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_NEW YORK- (AP) -
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"He gave me a helluva fight.
He deserves a return fight if
he wants it."
_
Thus spoke heavyweight
champion Rocky Marciano
today following his thrilling
come-from-behind 15-round
decision over game, undaunt-
ed Ezzard Charles in a savage
scrap at Yankee stadium last
night.
_"I
want him again," snarl-
ed the battered, unfazed 32--
year old Charles. "I thought
I won. I think I came closer
to knocking him out than he
did to me. The next time it will
be different."
_The
lean Cincinnati cobra,
who failed for the second
time in an attempt to become
the first ex-champion to re-
gain the prized heavyweight
crown, may get his chance in
September.
_
"Charles is entitled to the re-
turn," said Al Weill, manager of
the all-conquering Brockton
bruiser. "It was a great show and
a great fight. I'd say a September
fight with Charles in New York
is a great possibility.
* * *
_
"IF NOT CHARLES," contin-
ued Weill, "maybe that English-
man - Don Cockell - or maybe
the winner of the Hurricane
Jackson-Nino Valdes fight (they
meet in Madison Square Garden
July 14) if they put on an excit-
ing fight. Say, wasn't that a great
scrap?"
_
It was that, and more. Practi-
cally every one of the 47,585 pay-
ing customers who contributed to
a gross gate of $543,092 left the
ball park raving about the slam-
bang brawl, one of the outstand-
ing heavyweight tussles in years.
_"It
was as tough as my first
fight with (Jersey Joe) Walcott,
maybe tougher," said the 29-year-
old unbeaten Marciano, who went
15 rounds for the first time in his
career. It was only the sixth time
Rocky had to win by votes of the
officials and one of the very few
in which he failed to floor his op-
ponent. He swept his other 40 by
knockouts.
* *
*
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FOR FOUR ROUNDS it was all
Charles as the 185 1/2 pound ex-
champion boxed beautifully.
Then the 187 1/2 pound Rocky.
bleeding profusely from a wide,
inch and a quarter gash over his
left eye, came on.
_The
muscular bull-dozing
champion almost put Ezzy away
in the sixth, kept driving to go
ahead slightly by the tenth, and
then almost stowed away Charles
several times in the later rounds,
especially the last when he bat-
tered the swollen-faced, hands-
down challenger all over the ring.
_The
officials' votes brought no
protests except from Charles
camp. Referee Ruby Goldstein
had it 8-5-2; Judge Harold Barnes
8-6-1 and Judge Arthur Aidala
9-5-1. The Associated Press had
Rocky far in front, 10-4-1, giving
the champion every round from
the fifth on with the exception of
the seventh.
_It
was an outstanding show fi-
nancially, too. Rocky's purse, not
counting the movies which may
prove to be a bonanza, came to
about $275,961. Charles collected
approximately $137,980. That in-
cluded their share of the gate,
the approximately $188,000 from
the theater-telecast to 61 theaters
in 45 cities, and the $35,000 from
the network radio broadcast.
There was no home television.
* * *
_THE
GASH over Rocky's left
eye - opened in the fourth round
- required ten stitches by Dr.
Vincent Nardiello. The physician
cut away some old scar tissue in
his post-fight operation at St.
Clare's hospital. Charles required
some treatment too for his swol-
len features.
_The
broad-shouldered, lean-
hipped challenger said he was
"doing all right" until he was hit
in the adam's apple. Ez said he
thought it was in the ninth round
but Rocky said "I think I hit him
there with a wild left hook in
the 14th."
_There's
no doubt that Ezzy won
more respect in this loss than in
any of his most glittering vic-
tories. Marciano hit him after the
bell several times and a few of
the champ's blows strayed below
the waist but Ezzy didn't squawk.
_Through
the first four rounds
he bewildered the slugging champ
with left jabs, hooks and rights
and successfully tied up the flat-
footed, stalking Marciano.
* * *
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"HE WAS JABBING good
and
getting his right to my head and
body," said the frank titleholder.
Charles looked like the greatest
18-5 underdog bet you ever saw
until Rocky unlimbered his left
hooks to take the fifth.
_In
the sixth the often wild-
swinging Marciano rocked
Charles with a terrific right to
the jaw and a solid hook to the
stomach.
_"I
dazed him but the bell saved
him," said the Rock.
_The
tenth was another big
round for the champ and he al-
most felled Ezzy with his looping
"Suzy Q" right. In the 11th he
came close to dropping his taller
rival with a right and a blazing
hook to the body.
_Ezzy
fired back often enough
but his punches had lost their
steam. In the final round as
Rocky went out to clinch the ver-
dict, Charles barely staved off a
knockout. The challenger stagger-
ed all over the ring with his
hands waist high while Rocky
shellacked him.
_"I
don't know what held him
up," said the admiring champ.
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