FIGHT, NO SITE

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31004, 9 March 1966, Page 15

FIGHT, NO SITE

(X.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) TORONTO. Cassius Clay is due to defend his world heavy-weight championship against Ernie Terrell in three weeks, but the site still remains in doubt. I Mr Leslie Rowntree, the I Ontario Labour Minister, may {rule today whether promoters can go ahead with plans to hold it in the 18.000-seat' ‘Maple Leaf Gardens ice! hockey rink at Toronto as seemed almost certain early | yesterday. Mr Merv McKenzie, the i Ontario athletic commissioner: and a former president of the i World Boxing Association' which still regards Terrell as.

its world champion, has approved the fight. But he left . the final decision to Mr Rowntree, who supervises his commission. He said that because the provincial legislature is in i session, Mr Rowntree was making extra inquiries into i all matters surrounding the ■ application to hold the controi versial fight in Toronto. i New York, Chicago, Mon- : i treal, Louisville. Pittsburgh l and other centres have reJ fused to hold the fight be- ■ cause of various factors, inI eluding Terrell’s alleged i; connexions with underworld ■ figures and Clay’s allegedly > “unpatriotic” remarks about i{U.S. military service and the J war in Vietnam.