The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-06-19

lo& night, Billy conn Oh Fltts-
busgh held the heavyweight
championship Of the world with
In his grasp.
Thsn Billy gambled, tried to
match punches with Joe Louis.
and the big negro snapped out
o1 his strange lethargy and
knocked Conn kicking In the
18th round before . thrilled
crowd at the Polo Grounds.
Conn, the 174-pound game
ster, was well In front when the
md came, suddenly and unex-
pectedly. Louis, drawn too hne
IA his training, had looked .
alow, sullen defender Of the
etown. Conn had danced around
him for half the distance, tied
him up In the clinches, then had
come on. to slap the bomber's
teeth out.
At the end Of the 18th round
the Pittsburgh wonder boy had
spread his mouth wide In . grin
a. he returned 70 his corner and
waved triumphantly to the gal
lery stretching far back into the
dark stands. He thought he was
"in," and 80 did m amazed audi
sence.
y In the twelfth round, the slim
handsome challenger sent Louis
reeling against the ropes with a
vicious two-nsted attack. Louis
looked dow, unable to take ad-
vantage Of the targets offered
him. The more than $4,000 cleo
trided fans in the big ball yard
were only waiting. tensed, for
/. the Anal bell Of the fight and
the announcement. that the
"winnah and new champion"
was Billy Conn.
Then the 18th round began.
Louis came out, looking worried,
and Conn rushed to meet him.
From the challenger's corner
blurted the warning cry: "move
around" as 1t had come from
Conn's manager, Johnny Ray,
from the opening bell on. But
Billy was needless. He went
tearing to meet Louis.
A left hook caught Billy
alongside the head and staggered
him. He fell into q clinch. Louis,
finally aroused, poured every
thing he had into the boy from
Pittsburgh. Five consecutive
rights landed flush on COINS
law before he finally crumpled
/, 70 the canvas. He was down, still
} trying to struggle to his knees.
when the count Of 10 came and
Referee Eddie Josephs signaled
that It was all over.
Then they half-carried the
stripping back to his corner, the
blood pouring from his nose
and from q cut under his eye.
He still had smile on his lips, a
kid full Of courage and glory.
Later he cried in his dressing
room a though his heart would
break, but the last the crowd
saw Of him he was holding out
his hand in .consratulation to
the negro who had beat him
down.
Seldom has a heavyweight
asht crowd seen the scales Of
victory shift 80 suddenly. Up to
the instant when Louis caught
and downed his man, 1t looked
q though Conn had made good
his boast and bedazzled the
champion, Q far bigger man.
Louis, for all his 199h pounds
and his Wanted punch, had
looked like q slothful, disguised
fighter up to the instant when
he connected.
Early In the, fight, in the sec
ond round, Louis shuffled In
and poured punches into COINS
stomach. The kid looked in bad
shape. The. fight-wise ringsiders
nugged each other and said II
was about over.
But the third round saw Billy
open up In spectacular fashion
and slap Louis all over the ring.
ALouis looked q sucker for
Conn's left hook. The champion
appeared unable to untrack him
self. His handlers said later that
they were fearful at that stage.
Louis, soberly, admitted when
+ Il ended that Conn had surprised
him with his speed and ability
!. to take punishment.
Aeain In the fifth Louis. came
alive and bslabored Conn's mid
die, sending the challenges
webbing to his corner when
the round closed, but that still
didn't daunt Billy. He managed
/, 70 ret through the sixth on even
I. terms, and the seventh begdn the
rally that had the title won for
him when he ~ecame too care
! lees and confident in the 18th.
:. Conn won the eighth round and
/, the ninth, lost the tenth, and
then spurted to capture the
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Fisher Girls
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