Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-16
Tiff
Brings Climax
To Gold Rush
Record 3-MiIIion Gate
Seen for Fight Built
By 5-Yeor BoIIyhoo
By Sid FEEDER
Associated Press Sports Writer

NEW YUM, June l0.-CafrleQ
along on the greatest gold rush in
sports history. a couple of ex-GIs
will keep date Wednesday night
that they made five years ago to
fight it out for the heavyweight
championship of the world.
At pm. (EST), in a ring set
just over second base in the spacious
reaches of Yankee Stadium, ex-
Sergt. Joseph Louis Barrow of De-
troit-Joe Louis of the ear-scram-
bling schedules with ex-Corpl.
William David Conn-Billy the
Pittsburgh Kid-over the customary
us rounds or less" route.
1t is just one day more than five
years since they tangled the first
time, in the Polo Grounds, just
across the Harlem River from the
Stadium Realizing he needed a
knockout to keep his champion
ship that night, Joe put the lights
out for Billy in the 18th round,
after Sweet William had piled up a
commanding lead on his boxing
skill and speed
Bout Expected to Draw. $4,000.
The return match was natural"
then. It's even more of a seven
and-eleven" now, what with Louis
apparently feeling his 80 years and
Conn seemingly hitting his peak at
%.
They have waited five years for
this shot at the biggest bundle of
cash ever. Promoter Mike Jacobs,
who practically is irresistible at
wheeling buck from a fight fans
bankroll, has waited with them.
Mike set the ringside charge at an
all-time high for fight-$l00 per
copy. Yet nearly a million dollars
worth of tickets were on order be-
fore they'd even been printed or the
admission price announced
The scale slides from 500 down
to $40 for the outer rims of the
park, yet the customers have re-
sponded as if Mike were giving free
dishes with each pasteboard. AS
result, Jacobs predicted today that
a crowd of $4,000 would bulge the big
Bronx ball yard at the seams by the
time the preliminaries start at 7:30
pm. (EST) Wednesday and that the
gate stands a very good chance of
hitting the 100000 mark.
Million Cut Seen for Louis.
II it does, Louis would get close
to 81 ,000, 900 as his slice of the net
proceeds, plus "cut" of the radio
and motion picture take. Conn's
end would be about $500, 900, since
they receive 40 per cent and 20 per
cent shares of the net, respectively.
This will be the I'D time Joe has
put the beak-busting industry's
richest bauble on the line since he
hammered Cinderella Man Jim
Braddock into Inconsistencies nine
years ago next Saturday to start
the longest reign of any champion
from the point of view of title
defenses.
He has been among the fight
games all-time top champions, took
on all corners, met sluggerS and
boxers and clowns with peculiar
styles and fought twice for charity
for Army and Navy relief.
Only two of his 81 challengers
went the full IS rounds with him
| Tommy Farr and Arturo Godoy-
and he put the Chilean away in
eight rounds in return scramble
He fattened four of them in less
than a round including Max
Schmeling. to avenge the only de-
feat in his entire career.
Odds Against Conn Dropping.
Yet time and a 4-year layoff have
left their mark on him. He still
packs the punch of a blockbuster,
but in his training he has been a
slow-meving target, thumped sur
prisingly freely-and often-by his
sparmates, and still unable to set
to punch when an opponent con-
fuses him by sudden moves.
Conn, on the other hand, appears
even faster than he was five years
ago. He has spared 260 training
rounds, compared to Joe's 140. He's
what Louis, himself, calls full
grown" heavyweight now, at over
100 pounds, compared to the 174
he carried the last time This
added avoirdupois, most of it in his
shoulders and neck, makes him q
better puncher. although he has nc
intention of trying for a knockout
over Louis. Joe will weigh a solid
210.
/ AS a result of the training de-
velopments, the betting odds against
Billy have dropped steadily in the
past two weeks and now have hit
a low of IL to 5, compared to the :
to l in bargain rates at which they
opened.