The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-10-01
Art Donovan
Halls Battle
One Touchdown
Had Been Scored
By HARRY FERGUSON
United Press Sports Editor

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NEW YoRK-Tf Joe Louis has
slipped. then the sun rises in the
West. Willkie IL president and
Marlene Dietrich is bow-legged.
There he stands-winner and
still champion Of the world, de-
fender of the title in 1e bouts. a
cunning. cold. cruel piece Of fight
ing machinery that time does not
rust nor age dull.
He retained his title last night
with a savage surge of power that
left Lou Nova dazed and bleed
ing. knee deep In the ruins and
rubhle Of all his theories about
the cosmie punch. the dynamic
stance and the pull Of gravity.
II goes into the record
books ~ a technical knockout
NJ two minutes and 50 sec
onds Of the sixth round. hut
lines Of type viii never tell
the story.
II was a craftsman against an
apprentice, an expert against a
novice. Nova never had a chance.
He was QUITE ught and out
thought. Louis wrote the pre-
scription for this fight, filled II
himself and then rammed the bit
ter medicine Of defeat down Nova's
throat with his own hands.
EVERYTHING RIGHT
Louis did everything right;
Nova, nothing. From the moment
Nova came out Of his corner,
standing up straight, trying to
box at long distance exactly the
type of fighter who is Louis dish
his doom was written as plain
as the stars that looked down on
Sc, $40 persons in the Polo grounds.
In that ring a storm was
gathering. The first three
rounds were the prelude 10 the
storm. the time when nothing
happens hut the air Is heavy
and oppressive with the per-
tent Of things 10 come. In
the fourth round there was
the first rumble Of thunder.
Louis had sized up his man, had
made inquisitive pokes with his
left, had found out what he wanted
to know. The thunder rolled and
Louis unleashed his left hook and
his right. But he wasn't going
all out; he still was waiting for
the main chance.
FEELING JOE'S POWER
Nova backed away from the
thunder and swung back at it.
A trickle Of blood rolled from his
nose TO his lips. For the first
time he was feeling the power that
the most powerful puncher 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 NTH. He came
out with more savvy and tried
to work around to where he
could throw a round house
right that would send Louis
crashing to the canvas. Louis
never gave him that chance
and the he'll finally rang on
. duh round.
Then. in the sixth round. the
lightning flashed and struck.
Nova had his back against the
ropes close TO his own corner. For
a second-or maybe even a fras-
ment OF a second-he dropped,
ever 10 slightly. the left arm that
was guarding his jaw.
RIGHT TO JAW
Crash! Louis threw a straight
right over Nova's left arm. II
landed squarely on the left side
of Novas jaw where a delicate
network of nerves leads TO the
brain. Nova plunged back through
the ropes and for five seconds
hung there with his head on the
apron of the ring and one foot
tangled in the bottom strand.
Bewilderment was written all
over his face and for a bit he
paid no attention as the toll
mounted: "one. two, three, four.
fiye
Nova untangled his foot and
got 10 one knee.
ask, seven
He erswied through the
ropes and rested on one knee.
Fight, nine
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 a neutral cor
ner. Step by step he retrested
Step by step Louis followed. hit
ting him every inch Of the way