Evening star., 1942-02-14
|IyLacksFire
In nVictory0ver
Midd|eChamp
Likely to Meet Nova
Or Lesnevich Before
Facing Heavy King
BY SID FEEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

NEW YORK, Feb. 14-It still is
l to S along Bash Boulevard today
that a good big man can beat
good little one almost any evening,
but there is considerable fresh evi-
dence In Tony Zale's showing
against Billy Conn that the little
guy sometimes can make the big
one look something less than a
million dollars.
This is not to say that Sweet
Williams 12-round victory in Madi-
son Square Garden last night be-
fore a crowd of 1908 wasn't a lop-
sided one over the outweighed and
outreached middleweight champion.
Billy was of by himself, 10 rounds
to two. although some Of the heats
may have been closer than the
score indicates.
However. the body bombs with
which Tony thumped Billy and the
trouble Conn appeared to have in
solving the Indiana steelman's
crouching, weaving style, made
Manager Johnny Ray change his
mind about the immediate fighting
future OF his Junior"
Nova Battle Considered.
Up to yesterday, Johnny figured
the Zale tussle would be the last
big one for Billy before his sched-
uled return 60 with Joe Louis in
June. After watching Conn's some
what Indifferent performance, COM
pared with the sparkling jobs in his
previous New York outings. Johnny
decided one more major trip to the
post wouldn't do any harm.
So today he's going to talk 1t
over with Promoter Mike Jacobs,
ana the chances are Billy will have
whirl with either Lou Nova. the
w. K. California cosmic expert, or
Gus Lesnevich, the light-heavy-
weight boss, before he takes on the
No. boy again.
This seems to be a good idea. in
deed. Because it was noticed that
Louis. sitting at ringside in his buck
private's uniform, didn't blink a
blink or gasp gasp over Sweet
Williams work. In fact, he was in
clined to doubt that he was looking
at the same Pittsburgh firecracker
who all but took his heavyweight
championship away last June.
Zale Was Trying All Way.
On the other hand. Zale was in
there trying all the way, although
outweighed 164A to 17534. and made
quite hit with the customers. The
result was that Promoter Mike came
up with the idea of matching Tony
with Jimmy Webb, the handsome
Houston light heavyweight who
fought an Ground draw with
durable Johnny Colan in last nights
semifinal Sam Plan, who has the
say on humping Tony,s work didn't
make up his mind Immediately
about this.
OF course. since Billy and Tony
are both nice young fellows able
to carry a gun or swab a deck.
these pretty plans all depend on
where they'll be in the immediate
future. Both expect to 60 into the
Navy, although they're la In the
Army's draft.
The chief difference in Conn last
night wasn't that the punishment
he was handed in the last Louis
fight had weakened him perma-
nently. When he opened up, he
still was a pretty fair country
clouter. But he didn't open up often
enough.
Conn Is Stung Three Times.
Zale stung him three times-in
the 7th, 9th and 1lth rounds
and each time Billy got his Irish"
up, tore in and hurt the strong,
silent man from the Midwest.
Otherwise, he appeared content to
pile up points.
Although Zals kept at him as
best he could. Billy resembled
fellow who wants to kill an hour or
so while waiting for a train. Which
was exactly the case. because an
hour after the fight, he was choo-
chooing back to Pittsburgh.