Art "Golden Boy" Aragon, From The Fight Magazine 1953,

If Art Aragon spent as much time throwing real punches at sparring partners as he does verbal punches at the world, he would be lightweight champion today. Last June in Los Angeles' Olympic Stadium he snapped the six fight winning streak of Elmer Beltz, a highly-regarded welterweight, with a knockout in 50 seconds of the first round of a much-publicized charity fight. Beltz's manager, Bill Gale, was furious after the fight, but not because his boy had been beaten. he muttered in bitter indignation, "The thing that gripes me is that Aragon did just what he said he would." The Golden Boy had predicted he would floor Beltz with one punch and end the fight in the first round. He was also heard to say "I'd feel sorry for Beltz except for one thing: There's money involved." After fullfilling the boast, the loquacious fellow said in reference to his rapid knockout, "The house wasn't big enough. I wanted to get it over fast." It was as simple as that. Someone asked Aragon if he thought the fight should have been stopped sooner. He replied, "They should have stopped it when the match was signed." Another person asked if Art thought Beltz should have waited another year before taking him on. He replied, "He should have waited four years." Actually, though, Aragon is not as brash as he first appears. Out of the ring, he leads with his lip, and it is a widely accepted conclusion that he speaks before he thinks, and allowances are made accordingly. Before the fight the scenes in the dressing rooms of the two fighters provided a distinct contrast. Beltz was earnestly limbering up and shadow boxing. Aragon on the other hand, was deeply concerned over a sign he was in the process of painting. Art's trainer, Ray Luna, was holding a bottle of black liquid shoe polish in one hand and the dauber in the other. Aragon was dictating what he wanted printed on a large piece of white cardboard. On the first line appeared the words "IF IT'S A." On the scond line went "GOOD FIGHT." The Golden Boy was not satisfied with the progress Luna was making on the word "FIGHT." He said, "Aw, that's lousy. Here-let me do the rest of it." Fight time was approaching, but Art wasn't thinking about it. He was painstakingly printing the words "THROW MONEY" on the third line. When he reached the end of the line, there was not enough room for the "Y" in "MONEY," so Art put a small "Y" just beneath "E." Luna said, that's no good," and took the roll of adhesive tape, with which he was going to bandage Art's hands, out of Aragon's bag. He tore off small strips and covered the "MONE" with them. Then he took the bottle of polish and dauber from Aragon and painted a "$" sign on the tape. This met with Art's approval, so he dictated the last line: "P.S. FOR CITY OF HOPE." One of Aragon's handlers then was designated to carry the sign into the ring and display it prominently before the introductions were made. But when it came time for the Golden Boy's procession-consisting of Art in a GOLD robe to enter the ring, the crewman forgot the sign amid the last minute hustle and bustle. Aragon's thought was there, though. He had sincerely wanted t do his part to help the City of Hope, a local cancer and tuberculosis sanitorium.