), promoters began to look him over with eyes not only wide, but gleaming.

The sacrificial lamb chosen to bolster Cerdan's U.S. reputation last week was Harold Green of Brooklyn, a better-than-average middleweight who had twice beaten Rocky Graziano. (Rocky knocked him out in their third fight.) In round two, the Frenchman shot three rapid rights to the head that buckled Green's knees; a left hook to the body dumped him at Cerdan's feet.* At the count of ten Green was wavering to his feet, but the referee decided he was through. It was victory No. 98 in Cerdan's 100 fights.

Cerdan is now a likely opponent for Tony Zale, who must defend his title by summer. It is up to Zale (and his manager Sam Pian) to decide which would be more profitable: a match outside New York with Graziano (who is banned in New York for failing to report a bribe offer), or one with Cerdan in Manhattan.

The 80,000 seats for sale in Yankee Stadium are 80,000 good arguments for Marcel.

* For the first time in New York, for the benefit of television watchers, boxers wore new-style black-on-white and white-on-black trunks, instead of the familiar purple & black or red-&-black trunks.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.