The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-07-13
CONN 13 TO 5 !. FAvORITE TO
 TAKE BETT|NA
Light-Heavy Rivals Battle for Championship Title
 Tonight
BY HARRY FERGUSON United Press Sports Editor)


 New York, July 13.-(UP) The issue of whether magic can over come a left hook to the kisser will be settled in Madison Square Gar-1 den tonight when Melio Bettina, who fights in hypnotic trance, takes on Billy Conn, slick article from Pittsburg, for the light heavyweight championship of the world.
 Betting men, .ho rate smash on the jaw above any amount of mumbo- jumbo, have made Conn the favorite at odds ranging from two to one to 13 to 5. They are bettings on one of the neatest boxers toa come along since Jim Corbett provedl that a little brain work doesn't1 handicap fighter.
 It seems that Bettina's manager Jimmy Grippe, is a magician and1 hypnotist and that before every. fight he makes passes in front of. his boys eyes and says you are invincible; no one can hurt you; you are terrific puncher." Then, Bettina is supposed to bounce out of his corner, sort of half in this world and half out-like 8 college boy, listening to Benny Goodmans band.
 Informed that Bettina would be wandering in . trance through never-never land when the opening bell rings, Conn issued this mar1i- festo: That's swell. After I bust him couple of times he'll be in trance that he won't come out of for IS minutes"
 Grippo's -pnoSism is supposed to work both ways; he also tries to put the evil eye on Bettina's opponents and reduce them to a quacking heap of bones and flesh. Conn gays he will combat this Svengali strategy by knocking Bettina into Grippo's lap, sending them both to the floor outside the ring.
 After the boys get through hav- ing their little fight into the meta physical world, it likely will turn out to be something to see.
 Bettina, a southpaw puncher from Beacon, N. Y, is recognized by the New York boxing commission as light heavyweight champion by vir- tue of a technical knockout over Tiger Jack Fox. He has peculiar style that may bother Conn and he he carries good wallop.
 Conn, gaining weight all the time, has just moved up out of the mid dleweight ranks. He probably will go in around 172 pounds tonight, and eventually he will grow into full fiedgfied heavyweight. He is trying to do that as rapidly as possible, be- cause he has an idea he can take Joe Louis tc the cleaners.
 The kid from Pittsburgh is poetry in motion when he gets inside that square or ropes. He has a great left hand and plenty of courage, and he fights 6 shewd battle. The only thing he hasn't picked up on his march upward is a knockout punch. Conn claims he is developing that now that he has begun to take on weight, and If he proves to be a killer tonight, he has a better than even chance to wind up as heavy weight champion.
 There Is going to be wailing and moaning along the Hudson river valley if Bettina loses, for Beacon is hooking the family jewels to get aboard the home town boy. Around 5000 persons will come down to New York from Bettina's neighborhood and they will bring with them two bands to parade around the ring be- for the fight. Conn says a very ap- | rrnr,riata thinr for them tO Dlay would be . funeral march.