Evening star., 1946-06-20

the cocky, aggressive youngster
who just five years ago thrilled a
similar crowd by fighting Louis for
all he was worth down to the bitter
end in the 18th round. Last n:pht
the spark was gone Possibly Billy
left his best fight in his training
camp.
Il knew I was making a stinking
fight" he said apologetically to
State Athletic Commissioner Eddie
Egan, who visited him in his dress
ing room. Il thought I could keep
away from Joe for Is rounds he
added with a rueful grin. II know
better now"
Louis Trim, Sharp.
In Conns defense, probably no
fighter living today could have done
any better than he did against the
ice Louis who stalked him and fin
ally brought him down last night.
Possibly none could have eluded the
Negro with the fearsome fists even
as long as Billy did. -
The As, ,266 fans who paid 81 1926 ,564
to witness the one-Slded spectacle
at least can tell their grandchildren
they saw a great champion at near
to his best. Perhaps it was his best.
Conn, at least, said it was a more
terrible Louis he faced last night
than in 1941.
Trim and sharp as a bushel of
razor blades at 207 pounds. the
Brown Bomber must have appeared
an awesome customer even to Conn
when he shed his white bathrobe
just before the opening bell. And
there was no particle of doubt once
the gong Changed that Joe was going
after his man with a tenacity that
would be difficult to deny for long.
Joe didn't hurry things, exactly.
He just shuftled eternally forward,
waiting almost patiently for the op-
ening he was certain would come.
Billy must have felt the futility OF
his retreat long before the two ter
rife rights and a left to the jaw
smashed him down after 2:19 of
the eighth round.
Joe Increases Pressure.
The early stages were boring. With
Louis holding his fire and Billy op-
Grating with extreme caution, not a
half dozen blows were exchanged in
the opening round and most of those
were light lefts flicked to the cham
pion's emotionless pan. That round
and the third were the only ones
that could have been awarded the
Pittsburgh Kid.
Gradually Louis increased the
pressure, until, by the fourth chap
ter, he was dealing Conn consider
able punishment with stinging left
jabs and occasionally was crowding
his lighter opponent close to the
ropes and Nhanging him to the head
and body with hard left and right
hooks. At this stage the champs
body blows appeared to be taking a
trace of speed out of Billy's nimble
feet.
As Louis won the fifth, sixth and
seventh rounds by increasingly
wider margins the crowd, as well as
Conn, must have sensed that the
play was approaching its climax
Billy tried fewer and fewer punches
Once, in the SIXTH he slipped to one
knee after taking a jolting Louis jah
on the chin, but he bounced up
without count and tried to grimace
cheerfully at his pursuer. But it
was a sad effort.
Apparently sensing the kill, Louis
went out to finish it in the eighth
For the first time, the men in his
corner sent him out with sharp
CALCULATIONS of impending victory.
Billy Couldn't Get Up.
Early in the round, Joe caught
Billy in a corner and gave him a
rough going-over. In the midst o1
the furry Of punches, Conn gave q
little laugh and said something in
audible to Joe. He couldn't recall
later what it was he said, but il
(See FIGHT, Page AID