Evening star., 1939-09-25
anads Modest Wilson's Win Washington Well Presidents Cup
From the
Press Box
Conn Declared Only
Real White Hope
BY JOHN LARDNER,

NEW YORK, Sept. Is (N.ANA).
I'm the shuttle of. Joe Louis feet
don't overlook the progress Of the
only white hope who now has his
head above water, Sweet william
Conn. owner of Pittsburgh's most
unreliable angel face.
This Coal Town seraph, who sticks
his thumb in your eye in a purely
spiritual way and elbows your ribs
with a sanity expression while the
deacon's back is turned, some day
may whip Louis. If he doesn't, no
one will-no one, at least, Of the
white hopes now licensed to scowl
at Joe in the newspapers and to
tear the champion limb from limb
with the English language at SO
PAGES.
Lou Nova was the ranking white
hope until he met his first left-hand
puncher last week. They forgot to
tell Lou about left hands when they
broke the story of Santa Claus
gently to him as tot. Believing
he had the only one in existence,
Lou paid no attention to the strange
growth that dangled from Tony
Galento's left shoulder. When it
jumped up and bit him ~ times,
Mr.. Nova concluded that there were
~ rattlesnakes on the premises.
kovo's End as q White Hope
Is Wrought by GoIento.
Just as he was making mental
note to ask his manager whether
all ~ of the snakes had paid their
way into the ball park or whether
they were there on passes Galento
knocked him out.
That was the end Of Lou Nova
as a white hope. Temporarily, you
say, Mr.. Bones? Remember that
Joe Louis is pretty temporary him.
self. Before Nova is ready to beat
him Joseph will have retired to
his dream ranch to raise pork chops
on the south 40 acres and green
sport coats with yellow ties on the
north 60.
He will, that is, unless William
Conn licks him in the meanwhile.
Conn Is the only man now visible
to the naked eye who has a chance
to do so. And the naked eye is all
you need. Why put a coat and
pair Of pants on your glimmer just
to look for white hopes?
Conn is lght-heavyweight cham
pion. This week, in Pittsburgh,
where the school teachers used to
punish other kids for the tacks
which Willie, smiling sweetly, put
In their chairs, he will defend his
title against Melio Bettina, the rug
ged Italian from whom he won 1t
last spring.
1t doesn't sound like much Of
fight, and 1t won't be. But certain
points about Sweet Williams conduct
may be worth watching. I don't
mean his department. Like a true
choir boy, William is unable to resist
pulling comrades hair when the
referee looks elsewhere. Against
Freddie Apostoli, an uncouth fighter,
Willie produced two slightly Illegal
tricks for every one of Fred's, but
Fred was the guy they caught with
the jam on his fingers. Willie wiped
his hands and pointed at Fred.
Conn Needs Lots Of Grit,
More Heft to Beot Joe.
What Conn needs to beat Louis,
aside from all the breaks in the
world, is fortitude and a little more
size. He may be in a position to
show both of these against Bettina.
If he brings some additional weight,
solid weight, into the ring with him,
that will speak for itself. If Bettina
belts him around seriously for a
while, and Bettina is a willing
puncher, we will get some sort of
idea Of what William can handle
In the way of punishment.
There Is no question about Conn's
appetite for trading punches. In all
past fights, when some one smacked
him sharply on the chops, William
grinned, dove forward and hit the
smacker with Is fast lefts and Z
rights. He likes to mix it. Close
work fires his Tipperary blood.
But he doesn't know what it is
to be squarely tagged by big, strong
heavyweight. And Louis left jab,
which no man ever has escaped when
Louis elected to throw it, is worth
Q full-sized hook from the average
heavyweight. AS for Joe's hooks
and straight punches-well, nobody
pretends that Conn can take
punches like Tony Galento, and
Tony was glad to stop taking Louis
when the referee saved him last
June. Tony was so glad that he
slipped to his knees in spirit of
Thanksgiving.
Whether Billy Con Expond
And Keep Zip Is Question.
Conn must be bigger to cope with
the smooth, compact strength of
Louis even If Louis doesn't hit him
oquarely. The question is, can he
grow bigger without losing his
greatest asset, his speed? Tommy
Loughran couldn't. When Tommy
took on beef, people began to hit
him.
This is one great point in Conn's
favor. When Bill is ready for the
Aght, say q year and q half from
now, Louis will be slower, tireder,
and that much closer to voluntary
retirement. Young, lean, hungry
and fast, with q fine fighting dispo-
sition, Sweet William might take
him. There have been cases like
that. It happened to Jack Dempsey
In Philadelphia 10 years ago.
II Conn doesn't do it, nobody will.
Nobody you know by name at this
moment.