Joey Allen Out as Trainer Of Jersey Joe Walcott

Joey Allen Out as Trainer Of Jersey Joe Walcott By Tom Ryan Joey Allen, who has been connected with the Jersey Joe Walcott fight entourage as trainer since 1945, today is seeking another job. Allen and Felix Bocchicchio, Walcott's manager, amicably agreed to part company last Saturday, it was learned yesterday. Walcott, Bocchicchio, Allen and Dan Florio, New York trainer who was brought in to train Walcott for his third fight against Joey Maxim and for Jersey Joe's two championship fights against Joe Louis and also his championship fight against Ezzard Charles, arrived home from Europe last Tuesday. Florio, incidentally, was taken to Sweden by Bocchicchio and Walcott to act as head trainer for Walcott's fight against Olie Tandberg last Aug. 11, at Stockholm, Sweden. Sid Feder, New York boxing writer, also accompanied the party, but left soon after Walcott had knocked out Tandberg in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-rounder. The party later went to England after Walcott had engaged in about 17 exhibition bouts in Sweden. There was no work in England for Walcott, so Walcott, Bocchiccio [sic] and Florio visited Italy. During their visit to Italy, Allen was left in England as the visit to Italy was in the nature of a vacation as Walcott and Bocchicchio knew there also wouldn't be any work in Italy for Walcott. The quartet flew home from Holland, Walcott, Bocchicchio and Allen reaching Camden last Tuesday. Last Saturday, we understand, Allen and Bocchicchio got together and agreed that it was best for all concerned if Allen should immediately quit. Allen took over the training of Walcott after Walcott beat Joe Baksi, Aug. 2, 1945, here at the Convention Hall. He was head trainer for Walcott from the time the latter fought Johnny Denson here, Sept. 20, 1945, until Walcott fought Maxim for the third time at Hollywood Stadium, Los Angeles, June 23, 1947. Florio, a good "corner man," who also bears a good reputation as a trainer, was brought in to train Walcott for the third Maxim fight. Walcott won that fight and it also won him a chance to meet Louis for the heavyweight title. All who saw the fight agreed it was a lousy fight. Louis was on the same card in an exhibition bout and Walcott looked so bad that Louis promised Bocchicchio that Walcott would be his next title opponent. Louis kept his word and figured on the strength of Walcott's showing against Maxim that Jersey Joe would be a soft touch the following December. Everyone close to boxing knew that Louis didn't train properly for the first Walcott fight and nearly lost his title, most boxing experts giving Walcott the decision, but officially the decision went to the champion. Allen did all the preliminary training of Walcott for this bout, Florio taking over only the last two weeks Walcott was in camp. Joey also started Walcott off on his training for the second Louis fight, but again was supplanted by Florio, Dan this time coming to Camden weeks in advance of the bout. And Walcott went stale from training only about eight days before the bout. Only three days of rain saved Walcott from going completely stale. Rain prevented his doing road work for three days and permitted him to recuperate from over-training. But it showed in his second fight against Louis, Jersey Joe being knocked out in the 11th round. Florio also took over Walcott's training for the Charles fight a few days after the camp had been established at Momence, Ill. Walcott also lost this one, the decision going to Charles in 15 rounds. Jersey Joe didn't look any too good in this fight, tiring early in the bout. Allen, according to reports, had little to say in conditioning Walcott for his last fight against Tandberg. A bum at his best, Tandberg wasn't conditioned properly and Walcott knocked him out in the fifth round. So Florio must have got Walcott in fair shape for the bout. But that didn't overcome the fact that Allen, who had trained Walcott for most of his comeback fights, was slowly but surely being pushed out of the picture. The little Camden former lightweight decided last Saturday to talk things over with Bocchicchio and the conference ended in their severing connections. Prior to his taking over the training of Walcott, Allen had been a comanager of Pedro Firpo along with Tony Georgette. Allen sold his share of Firpo to Georgette and Tony made money for the stubby South Camden Negro. There's a possibility that Allen and Georgette again may team up as comanagers of Camden boxers. Allen plans to remain in the fight game. He was a game featherweight and lightweight, and always was a crowd-pleaser. Bearing a spotless reputation, Allen is an asset to boxing and should have no trouble making new connections provided he decides to continue to act as a trainer instead of turning to the managerial end of the game.