JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE Sugar Ray Robinson appears much bigger than Gene Fullmer here, but many believe the challenger of West Jordan, Utah, will cut the champion down to size when they box for the middleweight title at Madison Square Garden, Jan. 2. THE SPORTS HIGHWAY WITH AL WARDEN Standard Dec 30 - 56 26 Recognized Champions NEW YORK CITY - Sugar Ray Robinson, middleweight boxing champion of the world, is the 26th recognized title tolder in the 160-pound division in fistiana. Jack Dempsey, the Nonpareil, gained the first official crown in 1884 and held the title for seven years. Robinson defends his title against Utah’s Gene Fullmer at Madison Square Garden Wednesday evening, Jan. 2. The fight will be televised in Utah over KUTV, Channel 2. Harry Greb, generally recognized as one of the greatest fighters, pound for pound, in ring history, held the title from 1923 through 1926. Our thanks to Segram’s Sports almanac for the following complete data on the middleweight division: Middleweight Class (160-pound Limit) Champion Born in Title Yrs. Champion Born in Title Yrs. Jack (Nonpareil Dempsey Ireland 1884-91 (e) Mick. Walker U.S.A. 1926-31 (a) B. Fitzs’ns England 1891-97 (f) Gorilla Jones U.S.A. 1931-34 (g) Marcel Thil France 1932-37 © Tom Ryan U.S.A. 1898-07 (h) Fred Steele U.S.A. 1937-38 (d) Billy Papke U.S.A. 1908-10 (i) Al Hostak U.S.A. 1938-40 Frank Klaus U.S.A. 1908-13 Solly Krieger U.S.A. 1938-40 George Chip U.S.A. 1913-14 Rocky Graziano U.S.A. 1947-48 Al McCoy U.S.A. 1914-17 Marcel Cerdan Algeria 1948-49 Mike O’Dowd U.S.A. 1917-20 Jake LaMotta U.S.A. 1949-51 Johnny Wilson U.S.A. 1920-23 (k) R. Robinson U.S.A. 1951-52 Harry Greb U.S.A. 1923-26 Randy Turpin England 1951 Tiger Flowers U.S.A. 1926 Bobo Olson Hawaii 1953 R. Robinson U.S.A 1955 (a) Outgrew class; (b) Claimed title, with Kid McCoy and Philadelphia Jack O’Brien; won general recognition by defeating all comers; retired in 1907; © Claimed title after defeating Mike (Twin) Sullivan on Feb. 22, 1908; lost title to Billy Papke on Sept. 7, 1908; regained it Nov. 26, 1908; shot and killed Oct. 15, 1910; (d) Reclaimed title after Ketchel’s death; lost title to Cyclone Jimmy Thompson on Feb. 11, 1911; reclaimed it in 1911 after Thompson vacated (other claimants included Jimmy Clabby, Mike Gibbons, Jeff Smith, Eddie McGoorty, Jack Dillon and Frank Klaus); (e) Outgrew class and vacated title; (f) Recognized by N.B.A. (N.Y. Commission successively recognized Ben Jeby, Lou Brouillard, Vince Dundee, Tommy Yarosz, Babe Risko and Freddie Steele); (g) Lost to Fred Apostoli Sept. 23 1937, but by agreement title was not at stake; vacated later than year; (h) Recognized by N.B.A. in 1936 and generally accepted after Thil’s retirement in 1937 although he avoided a meeting with Apostoli at weight (N.Y. Commission recognized a meeting with Apostoli after Steele balked and subsequently recognized Ceferino Garcia, Ken Overlin and Billy Soose); (i) Lost N.B.A. title to Solly Krieger Nov. 1, 1938; regained it June 27, 1939; (j) Recognized by N.B.A. in 1940; universally recognized in 1941 after beating George Abrams, three-time conqueror of Soose, who no longer could make weight; lost title to Rocky Graziano July 16, 1947; regained it June 10, 1948; (k) Lost title to Randy Turpin July 10, 1951; regained it Sept. 12, 1951. Boxing’s Biggest Gates Strange as it seems, of the 20 largest financial gates in boxing for all time, 19 were recorded by heavyweights. All of the 20 battles attracted gates of more than $500,000. The second Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsey heavyweight title scrap at Soldiers Field, Chicago, in 1927, drew $2,658,660. The Manassa Mauler, Jack Dempsey, performed in five gates of more than $1,000,000. The first Tunney-Dempsey clash of 1926, at the Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia, attracted the largest crowded, 120,757 spectators. Heavyweights were the principals in all but one of the nineteen $500,000-and-up fights. The exception was the 1951 middleweight contest between Ray Robinson and Randy Turpin, which grossed $767,626 at the Polo Grounds.Bout Date At Attend. Receipts Tunney-Dempsey Sept. 22, 1927 Soldier Field 104,943 $2,658,660 Louis-Conn June 19, 1946 Yankee Stadium 45,266 1,925,564 Tunney-Dempsey Sept. 23, 1926 Sesquic’t’n’l Std. 120,757 1,895,733 Dempsey-Carpentier July 2, 1921 Boyle’s 30 Acres 80,000 1,789,238 Dempsey-Firpo Sept. 14, 1923 Polo Grounds 82,000 1,188,603 Dempsey-Sharkey July 21, 1927 Yankee Stadium 75,000 1,083,530 Louis-Schmeling June 22, 1938 Yankee Stadium 70,000 1,015,012 Louis-Baer Sept. 25, 1935 Yankee Stadium 61,574 948,117 Louis-Walcott June 25, 1948 Yankee Stadium 46,667 841,739 Schmell’g-Shark’y June 12, 1930 Yankee Stadium 79,222 749,935 Robinson-Turpin Sept. 12, 1951 Polo Grounds 61,370 767,626 Louis-Braddock June 22,1937 Comiskey Park 45,500 715,470 Tunney-Heeney July 26,1928 Yankee Stadium 45,890 691,014 Louis-Nova Sept. 29, 1941 Polo Grounds 56,549 583,711 Schmeling-Louis June 19, 1936 Yankee Stadium 47,585 543,092 Marciano-Charles June 17, 1954 Yankee Stadium 47,585 543,092 Firpo-Willis Sept. 11, 1924 Jersey City 70,000 509,135 Marciano-Walcott Sept. 23, 1952 Municipal Std. 40,379 504,645