No Count Kid

Read/Watch 'em In Order #95

The February 1949 issue of New Sports Magazine gets into the contact sports first. In the last "In Order" entry, we looked at the football story that batted lead-off in the magazine. Next, comes a boxing story by Johanas L. Bouma titled "No Count Kid." It's also the cover story for the issue.

Like that football story, this one follows along arguably predictable lines, but is so well-told that we are happy to follow along anyways. Written in the first person, it's narrated by Mike Mariano, a former welter weight who is now a trainer. Mike ends up working with a young boxer named Joe Hearn.

The tale is told in straightforward prose that grabs your interest right away: "The first time I saw this kid work was in Leon Abbit's gym in L.A. He was a welter a little tall for the weight, but lean in the flanks and with good shoulders. There was a heavy working with him, but the kid jabbed him so he didn't have a chance to get set."

I know nothing about boxing in real life, so my vision of the behind-the-scenes stuff is shaped by fiction, since a lot of the old-time crime stories and Film Noir I enjoy uses the boxing world as a setting. So when I say that the author's succeeds in capturing the essence of the sport, I actually have no idea regarding what I'm talking about. But it feels right to me. Whether it is right doesn't matter. The world the story creates has solidity whether based on reality or fantasy.

Joe Hearn has something of a chip on his shoulder. Fighting to prove himself after a rough childhood, he has a tendency to lose his temper in the ring. Mike realizes that if he can wean Joe off of this--teach him to fight more dispassionately--he could be a champ.

And Mike has some success there. Joe does tame his temper and begins winning more bouts. This lasts right up until a girl gets involved in Joe's life.

Women! Nothin' but trouble, I tell you!

I'm making fun here, but all the characters are well-drawn and we come to care about them in a relatively short time. "No Count Kid" is another example of good, skillful storytelling.

The next story in this issue is about the endlessly interesting game of...  golf?  Can a golf story actually be interesting?

We'll find out next time.

This issue of New Sports Magazine can be found online HERE.