The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-18
CONTRACT BARRED
TUNE-UP MATCHES
BEFORE TITLE GO
Further Negotiations May
Bring Signing OF Con-
tract Late Today
Bv SID FEEDER


NEW YORK, Oct. 17-P)-A lot
of firecracke~s went off around
Promoter Mike Jacobs break
busting headquarters today, and
the loudest of all was flat re.
fusal by Billy Conn to sign for his
scheduled heavyweight title fight
next June with Joe Louis.
The last time Billy signed for
Louis fight-in 1941-his man.
ager, Johnny Ray, wouldn't ap
prove the contracts until Jacobs
lifted Conn's percentage of the
gate, causing Mike to scream
you're breaking both my legs
Today, Ray beefed only over the
clause barring Conn from any ex.
hibition or tune-up tussles before
the Louis 60.
+ The little blond pilot who built
Conn up from frail kid off the
streets of Pittsburgh into the
better who came closest to taking
Louis title, wants Billy to have
three tune-ups before meeting the
bomber again. To show he wasn't
kidding, Johnny said he agreed
verbally with co-promoter Freddy
Sommers this afternoon to have
Billy box an exhibition with Al
Patterson of Pittsburgh in Kansas
City auditorium November Z on
the Lee SavoldWallace Cross
card. And Sommers said the ref
cree for the exhibition will be
Louis. .'
Johnny had no immediate objec.
tions over other terms. But after
nearly an hour of argument with
Uncle Mike, Johnny called for his
lawyer to come a-running from
Pittsburgh and look over the pa
pers fo~ the fight, which, the pro-
moter said, would go to the town
where we can get the most
money"
The lawyer, Dave B. Pitler, will
be on hand tomorrow. There may
be considerably more discussion
but the chances are the contracts
will soon be signed, probably late
tomorrow.
Conn said he figured he and Ray
would collect $1,000,000 as their
share of the gate this time.
What with a slice Of the motion
picture and television rights, and
the possibility of piece Of the
radio money as well, there's 8
chance Conn is close to being
right. Jacobs guesses the gate will
hit the $4,000, 900 stratosphe-e.
No one was talking about terms
today, but Billy's end for the last
bout was 20 percent.
For an hour today, Mike ano
Johnny hooked up in a quiet
row you could hear anyway, II
Stillman's gym, which is only sis
blocks away. 1t was going so gooo
at one point, Billy bounced out o1
the room with a "this is too hot
for me-
Sporting a size II neck now
Conn reported he checked in al
100 pounds after leaving the army
two weeks ago, compared to the
Puny 174 he was packing for nj:
last date with Joe.
Mike, in his argument with Ray
wanted to know why, if Loui:
agreed to the no pre-fight tune-uI
when he signed the contract:
Monday, Ray and Conn couldn'
do the same.
what do I care what Louis l:
doing" Ray shouted. "Pm no
managing Louis, I'm managing
Billy.
"You want to manage both me
and Billy, Mike. But Pm not gonna
let you.
AFTER all, Louis can't fight ;
tune-up fight. He's the heavy
weight champion and any time hi
goes to the post, his titles a
stake
Suppose something happens ::
Billy in a tune-up," Mike coun
tered.
Suppose he gets hurt. 1 thinl
I can sell this fight just as it is
without tune-ups."
yeah, but that's not getting m,
fighter in shape. I'm going to se
that BiIly's ready to 60 when h
gets in the ring with joe"