The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-13
JACOBS OFFERS
 LOUIS-NOvA CO.,;
 CARLEN SAYS NO
Manager Seeks Conn Bout
 Then Outdoor Shot at : Champion
BY JACK CUDDY

(UnIVCU 1KCSS 0tAH NOEECSPOuuCltt
 Promoter Mike Jacobs, still side- stepping the Nova-Conn heavy weight challengers' match that press and public demand, went into an- other huddle today with Ray Carlen, Nova's manager.
 Carlen rejected last night a title tilt between Lou and Champion Joe Louis at Madison Square Gar den in March.
 Carlen said, "Nova is not a mem- Der of Louis Fight-a-Month club, Nova wants to meet Louis at 8 big outdoor fight at Yankee stadium in June. He doesn't want to, fight Louis for peanuts in the Garden"
 Promoter Jacobs offered Nova the indoor Marcht fight with Louis be- cause he is fed up with Manager Carlen's demands for challengers' battle with Billy Conn. Jacobs ex- plained again that a Nova-Conn battle is impossible because Conn is signed to fight Louis for the heavy weight title in June. Jacobs insisted that he cannot break that Conn., Louis contract.
 Manager Carlen is not impressed by the Conn-LouiS contract. Carlen insists that Promoter Jacobs and Conn's manager, Johnny Ray, guar anteed that if Nova beat Pat Comis- key at the Garden last Friday night Nova would be given a challenger bout with Conn.
 Carlen says, So Nova murders Comiskey Friday night, and what h appens? Jacobs says that hell let Nova fight the winner of the June bout between Conn and Louis in September. But Jacobs knows that if Conn beats Louis in June, he must give Louis a return title shot in September, and Nova will be left cooling his heels. And Jacobs says if Nova doesn't want to wait until September, he can fight Louis at the Garden in March.
 Champ Policeman
 "In other words, Jacobs is using Louis as policeman to protect his fair-haired boy Conn, from being unused up by Nova. This is some thing new in boxing. Why should Nova join the f1ght-a-month clut and meet Louis indoors in March when Nova can draw just as much money meeting Conn indoors at the Garden in March. After all, the Garden holds only so many people and the tops of $25 can be the same for both bouts. We don't want Loui: in the Garden with $100,000 gatt outdoors in June.
 Nova returned to the ring after 15 months of virtual idleneSs Fri. day night and gave young ComiskeJ bloody 10-round beating at tht Garden. But Manager Carlen point! out that Nova had beaten Gunnal Barlund, Tommy Farr and Maxit Baer before the septic poisoning that caused his idleness. And ht had licked a flock of other heavies
 Manager Carlen asked why Conr should be regarded as heavyweight challenger although he has met ant defeated only five mediocre heavie! in his entire career-"Cooper, Dora zio, washed-up Pastor, Savold anc Mccoy" Carlen wants to know wh! Conn should be named challenger by virtue of these five second-rat' victories and "be placed on ice fo' six months" while there's genuine heavy challenger like Nova demand ing that Conn get into the same rint with him.
 Slim Chance
 We can tell you now that, re gardless of Carlen's demands fo Nova, there's little likelihood of th' bronzed Californian getting cracl at Conn. Jacobs has options ol Nova's future, and if Larruping Lo, wants to fight, he'll have to tak' Louis in March, or such heavies a Buddy Baer or Abe Simon, whil' awaiting the September outdool possibility. Definitely, Conn will no meet Nova and his educated left This-despite the publicity that ha' been given Conn's superb boxing skill and fighting Irish heart" ant Mike Jacobs repeated avowals tha recognition of prowess should b. won in the ring, and not behint closed doors.