Evening star., 1941-03-22
Champs S Hands
Are Hurt Badly
In 13-Rounder
Down Four Times, Abe
Suffers T.K.O., but
Earns Remutch
By CHARLES DUNKLEY,
Associated preSs Snorts Writer

DETROIT, March 22.-Slide over,
Al Mccoy, Red Burman and Gus
Dorazio, and make room for Comrade
Able Simon-a fighter with courage
almost beyond Imagination.
Ponderous Abe Simon, 254 pounds
of him, has joined the ranks of IA
other futile contenders for Joe
Louis world heavyweight cham
pionship, but in so doing he gave
the Brown Bomber the hardest and
most surprising fight he has ex-
perienced as title-h holder, fooling
everybody in a stending-room crowd
of 1903 in Detroit's Olympia
Arena last night. Three thousand
were turned away.
Simon, figured to last no longer
than four rounds, fell victim to a
technical knockout after one min
ute and 20 seconds of fighting in the
18Th round. Referee Sam Hen
messy humanely stopped the Sensa-
tional battle after Louis had
knocked Simon dowr twice in quick
succession for counts of nine in
that fatal round. Simon was on
his feet, his hands gripping the top
rope of the ring in his own corner,
but he was helpless and could not
continue.
Abe Helpless, Says Referee.
"The man was absolutely help
less" Hennessy explained today It
had nothing else to do but stop it. If
I hao allowed Louis to hit the help
less Simon a finishing blow, there
might have been serious conse-
Qucnces."
AS a reward for his courageous
and surprising showing, Promoter
Mike Jacobs planned today to give
Simon another shot at the title. He
intends to rematch the pair for a
l5-round engagement in New York
May is. There was some talk, how
ever, they might be rematched for
a September open-air bout in De-
troit, the champions home town.
Simon and his manager. Jimmy
protested ending the fight.
Simon declared that Louis blows
did not hurt him at any time, al
though when the fight was ended
he might have appeared to be in
distress because of three cuts over
his eyes and a blood-Smeared face.
Three stitches were required to close
an inch-and-one-half cash in the
lid of his left eye.
He shouted defiance at Louis even
when the doctors were closing the
wound:
why did they stop it?" he de-
manded. 1T was the 18th round,
wasn't it? And this was Friday,
too. Holy, jumping Bolivar! The
next time I fight him I hope it's on
Thursday"
Louis, with big sinner under his
left eye, praised Simon's gameness,
declaring he was tougher than
Primo Carnera. The champions
hands panied him so terribly after
he reached the dressing room that
he was ordered to soak them in
buckets of ice water. Louis said he
was no more tired than usual after
a championship bout, and that
Simon never really hurt him.
The battle was a thriller from the
start, producing four knockdowns,
all scored by Louis. The bout was
only a few seconds old when the
champion. letting fly with his first
right-hand blow. landed it flush on
Abe's jaw and knocked him down
for the first time in his life. He got
up at the count of two, smiling.
Simon Shows Courage.
Louis let go with another right
hand smash in the third, flooring
Simon for a count of nine. Louis
must have thought this was the
end, for he walked away slowly,
looking at Simon over his shoulder.
At the count of nine, however, big
Abe dragged himself to his feet and,
to the surprise of the shouting spec
tators, began pumping tantalizing
lefts into the champions reddening
nose and left eye.
To his credit, it must be said that
Simon went to his finish game and
unafraid. He carried the battle to
Louis at least half of the way, keep
ing him off balance with a snaky left
to the face, but rarely using his
right. He kept this weapon as de-
fense for blocking.
The experts agreed that if he had
possessed good right-hand punch
he might have stuck for 20 rounds.