Sport: War to the Finish

Mike Jacobs, No. 1 U.S. boxing promoter, had a war declared on him last week, but did not seem to mind.

In most States where it is legal, prizefighting is controlled by a State-appointed commission. All but four of these commissions, up to last week, were members of the National Boxing Association, a self-appointed body that has tried for 22 years to govern the U.S. prize ring.

But Boxing’s four isolationists—New York, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts—controlled 75% of the U.S.’s fight clubs, 80% of its professional fighters. Therefore the Big Four persistently thumbed their noses at N.B.A., refused to recognize its “world’s champions,”* ridiculed its annual ratings.

Last week N.B.A. moguls, convening at Winston-Salem, N.C., gleefully announced that California had at last joined their ranks, that Pennsylvania might follow suit.

Thus strengthened, they passed a resounding resolution: “war to the finish” on their archenemy, Mike Jacobs of New York.

For years N.B.A. have-nots have been sniping at Mike Jacobs. Last year they persuaded Maryland Representative Ambrose J. Kennedy to introduce into Congress a bill investigating Jacobs’ boxing monopoly. The bill bogged down. So, in all likelihood, will the “war to the finish.” No one can deny that Tsar Jacobs, shrewd and well-heeled, has cornered the market on rising prizefighters. But he has also kept (as boxing cleanliness goes) a clean nose.

*Last year only three “world’s champions” were recognized by both N.B.A. and the isolationists: Heavyweight Joe Louis, Light Heavyweight Billy Conn, Bantamweight Lou Salica.