The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-12-07

out of the Electromagnetic ranks
and winning the heavyweight title
from Joe Louis-the ultimate goal
at which both Conn and his man.
ager, Johnny Ray, are aiming.
There are two very good reasons
why Conn isn't expected to set the
heavyweight world on its ear. To
begin with, Billy isn't heavy enough
and probably never will be-tO
fight Louis. And he never will be
able to hit hard enough to stop
Louis.
Tunney Did 1t
1t is true that Gene Tunney out
grew the light heavyweight ranks to
whip Jack Dempsey, but the cases
are not parallel. Tunney was big
man, large-boned. His was a chas-
sis which could carry 200 pounds
with ease. Conn isn't built that
way. He is small-boned, and it is
doubtful that his best fighting weight
will ever be more than IT'S pounds.
That's not enough weight for a
strong contender to the heavyweight
throne. Especially when the fighter
lacks a real punch. Conn's great
heart can't do the job alone. 1t has
to be aided and abetted by pair
of dynamite-laden fists. The man
who knocks out Joe Louis will have
to be able to give more punishment
than he takes.
There's no question but that he
could give big, slOw-mOving heavy
weights more than they could ham
die. Tommy Loughran proved what
clever light-heavyweight could do
against more weighty opponents,
even though he was far from a
heavy hitter. But Joe Louis is just
as fast, just as clever, just as game
as any light-heavyweight, and is the
deadliest puncher in the ring today.
1t is likely that Billy will win his
share of battles in the heavyweight
division. Boxing history is studded
with the names of light-heavieS who
could and did whip big, slow-moving
buns with no trouble at all. 1t is
only natural. He is fast enough to
cut a cumbersome opponent to rib
bons. The fact that he can't deliver
a lethal blow won't keep him from
picking up decisions here and there.
Talent Mopped Up
In his own weight class, against
Lesnevich, who was the New York
state athletic commissions No. 1
contender, Conn didn't take the
brakes off his darling left jab until
the fourth round. From then on he
looked good. In the eleventh and
thirteenth rounds he had Lesnevich
grOggy, hanging, clinching and lean
ing. But he couldn't finish him. He
lacked a knockout punch.
BY winning the decision from Les
nevich, Conn just about mopped up
all the suitable talent in his weight
class. That's why both he and Man.
ager Ray want to crack the heavy
ranks and eventually meet Joe
Louis.
The fact that he would be attack
ing a giant killer with fy-Swatter
elicits from his supporters the re-
mark that ''you can't have every
thing"
Fight men agree that Conn is a
great ight-heavyweight. Oldtimers
feel, though, that he would be hard
pressed to weather the cyclone that
would be Joe Louis.
Giving away 20 pounds to heavy
weight as fast and dangerous as
Louis is tantamOunt to handing an
opponent a small AK after the open
ing bell sounds. It's still reasona-
bly, safe to remark that a good big
man can whip good little man.
That's what Conn is-a good little
man.
1t may well be that all the con.
Germ anent Conn's proposed fight
with Joe Louis is futile He hasn't
earned the right to fight the champ
yet. Some heavyweight-Bob Pas
tor, for instance-may change the
complexion of things before the
hopes of Conn and Johnny Ray are
realized.