Aug. 30, 1961 - Harold Johnson (left), the National Boxing Association's light-heavyweight champion, gained a split decision over Eddie Cotton last night and collected $20,000 for the job - the biggest take-home pay he's had in 14 years of fighting. It was a close battle. The ring announcer gave one judge's score as 147-145 for Johnson. Then he announced the other judge's score which was 148-144 for Cotton. "There goes my crown," Johnson said to his manager, Pat Olivieri. But the referee called it for the champion. Olivieri said: "It was nice to get this chunk of cash, but we want the big money. We'd like to meet Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson, Ingemar Johansson or Archie Moore. But we don't expect they'll meet us. So we'll just keep plugging away, licking everybody, until somebody agrees to battle for the big money."
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