COLORFUL CALIFORNIAN- -Jackie McCoy

LOS ANGELES sports scribes have dubbed him the "Ben Hogan of the Prize Ring" because of his miraculous comeback from an injury that threatened to end his boxing career. It was in July, 1948, that Jackie McCoy was injured when a truck brushed up against a street-car in which McCoy was riding. The doctors held out little hope for McCoy ever boxing again. Jackie was under treatment for nearly a year, much of which time was spent in a hospital.

But, McCoy is an Irishman and he wanted to box again, and when an Irishman wants something badly enough-well, sixteen months after his accident, Jackie returned to the ring. And he never looked back. Since his comeback, McCoy has engaged in four bouts, winning over Johnny Efhan and Lawton Disoso, boxed a drew with Cecil Schoonmaker and lost to Reuban Smith. Pretty fast company for a fellow who had spent the previous year in a hospital.

Efhan had fought a drew with Chico Rosa and won 7 of his 8 bouts since arriving from Honolulu; Schoonmaker had defeated Dado Marino, Kui Kong Young and Luis Castillo; Smith had KO'ed Kui Kong Young, Tommy Rhett, decisioned Cachorro Herrera and drew with Luis Castillo. McCoy contends that he was not well when he met Smith and is confident that he can defeat Reuban in a rematch.

McCoy would also like another crack at Harold Dade, to whom Jackie dropped a couple decisions shortly before his acccident. In fact , the good-looking Irishman is very much in a challenging mood and wishes it known that he would welcome matches with any featherweight in the country, and is willing to travel any distance for such contests. McCoy feels that he has reached the peak of his ability and wishes to find out if he has what it takes to defeat the rated boxers; if he hasn't-he will hang up the gloves. McCoy is one of the most colorful boxers on the Pacific Coast.

Although a clever boxer (not a fancy dan, or waltzer), when hurt or floored, Jackie tears in and slugs it out. He has engaged in 44 bouts, losing seven of them. Among those he has defeated are Felix Ramirez, Speedy Cabanella, Alfredo Escobar, Louis Langley, Tony Becerra, Andy Vasquez, Bert White. Jackie makes 124 easily, but takes them on up to 130.