Imperial Valley press., 1941-09-30
Novo Bombed in Sixth

Of all his theories about the cosmic
punch. the dynamic stance and the
i pull of gravity.
Il goes into the record books
as Il technical knockout at two min
j uteS and 81 SECONDS of the sixth
round. bat lines Of type will never
tell the story. IL was a craftsman
AGAINST an apprentice. an expert
against a novice. Nova never had a
| chance. He Wis out-fought and
/ out thought Louis wrote the pre-
Scription for this fight, filled it
himself and then rammed the bitter
medicine of defeat down Nova 5
threat With his own hands.
Louis did everything right, Nova,
nothing. From the moment Nova
came out of his corner, standing
up straight trying to box at long
distance-cXactiy the type OF fight
er who is Louis diSh-hiS doom
was written as plain as the stars
that looked down on 5G,5l9 persons
in The polo grounds.
IN that ring 4 storm vas gath
cring. The frat three rounds were
the prelude to the storm, the time
when nothing happens but the air
is heavy and oppressive with the
portent of things to come. IN the
fourth round there was the first
rumble of thunder. Louis had sized
up his man, had made inqulsltlVe
pol,es with his left, had found oul
what he wanted to know. The
thunder rolled and Louis unleaSehd
his left hook and his RIGHT. But
he wasn't going all out; he still
was waiting for the main chance.
Nova backed away from the thun-
der and swung back at it. A trlckle
of blood rolled from his nose to
his lips. For the first time he was
feeling the power that the most
powerful puneher in the business
puts behind a blow.
After the thunder rolled. they
talked to Nova in his corner before
they sent him out for the fifth. He
came out With more SavVy and trled
to work around TO where he could
! throw a round house right that
would send Louis crashing 10 the
canvas. Louis never gave him that
chance ard the bell finally rane
on a dull round.
Then. in the sixth round, the
lightning flashed and struck.
Nova had his back against the
ropes close to his own corner For
second-or maybe even fra9-
ment of second-he dropped, ever
SO slightly, the left arm that was
guarding his jaw.
Crash, Louis threw straight
right over Novas LETT arm. 1t
/ landed squarcly on the left side oil
j Noya's Jaw Wnere a delicate net
work of nerves lead TO the brain.
! Nova plunged back through the
ropes and for five seconds hun2
] there with his head ON the apron
of the ring and one foot tangled
i in the hottoa strand
Bewilderment was written all over
his face and for bit he paid no
attention a. the toll mounted.
One. tao, three. teur five
Nova 1mtanPled his foot and got
To one knea.
Six seFcn
He crawled through the ropes
and rested Oh one knee.
"Elant line
He got up.
Louis was after him. A left hook
to the head spun Nova around. A
right to the head sent him reeling
toward neutral corner. Step by
sstep he reiterated Step by step
Louis followed, hitting him every
inch of the way, never giving him
a chance to get his hands up.
Nova backed into Louis corner A
one-tWo punch drove him three feet
along the ropes toward a neutral
corner Now Louis ran after him
instead Of walking. A right to the
head sent Nova crashing into the
corner. Almost before the right had
landed, Louis hooked a left that
. landed on Noya'S face. L ripped
flesh and sent binding blood cours-
Ing down Nova's face.
Louis dcrW back his right but
before he could throw it Referee
Donovan halted the fight.
Three minutes later they got the
fog out of Nova'S brain and told
him what happened after the light
flo cha1