The Phoenix index., 1941-10-04
would slide off the glazed epidermi'
of the Inflated challenger.

would slide OH Cne glazeu eplueIlIlls
of the Inflated challenger.
IN FLATTENING Lou Nova, Yo-
ga cosmic punch and all, the
Bomber kept rom 7oeing smashed
a historic tradition of the squared
circle in New York City. 1t means
that no championship has ever
changed hands in a New York ball
park. Nova's Yoga magic failed to
upset this age-old rule of the island.
CHILLY WEATHER greeted the
close to $4,000 ardent fans who
jammed into the Polo Grounds
Monday night. Joe climbed into the
ring wearing two dressing gowns.
A beautiful white satin outfit was
on top, while beneath Joe clung to
his faded old red and blue robe that
he wore on that memorable nlghI
in June, 1887 when he caught the
championship crown from the tot
tering old head of James Braddock
at Chicago. Joe has stuck to the
robe ever since, wearing 1t eacn
time he makes a ring appearance.
NOVA'S BOASTED cosmic punch,
iokingly called cosmetic" by Louis
followers Just needed additional
charging from Yoga to hurt the
Louis who climbed into the ring at
the Polo Grounds Monday night.
Joe, fighting very much like the
Louis of old, didn't claim any cos
mic powers for his Sunday right,
but Nova no doubt thought Stuka
dive bomber hac exploded in his
face when the champ connected.
The connection was made twice.
Like a piston on a streamline loco
motive, it shot Gus IN the fifth
round, landed against NovaS chin,
rocked him back on his heels. A
minute and a half of the sixth
round had gone when sharp-eyed
Joe saw another opening, and a
split second later had connected
with terrible force on the Yoga
challenger's jaw. Xty-thouSand
surprised witnesses, SO quick did
it happen, saw Nova suddenly sag
to the canvas and remain down
while Donovan began counting. Joe
leaped in to the kill and was pound
ing the game challenger merciless-
ly when second before the bell
rang, Donovan stopped the battle
awarded Joe a TKO (Technical
Knockout) decision
CALMEST MAN OF the sixty
thousand who were in the Polo
Grounds Monday night was Cham
pion Joe, never a person to be-
come overly excited about anything.
Donovan had called the two men
to the center of the ring just as
the fight was getting ready to
start. Nova was listening intently to
Donovan's instructions. Louis, who
never once loked toward Nova dur
ing these preliminaries, instead was
staring out at the faces of the
huge audience. Maybe, he was try
ing to get glimpse of Marva.
LOUIS GAVE THE California
challenger a quarter pound Monday
night. Joe weighed-in at 202A, while
Nova tipped the beam at 2O21A
"IT WAS A TOUGH fight. Nova's
very game. He's a fine fighter"
These short choppy sentences, typi-
cal of the kind of blows he delivers
to all and sundry who get in his
path, were Joe's official comment
over the radio after the battle Mon
day night They are stock phrases.
Joe has used them repeatedly dur
ing his eighteen other successful de-
fenses of his title.
SOME MIGHT SAY it was a
psychological Yoga trick Nova was
trying to play on Joe when he
strolled into the ring Monday night
with an army blanket over his
shoulders. Reminding Joe of events
to come in a few weeks. Joes num-