LOUIS STILL CHAMPION

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24907, 21 June 1946, Page 7

LOUIS STILL CHAMPION

Conn Knocked Out

578,000 DOLLARS FOR WINNER (Rec. 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 19. Joe Louis, heavy-weight boxing champion ot the world, retained his title to-night when he knocked out the challenger, Billy Conn, in the eighth round of the championship fight in the Yankee Stadium. The fight Began at 10.20 p.m. and finished at 10.50 pin., when the eighth round had been in progress two mimites. The gate takings were officially stated to be 1,925,564 dollars, of which Louis’s share will be 578,000 and Conn’s 289,000. The paid attendance was 45.266. It is estimated that 100,000 persons saw and heard the flght by television rt stations in New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and Schenectady. The fight had all the clarity of an ordinary motion picture. “This is my last fight,” eaid Conn in his dressing-room immediately after the flght “I’m through. I just haven’t got it.” Louis said Conn had not hurt him. He finished Conn with a right erbss. a right uppercut, and a left hook. It was an easier flght than his previoui meeting with Conn. Louis weighed 14st 111 b and Conn 13st Conn received a great ovation from the crowd as he stepped into the ring. Conn had the better of the first three rounds, but after the third it was Louis all the way. Waiting Game The Associated Press says there was no doubt that Louis was far slower than five years ago, that is in his legs, but his hands still moved out with rocket swiftness. From the beginning Louis’s strategy was obvious. He was content to stalk Conn, trying to comer him, and intefit on manoeuvring this dancing threat to his reign into the Open for just one of his blasting barrages. It was patent from the flrst bell that Conn was playing a waiting battle. Both the champion and the challenger spent the entire first round sparring cautiously and pawing the air for the most part. In the second round Conn drove a terrific right to Louis’s jaw, which shook him, but the challenger did not rush in to follow up his advantage. Instead, he danced round Louis. In the fourth round Conn in his flight slipped and almost fell. Louis stepped back to permit his toe to regain an erect position and then touched gloves with the challenger in a demonstration of sportsmanship that was not lost on the crowd. Louis was outboxing his lighter and faster opponent, principally with the use of a straight, stiff left jab. Louis got Conn into one comer, slashed his

ribs with two rights, and then Bred a left and a right to the head. Louis continued to jab. jab. jab. and Conn’s fsee vias covered with blood. In the fifth round Louis tried a leaping right that connected, but did little damage. Once he caught Conn against the ropes and fired a left and right and later pummelled bis body. Pace Increased The sixth round was another jabbing session, but late in the round Louis shot a digging hook to Conn’s mid-section, and in going away from the punch Conn slipped t" b<n kne" and Louis stepped baek un’ ! l (on i got to his feet. The crowd cheered the gesture. The pace was stepped Up in the seventh round, because Conn moved in a bit more and suddenly jumped Into close range and smashed a hard hook to Louis’s mouth Louis did not like it a bit, but that hook was just about Conn's last offensive gesture. He jabbed a ' tew times early in the eighth round, but Louis had made up his mind he was going to flght him now.

Louis worked Conn close to the ropes add finally with his man in position let hiip have it. The punch that made Louis the greatest fighter of this generation was cocked and ready to go at all times, and finally if went. Conn had barely stirred when the referee had finished counting. He could have counted another 10. Early in the morning a queue formed up at the Yankee Stadium for standing room only tickets, 10,000 ot which sold at five dollars each. Police detailed for the flght totalled 2500. and 667 of them were in the Stadium park proper Television Parties The “New York Times” says the television rights brought the promoter of the fight. Mike Jaeobs, 125 000 dollars. Undoubtedly television adversely affected the sale of tickets, Srivate parties being arranged within le limited scone of television by some boxing followers who rebelled at the 100-dollar charge for ringside seats.

Louis’s fight against Conn was his twenty-second in defence of the title, which he won from James J. Braddock by a knock-out in the eighth round at Chicago in June 1937. In his 22 fights only two of his opponents have gone the full distance of 15 rounds, these being the British Em-

pire heavy-weight champion. Tommy Farr, in August. 1937. and the South American, Arturo Godoy, in February, 1940. Louis met Godoy again five months later, this time knocking out his opponent in the eighth round Louis fought Conn on June 18, 1941. and was considered lucky to win. securing a knock-out in the thirteenth round, when Conn elected to mix it with the champion when he had a commanding lead on points.