INTERVIEWS OF THE CENTURY - FRED SADDY
INTERVIEWS OF THE CENTURY - FRED SADDY
INTERVIEWS OF THE CENTURY - FRED SADDY Fred J Saddy, former president of the National Boxing Association (now World Boxing Association), talks about Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano - before they fought. And Jack Kerns and Joe Maxim - after they fought. Union Station, Chicago, Illinois. Interviewer - I m going to ask Mr. Fred Saddy to be our guest. He s the former President of the National Boxing Association, and now the man who rates all of the fighters. Fred that does that include the World Fighters? Saddy - You betcha - all the fighters in the world, Bob, in every division and there s eight divisions all together. Interviewer - What do you call your job? What exactly is the title? Saddy - Chairman of the Championship Committee of the National Boxing Association. Interviewer - And that s your job, you rate the fighters in all weights and all divisions? Saddy - That s correct. Interviewer - Who do you rate now under Walcott (Jersey Joe Walcott)? Saddy - Under Walcott, we rank Ezzard Charles. Interviewer - Ezzard Charles. Saddy - Yea. Interviewer - Who did you rate third? Saddy - Joe Louis. Interviewer - Joe Louis is third. Saddy - That s right. Interviewer - Tell me Fred, what do you think of Louis s chances of ever getting back up on top? Saddy - Little rough, a little rough Bob. You know, a lot of times they scare those boys. They may think they can do it, but the youth has it s day, you know. He had his fling, he was a young fella, he was good. He s making a lot of money, but I think, personally, he s making it the hard way. Interviewer - This time? Saddy - Yup! Interviewer - Now how good are these young fellas? What s that young fella s name? Starts with an M? Ahh Maris, Maris Saddy - Marciano, Rocky Marciano. Interviewer - Yes. Saddy - He s a rough tough fellow and I don t think he s knows too much about boxing, but he s game and he s tough and he punches like the dickens. Could probably knock Mr. Louis out if he hits him and I think he s going to hit him. Interviewer - Where you surprised at the outcome of the Maxim (Joey Maxim) fight? Saddy - No. No. I ll tell you something incidentally, Bob. Jack Kearns got Maxim through me. When I put Jack Kearns wise to Maxim, he didn t even know, heard of him and didn t even know how to spell his name. He was up in Milwaukee, my hometown, and he wanted to have something to do. It s about 5-years ago, and I told him there was a young fella by the name of Joe Maxim, out of the service, out of South Bend Indiana. I told him he could go out and buy his contract because he s having a little difficulty with his manager. As you can buy him for $5000 Jack, but go up as high as $7500 and I guess that s what he paid for him. And he d never regret that. Interviewer - It turned out to be a wonderful investment. Saddy - Yes, quite. Interviewer - When you rate fighters just how do you rate them, on what basis? Saddy - Well I have services from all over the world. They tell me the results of these boys. How they come out, and after the boy who wins the most or when one fella beats another, he s ahead of the other fella, see. I don t know exactly how to tell you Bob, but it s just on the records of winning fights. Interviewer - Fred, pound for pound who s the greatest fighter you ever seen? Saddy - I thought you were going to ask me that question. I d seen oh It s a toss up between, in their prime, Willie Pep or Ray Robinson (Sugar Ray). Personally, I think I d lean a little more towards Pep. Interviewer - Fred, I want to thank you so much for being our guest, and I hope you enjoy your trip to New York on the Century Saddy - Thank you too, Bob. Interviewer -Thanks a lot for being our guest, and that was Mr. Fred Saddy, the former President of the National Boxing Association, and the Chairman of the Rating Committee of Fighters, All Over the World.