The Phoenix index., 1941-06-21

NEW YORk-(S N S)-Tracing
back in Irish history, one comes
upon doughty celt who was call
ed Conn, of the Hundred Battles.
Genealoglsts say he was an an.
cestor of Billy Conn, who fights
Joe Louis for the world heavy
weight title at the Polo Grounds
Wednesday, June 1S.
If So Billy isn't far behind him.
For he has bad "a fights, and is
still a young fellow. At the rate
ne is going, he ought to make his
famous forebear look like a
paniclSy pacifist.
Unlike Louis. whom he seeks to
dethrone. Conn was never in the
amateurs. Always broke, Billy saw
no sense in fighting for watches
and medals You had to hook them
and this took time Conn demand
ed to be paid off in cash and
thought it foolish to shilly -shally
around in pawn shops.
Conn has been fighting since he
was IA He started out as a
scrawny. skinny kid, beardless
half lf-starved looking lightweight
and got 81 so and a beating for
his first pro bout with some for
gotten pork -and-beaner in West
Virginia whistle stop.
He is one of the few fighters,
with tine possible exception of
George Carpenter, whoe career
has spanned the classes from lit
tie fellows to the heavies. Billy
was aways tall, but until recently
his general architecture resembled
that of a lead pencil and he used
TO stand twice in the same place
to cast a shadow.
Billy is q voracious eater. When
he applies that Fitzsimmons shift
with his knife and fork, he makes
even Joe Louis look like some
body in the middle Of that new
Harpers Bazaar diet. Conn says
he has gorged himself into the
heavyweight class, admits it has
been a slow and laborious pro-
cess, but insists he has enjoyed
every minute, as well as every
mouthful of it.
A couple of years ago, when he
was banging around such middle.
weights as Fred Apostoli and Solly
Kreiger, Billy saw Louis fight. He
plucked at the sleeve of his little
manager. Johnny Ray, and ox-
claimed excitedly: Gee, can you
get me that guy?" Johnny nearly
swallowed the toothpick tina
bangles permanently from his
mouth. He asked solicitously
Junior, are you sure you fee
okay?"
But Conn wasn't kidding. He
thought then and he is more GER
tain now that Louis was right
down his street "The fellow can't
box a lick" Billy babbled as his
best friends regarded him qulzzi-
cally. He's got to hit you with
those punches to hurt you and he
couldn't hit me in the britche'
with a bull fiddle
With these arguments he fin.
ally outpointed his manager con
vesationa11y and charged Ray from
skeptic to a fanatic on the sub
iect of his fighters invincibility
against the hardest puncher since
Jack Dempsey. In fact. to listen
to Jollnny's talk. you'd think il
was Rays idea to go after Louis
laurels in the first place and moi
Conn'S.
There is no doubt that the
skinny little Pittsburgher ha;
scrambled to the top of the heap
Nobody ever gave him anything OF
snoothed the road for him and ne
had no soft touches Ell route.
Billy Conn had to fight tooth and
nail for everything he's got, and
he has now pummelled everybody
out of the way but the head man
Louis. And he is fully confident
he will do that. too.
Conn's full name is william
Davis Conn. He springs from
genuine Irish stock His father is
a steam filter in Pittsburgh. Billy
born October 8. 1917 is the oldest
of five children He has two
brothers and two sisters. ON
brother, Frank, is a truck driver
He doesn't like boxing anG never
even goes to see Billy fight
Jackie. the younger brother, tried
his hand at fisticuffs but retired
at the grand old age of 10 He was
not quite mediocre.
AS youngSter, Billy used ia
hang around the gym run by
Johnny Ray in the East Liberty
section of Pittsburgh. He spent
more time there than he did at
the Sacred Heart Parochial School
He begged Ray to let him put the
gloves on and the first time ne
did Ray knew he had a find
Conn has ever done anything bu'
l10x ever since