The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-11
HAS EYES FOR HEAVY CROWN IN
 ABOUT 3 YEARS
Beats Middle Champ Apos-
 tOli for Second Time Before lS,OOO
BY HARRY FERGUSON limited Press Shorts EditNi


 New York, February Il. = (UP)- Young Bill Conn marched into the ranks of the light heavyweights to- day, and when three more years of beefsteak and potatoes have put heft on his bones you are likely to see him fighting for Joe Louis heavyweight title.
 He said bold and bloody good bye to the middleweight division last night with a victory over Fred Apostoli that send 18,000 persons out of Madison Square Garden to stand on rainy sidewalks and talk about his left, striking with the speed of a rattlesnake. The kids got 1t, all right, and all he needs is time to grow up.
 Apostoli, recognized as middle weight champion in New York state, did not lose his title, because Conn came in nine pounds over the limit of 70. From now on Billy will take on the light heavyweights until the day when he can't make 175 pounds. Then he will be ready fo rthe thing he wants most, e shot at the heavy weight title.
 Conn's next bout probably will be against Melio Bettina, who won New York recognition as light heavy weight champion by scoring tech- nical knockout over Tiger Jack Fox a few days ago. Today the boys vir- tually have awarded the title to Conn, but the New York Boxing Commission, with a rare flash of logic, is going to insist that Billy win 1t in the ring as well as in the salons where conversation crowns and uncrowns champions.
 Bittel Battle
 The customers yelled themselves hoarse last night. It was one of those fights where the boys in the ring really. got mad and began snaling words through their mouth- pieces that wouldn't look very nice in this family newspaper. The mild est thing that Conn and Apostoli called each other between bashes on the brain was "Bum".
 Conn, despite the fact that he won the decision from Opostoli in their first meeting on January 6, went into this one the underdog in the betting. He looked like the under-dog for the first three rounds. Apostoli, tough as a prohibition gangster, waded in with both hands. All rules were off. Both of them were throwing low punches and Conn was doing some slick back handing with what comes close to being the best left hand in the business.
 It was all Apostoli for the first three rounds, and Conn kept yell ing at the referee make that keep his thumbs out of my eyes" Apostoli. coming in out of a crouch, was rushing Conn to the ropes and had him bleeding from a cut under the left eye that loocked like 1t might have been inflicted by shrap- mel.
 But in the fourth round Conn got control of the situation. His lefe-- and ahl Fellow citizens, there is something to see - began to go stab, stab. stab against Apostoli's face. Back to the ropes they would go with Apostoli pulling and piling on top off Conn. Then, like hghtn- ing in sullen sky, Conn's left would flash and Apostoli would take four aroun dthe head before he could ever get his arms up.
 Conn was pitting, the luck of the Irish against . jinx. Every time, until last night. that ApostoliA has been defeated in Q major bout he has come back and licked the man who vanquished him. But that big green shamrock on Cons trunks brought him safely through. He got better as the fight went along and by the 18th round he came along fast and strong. He would set Apostoli up with Q left to the head and then wade in and clip him with . right. And when voice came through the loudspeaker -"The winner. Conn" = the cus- toners rattled the rafters with their cheers.
 Keep your eye on this 2l-year-old Conn. He'll be quite a boy when he gNows in