La Motta Wins World Middleweight Title

Chronicle (Levin), 18 June 1949, Page 5

La Motta Wins World Middleweight Title

Received Fridav 7.13 p.m. XEW YORK, June 16. .Take La Motta, of Xew York, tn night gained the middleweiglit worl-' chamnionsliip bv technicallv knockin" out Marcel Ccrdan CFrench Morocco in the tentli ronnd of a fift'1Pn-roun•, bont. La Motta weighed 158111") an ' Ccrdan 15011b. Cerdan was unable t--answer the bell for the tenth ronnd oe cause of pain in tlie left shoulder which he claimed was ininred wlien L*i Motta lialf knocked and half threw liitn to the canvas in the first ronnd. A crowd of 15,000 saw La Motta batter Cerdan into nearlv complete submission in the ^"venth, eiglith, and ninth rounds, aird Cerdan wobbled as Iie went to his corner. He lav back on his stool and the corner ropos as though in distress. There was no actual knockdown in the bont. Tn the first ronnd wln'le Cerdan wa* absorbing punmhment La YT otta lia lr" threw him to the canvas, but Cerdan rccovered qii'cklv. La Motta staggemd Cerdan ou se'-pi'n] other occasions dur ing furious fighting, but Cerdan rockcd La Motta back on his heels severn I tbnes in the second and fifth rounds.] Tlie boxers slugged it out toe to toe ori 1 fairlv even terms in the third and sixth rounds. Fntil the last minute of the sixth ronnd it secmed that Cerdan liad an even chance of retaining the title, for he had rallied superblv from the first ronnd battering, but in the last minute La Motta came back and gave Cerdan a terrifie bodv and head battering wlierefrom Cerdan never seemed to recover. Cpi'dan bpcause of his injured left shoulder ruj'e.d *"ainlv on short right hooks, but T.a Motta used both hands freelv and efTectively. He peppereil Cerdan with left .iabs in nearly every ronnd. Cerdan used the shell defence of gloves and forearms beforc his face, bur secmed unable to get awav from the jahs which kcpt necdling between t h gloves into his reddened face: Cerdan

was unable to come up after the ninth round and this under the Michigan rules was a tenth round knock-out Cthe fight was held at DetroitL Tt was the first time in his career • that Ccrdan had failed to last the schednled distance. He won the title from Tonv Zale last Repteraber. T,a .Tfotta has been seeking a title fight for many years. He is under contract to give Cerdan a return fight for the title before October 1.