Evening star., 1941-06-18
Joe May Enter
Ring Tonight
4-1Choice
Billy, Outweighed Is
Pounds, Still Boasts
Plenty of Bockers
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW YORK, June 18-The big
gest, richest prizehght crown since
the second Louis s-Schmeling battle
three summers ago will surge into
the Polo Grounds tonight to watch
Joe Louis defend his heavyweight
championship against clever Billy
Conn of Pittsburgh.
The big Negro's 18th defense of his
title promises to draw more than 40
900 and to gross approximately
100000, as compared with the ST.
100000 that flowed into Promoter
Mike Jacobs treasury the night
Louis crushed Max Schmeling, the
man he hated, in less than round.
The most popular opinion was
that something very much like that
was due to happen tonight to Conn,
though the 23-year-old challenger
had plenty of supporters. The odds
against the former light-heavy-
weight king were lengthening stead
lily in the Broadway marts. Last
night it was possible to get odds of
7 to against his winning and one
commission man estimated he would
be offering to l against Billy by
nightfal
Bout Has Fans All Agog.
Five special trains from Pittsburgh
and a half dozen others from scat
tered cities poured fans into town
this morning. Boston fans were
known to have chartered 20 planes
The fight regulars and the big
spenders from every section of the
country will be at the ringside. The
battle of the little man against the
big man has captured the public
fancy to an astonishing extent.
Joe and Billy-the big, deadly
punching brown man and the slim,
handsome young gamecock-will
square off for their 15-rounder at
about pm. tE. S. t.. In the out
side event of rain they will put it
off until tomorrow night. The best
information is that the referee will
not be Arthur Donovan. who. un-
fortunately for him, has become
known as Louis "house referee" A
good guess is that Billy Cavanagh.
West Point boxing instructor, will
be the third man.
This will be the first heavyweight
title fight at the Polo Grounds since
the famous rough-house between
Jack Dempsey and Louis Angel
Firpo back in the golden age" of
| boxing. And it will be Conn's first
outdoor appearance here. his other
bouts having been staged in Madi-
son Square Garden. But the size
OF the crowd will not scare Billy
any more than has the prospect OF
sampling Joe Louis dynamite.
Joe Has Big Weight Edge.
The official weigh-in, scheduled
at noon at the Offices of the State
Athletic Commission. was expected
to show Louis packing an advan-
tage of about 25 pounds. There was
some incidental wagering last night
that Conn would scale under IT'S
but his hackers contended stoutIy
that 1t made no difference whether
Billy weighed ITO or 18O. The main
thing was that he was in the peak
OF condition and confident of win
ming.
Like everything else that could be
said about Conn, however. this also
could be said for Louis. The Bomber
has been on edge for several days
anxious to get at the boy he thinks
talks too much He expects to
stop Billy in two or three rounds.
This observer, being conservative,
favors the latter figure.
Where the Conn adherents point
out that Billy is fast as streak and
a great boxer. the same may be said
J. tSee TALBOT, Page ca