Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-09
slEGH At LARGE
Conn Dissents
On Sugar Roy
Bv MORRIS SIEcEL

AFTER 1s-YEAE CAREER notable for near-victory
over Louis and total defeat by his fatherin-law Billy
sConn retired from the boxing business intact but not
I'm toto.
a Today the Marquis of Queensberry set lists him
saumnus whose opinions fsghting fluctuations carry
considerable weight. So does Conn personally.
His exact displacement is embarrassing secret but
even longrange inspection suggests he would easily miss
the 75pound ghtheavyweight cutoff point by at least
40 or so pounds 1t does not bother him.
ao At As plus, Billy plans no immediate comeback He is
atrim enough, he maintains not to be taken lightly at
all, in intrasquad barroom scrimmages
~ For the last several years Washington has become
one of his favore hangous Until he discovered the D. c.
area the only circuit he travelled consisted Of Pittsburgh
where he still is headquartered New York and Las Vegas
me
~ HE WAS HERE THE OTHER evening in company with
several other boxing seinarans who had gathered in the
heavy workout room of the Duke Zeibert AC.
The convocation assembled by Edward Bennett
Williams His stable of clients includes Conn., Sugar Ray
Robinson and Carlos Ortiz. williams, heavyweight law
yer, had been doing research the Amercan-British-
Russian limited arms treaty
avs He trying to determine If the agreement included
embargo Sonny Lston. If it did, there out
usde possibility he could persuade Conn to reenter the box
ing Since Listens firepower not covered it
decided to permit Conn to remain devoutly neutral
I've him fight twice and he scared me at the
,weigh-ns," Conn told the delegates
MTHE FREE-FoR- ALL discussion that followed Conn
delivered haymaker Of thought that floored the
semb They felt after he had spoken his piece that he
probably had had opinion too many.
~ Sugar Ray, Conn said, somewhat overrated Only
sConn did say politely Robinson he sneered he
amt through just He's been through for is He
much"
It not only was the first time acknowledged
thory like Conn had failed to include Robinson his
list Of alltme greats but probably the first time any
body had done it.
who'd he ever beat?" Conn demanded challengingly.
M Well, there Jake LaMotta Give times), Randy
Turpin Bobo Olson, Gene Fullmer. =.
Il "NOthinC Robin
boxed preliminary boys What happened when
The got in with guy who could move Joey Maxim? Robin
son never would have laid glove guys like Teddy
YaroSz
Il BILLY BEGAN TO PRESS his point. when you talk
of great fighters great like great you gotta
talk about Harry Greb Mickey Walker Dempsey, Louis.
Those were great fighters, not Robinson.
d., Look at the record book. See how many pages it
takes for Greb's record"
81 It was pointed out that Robnsons ring biography
even extensive than Bobo Newsoms baseball trave
logue Yeah Billy scoffed 'but he only fought cheese
cake guys Greb and Walker they middleweghts
fighting rough-tough heavyweights, not bunch of ham
and-eggerS."
At this juncture Conn was asked who, next to his
father-in-law was his toughest opponent?
"Apostoli Fred Apostolic" he answered Tougher for
me than Louis He hit me hard night he knocked
my mouthpiece out called him every word could
think Of Between rounds my seconds told to knock
off the cursing My voice loud they were picking
II up on the microphone broadcasting the fight
Il told them what they could do with that mike When
I'm hit like that forget used to be altar boy.
But don't give that Robinson jazz" he concluded
Hes nothing"