The first time since early in December the boxing fans of Toronto will have their inning tonight at the Maple Leaf Gardens. After two postponed shows, which were scheduled to open the 1942 boxing season locally, the Billy Speary-Harry Jeffra match tonight climaxes a rather anxious month for Promoter Jack Allen.
Twice he has had good main bouts signed, sealed and ready to deliver only to have the fates step in a and force cancellation. But there's nothing to hinder the much anticipated appearance of the great little scrapper, Jeffra. And the same Jimmy said for his co-manager, Jack Dempsey, who arrived from New York this morning and who will be in Jeffra's corner tonight.
APPEARANCE WILL HELP
As far as Speary is concerned, it doesn't make any difference to him who Jeffra has in his corner. After all, as Billy puts it, "I'm only fighting Jeffra, not his seconds." But the appearance of the former great boxing champion will help to start the season often a large way.
For Speary and Jeffra it is their rubber bout. Back in January, 1941, Jeffra had to get Speary into Baltimore to even at the score, but he broke his hand doing so and had to lay off for a couple of months. Since returning to active boxing Jeffra has rung up 14 straight wins, but Billy claims he'll end it tonight. "He had to get me in Baltimore to get a win over me, but I doubt he can do it in Toronto." Around 11 o'clock tonight we'll all know the answer.
WAITHE MEETS DUNDEE
The semi-final bout promises plenty of action and will hold much interest. The clever Toronto lightweight, Simeon
Waithe, who has looked very good against Jeffra in training, meets a young comer in Johnny Dundee. Dundee is only recently out of the amateurs, but he is highly regarded as future championship material.
Joey Bagnato refused to meet a substitute when it was learned that Art Foster had injured a hand and Allen immediately got the wires humming to wind up with
Katzumi Morioka and Jimmy Gilligan. Gilligan, it is recalled, gave Joey Archibald a trouncing when the latter was champion.
The remainder of the card has Nels Broadhead meeting Lewis Alters, of Montreal, it a bout which should be a fair scrap, while Patsy Zoccano and Pat Gordon will open the show.
