The Phoenix index., 1941-06-28

Right shots to the side of the
temple, rights well timed close-in
to a loosely guarded chin, and,
finally, a death dealing right upper
cut spelled the "pay-Off." ."
Conn, gazing out OF a cloud with
unseeing, CLASSY eyes, fell with
dull thud directly in front of Louis
corner of the ring where the count
went all the way to nine before
he could regain his feet. Struggling
to his feet with no protection
whatever from his tired limbs, re-
feree Eddie Joseph, making what
was unquestionably an act of mercy,
stopped the contest.
Louis, in the dressing room aft
ter the contest, admitted being hurt
by Conn punch in the 18th round.
Conn, like the fine sportsman he has
come to be since gaining serious
challenger standards, said he was as
surprised as anybody else that the
fight went so long.
But it was purely a sporting ges-
Jul SOllll JClI IlC u 1lhC a
true champion, himself, to take
Joe's crown off his puzzled head
and the crowd was with him all the
way.
JOE FIGHTS TOO OFTEN
Both Roxborough, co-manager Of
Louis, and Jack Blackburn were
dissatisfied with the prospect of the
champion going through so much
milling so often. They now contend
that practically once month is too
often for the champion to be forced
to action. Louis, at 1991a, first time
he has been under 200 since the sec
ond Bob Pastor contest in Detroit
September 20, 1899, had speed, but
Conn was faster. Only after he
brought the game Pittsburgher to a
slow trot in the eventful 18th did
Louis actually take command OF
things. Through the first IL rounds,
ringSide tabulaters had the rounds
evened exactly at six for Louis, six
for Conn. But, to these eyes, Conn
gregate units.
Louis said he injured his right
wrist in the seventh, but it did not
materially bother him.
Louis slashed Conn's right eye in
the fifth and emergency treatments
between the succeeding rounds kept
the challenger in there though, at
occasions it appeared the wound
would rip open like a upper.
The recap" gave Louis the first
irI
and fourth, Louis the fifth, sixth,
and seventh, Conn the eighth and
ninth. Louis the 10th, Conn the 11th
and 18th.
CONN SLIPS UP TWICE
Twice, in the first and in the 10th.
Conn slipped all the way to the floor
and Louis, in gestures of true sports
manship, drew ovations from the
crowd by retreating to give his
worthy opponent time to regain his
feet.
Conn, according to Louis, talked
throughout the battle, and, on his
own decision, ordered the fight to
really get under steam in the late
rounds. Billy, it was stated, admit
ted just getting downright tired of
staying away, just craving to mix
it.
On that score, at least, the ex-
perts were right. They had said to
man, Conn could not afford to let
for big time rating against Primo
Camera.
Louis story has been written
and rewritten so often that there
hardly seems anything left un-
said. His is a tale that could be
possible only in Democratic Ameri-
ca, where all men are created free
and equal, and where the well
coming arms of opportunity are
stretched to high-born and low
born alike. regardless of race,
creed or color.
Louis story outdoes i'm fact any
thing that Horatio Alger conceiv-
ed in his loftiest flights of pic
turesuue fancy. Joe was born May
Is, 1914, in a crowded, ramshackle
cabin near Lafayette, Alabama, the
seventh of eight children to bless
the union of Mum and Lily Bar
row, poverty-stricken cotton pick
ers.
Joe was only tot of four or
five, when his mother, then wild.
CIV, moved her progeny to De-
triot Joe's early years, after
school hours, were spent at various
odd Jobs to help contribute to the
meager family Golfers.