The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-12-27

5$S$$< {*<<& 10 De OH ndIlQ WHEN
@z Conn fought Savold.
c.s,p, "Conn," he said,
"ran''ano nice "as everybody
knows, is a fine boxer and he is
also dead game. That ought to be
enough for 175-pound fighter. But
apparently it isn't today, when al
most everyone is looking for a
puncher.
Conn simply doesn't know how
to punch-I mean the art of punch
ing. He relies only on his wrists
and arms. There is no shoulder or
body support back of his blows.
"To be a good puncher," Seeker
said, ga fighter must know how to
get in those shoulder and body
muscles. I've talked about this with
Bobby Jones in hitting golf ball.
As you know, Bobby in his prime
was as long as anybody. He was
far past Hagen and Sarazen off the
tee, 10 or IL years ago-when they
were all at the top. Bobby relied
a lot ON shoulder and body and hip
power to get this distance. The
same thing is true of boxing when
it comes to the punching side.
Dempsey and Tunney
"When Jack Dempsey nailed you
with left hook" Seeker added, she
wasn't just Tipping you with wrist
and arm motion. He had those big
shoulder muscles, under the Shout
der, working with the punch. He
had his whole left side in that wallop.
The same, to a lesser degree, is
true of Gene Tunney. Tunney new
er had the explosive force that be-
longed to Dempsey-that belongs to
Joe Louis-but he was a much bet
ter puncher than most ring follow
ers know about. Tunney wasn't
natural athlete, but great student
of ring science and form. He
was also a fine student of the de-
tails that produce force. Gene knew
how to get shoulder and body back
of his punches. I
''Carnera was six feet seven and
he weighed 27O pounds. He was
professional strong man. But he
wasn't big enough or strong enough
to hurt or even jar anybody with
this wrist and arm swing that had
no other support. You can't flick
at somebody and do any damage
unless, of course, you use thumb
as quite few have done. But Pm
not speaking Of gougers. Pm speak
ing of real punchers.
About Billy Conn
"Billy Conn isn't big enough for
a Joe Louis" Seeker rambled on.
'sLouis can hit too hard with either
hand But Conn should be better
puncher than he is today. The kid
is fine boxer, he is fast, and he
is dead game. But apparently no
one has ever taught him how to hit.
No one has shown him what true
balance means when you deliver a
punch. No one has told him the
value of shoulder and back muscles,
working with hands and arms.
eff they have, Billy simply hasn't
learned his lesson. He was able to
measure Savold and hit him at will
at any spot, at any time. Yet he
couldn't even rock him. If Joe Louis
had delivered any one Of those so or
60 punches to the chin Sav0ld would
still be dreaming Of the hour. They
would have found his body some
where in the upper stands.
"Conn is still just a kid. He still
has a lot to learn. Not about box
ing, but about punching. He should
punch the heavy bag oftener, and
learn how to get in those shoulder
and back muscles. Otherwise he is
just going to be another good light
heavyweight. I doubt that he will
ever get much bigger. His thin legs
show that. He may reach 100, But
he has enough boxing skill to get his
opponent ready for the kill-if he
only could get that kill into his right
or left hand. You can't get that
with flick"
''What about another Pittsburgh
er, Harry Greb?" asked. II still
think Greb in his prime could beat
any heavyweight ever saw, and
Harry was no great puncher."
"Greb was different" Seeker said.
"Greb, little Hercules, was a stick
of dynamite. He was even faster
than Conn. I'd say much faster.
And he'd hit you with everything
from the laces on his glove to the
stool he used between rounds. Greb
knew no rules-except to win.
"He was one of the greatest fight
ers we've ever seen. If Greb, In
his prime, had been fighting Savold
the other night, Savold would have
died by drowning-in his own blood.
His face would have looked hor-
rible sight. It wouldn't have been a
face.
"Greb came into the ring with
everything but hand grenade and
a machine gun. And yet never
saw him hit low punch. He be-
longed to that old school that knew
all the tricks and how to use them.
And, believe me, they had plenty IN
the way Of tricks.