Minneapolis Spokesman

Negotiations for the proposed Floyd Patterson-Roy Harris heavyweight championship fight hit a snag last week when the California Athletic commission refused to grant a license to Al Weill, co-promoter of the bout.

It had been rumored that the commission considered Weill too friendly with Frankie Carbo, underworld racketeer and gambler.

The bout had been proposed for Los Angeles, with the Olympic promotion as co-sponsor. Cus D'Amato, Patterson's manager, had already given his approval to an Aug. 18 date, in preference to an earlier one because of the impending Carmen Basilio-Art Aragon welterweight bout, also scheduled for Los Angeles, in July.

Meanwhile, Emil Lence, independent promoter who sponsored the Patterson-Tommy (Hurricane) Jackson bout last July 29, announced in New York City that he is ready to promote the Patterson-Harris bout in the Polo Grounds if negotiations in Los Angeles fall completely.

Lence said also he would like to match Patterson in New York this fall with the winner of the forthcoming Zora Folley-Pete Rademacher bout.

Patterson has not defended his title since last Aug. 22 when he stopped Rademacher in six rounds in Seattle. Rademacher, until then an amateur, was making his first professional start.