The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1939-08-17
Thursday, August II, 1889
Sport
Ways
BY Chuck Rattle
Youngest Manager and


Blonde ThunderbOlt Start
Career From Two Cities
Youngest boxing manager in the
Twin Cities is Darwin Conner. Tall
nearly more than six feet, spare,
he's a 19-year-old who got into the
game young. I was interested
in the story Of this blonde young
fellow when he called on me a few
days ago. Hardly more than
a kid, he's in a game that is clev-
err, a game in which a fellow has
to stand on his two feet and give
as well as take.
Il happen to be the youngest
right now" he told me, but 1t
won't be long until tlrere'l be
others as young as l." It's q
tough game he admits, but If
you stand right up, show them
you won't take anything, state
your position, you'n get along,
he says. Which proves the
yOungster has learned some
values early. He got into
the fight game plenty early. He
did plenty of fighting himself.
Out of fifty amateur bouts he
lost only four by decision. Three
of those were later reversed on
return matches. AS a pro he
lost none. Then he got out
of the active end Of the fish
cuff business. His eyes are
weak, he has to wear glasses
to read, and his wrists wouldn't
long take the gaff, he said. ..
Punches in weakened eyes are
dangerous" he said. 80.
It's not mere happenstance or des-
peration that brought him into the
game. No, he went to school here
in Sank Centre, and the desire to
become engaged in the business,
grabbed hold of him. With him it
became almost an obsession. when
I was in the seventh grade, want
ed to be a boxer" he says. Whisk,
no sooner thought than done, he
was on his way about six years
later. He admits that in the
seventh grade he had read, studied
enough on the art of self defense
so that he knew as much then as
he does now. But there were
technicalities and LOCALITIES to be
learned that he's picked up the last
few years. -.
Not satisfied with being in the
game himself, then turning man.
ager, he writes about the sport
too. He's considered enough Of
a Twin City authority to write
for the National magazine 'The
Ring" He's q contributor
for the less widely read THE
Boxing Blade" He broke
front page water in the latter
with a preview round-by-rOund
description of the LOuis-Lewis
battle in which he called for
JOe's knockout in the sixth. -.
His column is quite a factor, he
believes, once he begins to man.
age on a larger scale. And be-
cause of his close interest he
keeps records on every profess
sional in the state. Which will
be a nice bit of info when he
goes to match his fighters. -.
His protege right now is Johnny
Kleber, the Melrose towhead, whom
Conner put on the line this sum-
mer. Kleber will go on sometime
this fall, though Conner has at
tempted to get matches for this
month. Trouble is he says that
outdoor cards are so costly mana
gers are not welcoming boys with
out a name. They wanted season
ed veterans that will draw. .
Kleber he says really has a punch.
In his basement at Melrose is all
kinds of equipment. Among them
is a punching bag filled with sand
and wheat that is "as hard as ce-
ment." THAT bag would break
the knuckles of any ordinary man
or even myself" Conner said. And
that's what gives Kleber that
punch.
Conner has couple other
boys on the string but not on
the line. His contract with
Kleber is for year. If kleb-
er likes it all right after that,
the next may be longer If
things pan out right. -.
He dropped a little unofficial dope
on the big timers. Louis, he be-
lieves carried Galento a little.
Louis was mad at Galento and fig
ured to cut him up. But his play
ing caught him off guard, sent him
groggy, and it wasn't until the
third or fourth that he recovered.
(. Nova he says may be coming
and looks for him to be ready Tor
Louis in June. And so on. He
ratified off names of fighters SO
fast your poorly-informed cores
pondent was in other. -.