Brooklyn Billygoat

The bandy-legged, broken-nosed little boxer on the scales was Pasquale Giuseppe DeMarco, weighing in for his crack at Jimmy Carter's lightweight championship of the world. Standing beside him, New York Boxing Commissioner Robert Christenberry nudged the weights into position, squinted at the figures and absentmindedly identified "Paddy" DeMarco as another fellow, a boxer who had been beaten to the canvas just the week before. "Willie Pep," intoned Christenberry, "135 lbs."

Fighter DeMarco curtly corrected him. "You mean Joe Louis," he said.

The smart-money boys only snickered. When Paddy climbed into the Madison Square Garden ring with Carter last week they were betting 4 to 1 that he was still a billygoat from Brooklyn, a clumsy, light-punching brawler who had won a couple of big fights by butting, bunny-hugging and hitting on the breaks. Champion Carter, a Negro from The Bronx, was an old pro, too good, and too smart to be taken when his title was on the line.

Right from the start, Paddy upset the dope. Though he could hardly fight like Joe Louis, he seemed determined not to fight like DeMarco. Bouncing all over the ring, he threw sharp jabs and long, looping rights. Flat-footed and casual. Jimmy Carter protected himself, boxed back occasionally and waited for Paddy to tire.

In the sixth round, with no sign of Paddy tiring, Champion Carter got up on his toes and carried the fight to his challenger. He got a cut over his right eye for his trouble. Paddy was still fresh, cocky enough to move in and show his old Pier Six ability at roughhouse infighting. Once or twice, he admitted after the fight, he felt so good that he was tempted to charge in head down and "fight like a jerk." But he kept control. Only once did the referee have to warn him about butting.

In the end, it was the old pro who tired. His title already lost on points, Carter waded in, shrugged off DeMarco's punches and tried doggedly for a knockout. All he could do was salvage a couple of rounds. The Brooklyn billygoat put on an impromptu acrobatic act for photographers when the announcer named him the new lightweight champion of the world.

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