CONN GOES HALF WAY ONLY

Chronicle (Levin), 21 June 1946, Page 7

CONN GOES HALF WAY ONLY

Press Assn.-

By Telegraph

Copyright

x Eeceived Tliursday, 7.30 p.in. NEW YORK, dune 19. Joe Louis, the heavyweight boxlng champion oi' the , world, knocked out Billy Oonn, the" challenger, in the eightli round of Llie world V lieavy- • weight championship boutA ; Louis- said he linished Co'iiu with a | right;-. eross, right . upper cut and left hook. ,_It was au e.asier fight than1 his 1 previous ' meetiiig with Conii/'" The tight began 'at ' 10.20 p.m. and finis hed-at: 10.50 p.tn. wlieh the" eighth ) round liadr progressed- . ^wp - minutes ninetei&it.,sec.onds, . . .. , .. Tlie gate takings..a.rc oificiaily stated to be 1,925,564 dollars o'f Svhicli Lduis-J share is 578,000 dollars and Gonn's 289,000. Tlie paid attendanee was 45,266. Conn had the better of the first three rounds but aft'er- the.tliird it. was Louia' ^ill the way. Tlxe" Ara erican Associated Press says there -is no doubt Louis is i'ar slower than fiv'o years a'go, that is in his legs, but his htinds till moved out with rocket swiftness. From tlie be.ginning Joe's "strategy was obvious. Ho was contcnt to stulk Conn, trying to corner him ahd intent On maiioeuvI rig tliis dahcing tlireat to his reign, into the opou for just oue of his blasting barrages. It was pateut froni' the first Lell that Conn -was playing a waiting battle. Both the cliampion and challenger spent the enti're first' round sparring cautiously and pawing the air for the most uart.

In tlie secohd round Conn drove a ttrrilic light to Louis' jaw whicli shook him but the challenger did" not rusli in to follow up his advantage. • Instead he danc'ed around Louis. » In tlie fourth round Conn, in his flight, slipped and almost iell. Louis . stepped back to permit his fo.e to regain an crect positign and then touched gloves with the challenger -rh- a demonstration of sportsmanship that v\as not lost on tlie crowd. Louis was outboxiug his lighter and fastor challenger priiicipally witli tlie use of a struight stiil' left jab. Louis got Conn into oue corner, slaslied his ribs with two rights and then lired a left and right to Ihe liead. Louis continued to jab, jab, jab and Conn's face was scarlet.ed. In the iifth Louis tried a. lcaping right tliat connected but did littie damage. Cnce he cauglit Conn agaiust the ropcs, lired a left and right and later jiumiuelied his body. The sixtli round was another jabbing session but late in the round Joe shot a digging hook to Conn's midsection and in going awav from the jiunch Conn slipped to his kueo1. Joe stepped back unt-il Conu got to his feet and the crowd eheered the gesture. 'f The pace was stepped up in tlie sevenih because Conn moved in a bit ' more suddeuly. lie jiunped into close range and smashcd a hard hook to Joe's moutlL Louis did not likcat a bit but that hook was just about '.Conn's last offeusive gesture. He jabbed a few timcs early in the eighth but Joe had made up liis mind he was .going to figiit li-iiu -uio'w . - -H'e-worked Confi -close to the ropes and linally, with liis mad in position, let him liave it.' 1'he punch tliat made Louis tlie greatest fighter of tliis : gmieration, was cocked and ready to go ' at all times arid linally it went. Conn ! had barely stirred wheii the Teferee Had finislied couuting. He Could have i eounted another' ten. | Immediately afterwards in the dress- ! ing room Conn said: ' ' ' Tliis" is my last .fight. l'm through, just liaven't got ! it." i Louis in the dressing room said Conn I had not liurt him. j It is cstimated 100,000 saw and hcard j the fight by television at stations in j New York, Washington, Pliiladelphia ! and Hchenectady. The fight had all the J claritv of an ordinarv motion picture.