Page:Fighting Back (1924).pdf/191

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trained deadly sarcastical typewriters on Young and his manager, Toledo Eddie Hicks.

This kind of pressure done the trick. No champion can afford to high-hat the sport writers, unless he's ready to get his name in "Who's Through!" The sport editors is the babies which makes them enormous purses a fact instead of a wish. They smoke up interest in the fights, the principals, and the promoters. They make a champ's dizzy demands sound reasonable and the contender look to have a chance. They control the biggest asset one individual fight or the entire game has, a thing worth hundreds of thousands a year and you can get it for nothin' if you're a right guy—publicity!

So Mr. Barberi Youngkowsky, otherwise known as Bob Young, heavyweight champion of the civilized world, agreed to risk his title in a fight with Mr. Kane Halliday, otherwise known as Kid Roberts.

Before comin' out in the papers with it, Toledo Eddie Hicks sent for me, requestin' the boon of a private interview. The two of us got together in his room at the Hotel Epathy. This time our deliberations was a quiet affair, with no hair mussed or the like. Toledo Eddie greeted me with a glad smile and stood by, still grinnin' whilst I tried the doors, searched the closets, and looked beneath the bed for possible undercover spectators. Not that I suspected Edward was not to be trusted—I was positive of it! When I fin'ly convinced myself that we was really alone and this bozo wasn't tryin' to put over a fast one, I sit down, back to the wall. Eddie then broke out cigars