It’s 1941 and whereas some say loss of life and taxes are the one certain issues in life, American sports activities followers know completely different. There exists a 3rd certainty: Joe Louis will win his subsequent combat. After which the one after that. And the one after that.
Stony-faced Joe turned heavyweight champion of the world when he made James “The Cinderella Man” Braddock’s clock strike twelve in 1937 and Louis had since confirmed so dominant, he now had no competitors to talk of. He had defended his title 17 occasions, 15 of these wins inside the space, and possessed an air of invincibility, such was his talent and energy. His lethal correct punches had laid waste to the division and he was compelled to embark on a tour of frequent bouts towards fringe contenders and membership fighters simply to maintain the enterprise of being heavyweight champion profitable. It got here to be often known as the “Bum of the Month” membership and its existence solely bolstered Louis’ stature because the titan of the heavyweights, to not point out one of many biggest champions in boxing historical past. In each 1938 and ’39 he was proclaimed “Fighter of the 12 months” by The Ring journal.
In 1940, nevertheless, he was not. As a substitute that distinction went to the light-heavyweight champion of the world, one Billy Conn of Pittsburgh. He acquired it after his first full yr of campaigning as a heavyweight and scoring massive wins over Bob Pastor, Al McCoy and Lee Savold.
This did little to make Conn a severe menace to Louis, but it surely did solidify the overall notion that of all of the no-hopers on the market, the Irish-American Conn had probably the most hope. Considered, pound-for-pound, one of many sharpest and smartest boxers within the sport, Conn was exceptionally fast and downright sensible defensively. Having been well-schooled by coach Jack Blackburn, Louis employed some wonderful strategy of his personal, however after all it was his crushing energy that allowed him to dominate as he did. Thus Louis vs Conn was the traditional match-up: the ability puncher vs the intelligent slickster, bull vs the matador. And the excessive profiles of each males made it irresistible, even when few gave Conn greater than a really slim probability.
Nearly sixty thousand gathered that June night time, the biggest crowd within the Polo Grounds because the well-known Dempsey-Firpo brawl in 1923, and the ambiance was positively electrical, such was the curiosity and anticipation. Many sensed that perhaps, simply perhaps, Louis lastly had an actual problem on his arms. If not, it was nonetheless an alluring and high-calibre match-up, a conflict of two dominant and in style champions.
However the early going regarded unhealthy for the challenger. Having fun with a 25 pound weight benefit, Louis set the tempo, stalking his man and touchdown photographs to Conn’s stomach earlier than staggering him with a pair of rights in spherical two. However spherical three was a special story and by its finish everybody knew, particularly Louis, that nobody was going dwelling early.
Conn’s jab began to search out its goal and the challenger wasted no time in bringing behind it some sharp hooks and proper arms. Continuously shifting and shifting as he labored, Billy landed a tough proper close to the tip of the third and instantly followed-up with a pointy one-two that compelled Louis to do one thing nobody had seen him do since Max Schmeling knocked him foolish again in ’36: dangle on so he may clear his head.
In spherical 4 the astonished crowd took in one other extraordinarily uncommon sight: Joe’s knees truly buckling after Billy struck with two sharp rights. The challenger rapidly {followed} up, clubbing Louis with each fists and forcing him to retreat. After 4 rounds, boxing followers knew their hopes had been fulfilled: the nice Joe Louis was in a severely aggressive battle that was going to check him greater than any of his earlier title defenses.
However within the very subsequent around the momentum shifted dramatically, because it should in nice fights, and as it will do on this one again and again. Joe obtained dwelling a heavy left to the physique and seconds later a vicious hook to the jaw which staggered Conn and the challenger had issue discovering his nook on the finish of the spherical. Revived with smelling salts, Conn obtained again up on his toes within the sixth and had a greater spherical till Louis caught him on the ropes and once more pounded the ribs of “Billy the Child,” the 2 champions exchanging heavy photographs till the bell.
The seventh noticed the challenger continually shifting, staying one step forward of the champion, and that arrange the eighth and ninth which had been all Conn. The tip of the eighth left everybody bewildered as “The Pittsburgh Child” swarmed Louis, hanging repeatedly, rattling Joe with lefts and rights and showing to have, extremely, taken full command. Conn might be seen laughing as he moved in on Louis at the beginning of the ninth, battering the champion in a way nobody had anticipated. At spherical’s finish, Conn advised Louis, “Joe, you’re in a combat tonight,” and the champion replied, “I do know it,” earlier than turning to the security of his nook.
However Louis rose to the problem. He continued along with his physique assault, displaying nice resolve, to not point out agency perception in Sam Langford’s previous axiom — “Kill the physique and the pinnacle will die” — and put great stress on his brave, although considerably smaller, adversary. Repeatedly the group was dropped at its ft as the 2 champions engaged in a single extended alternate after one other.
Conn got here again within the eleventh, utilizing his wonderful footwork to keep away from Louis’ strongest punches and discover angles for his personal. After which got here the twelfth, maybe probably the most unforgettable of the combat. To everybody’s unbelieving eyes, there was Louis awkwardly back-pedaling after absorbing a vicious left hook. The gang got here to its ft once more and the stands of the Polo Grounds trembled and shook because the hunted turned the hunter. For the primary time in his reign as champion, Louis was in full retreat, dazed and staggering, and nobody was extra grateful than “The Brown Bomber” when the bell lastly rang.
If world title fights in 1941 had been twelve rounds as a substitute of fifteen, Billy Conn would have scored an amazing upset by taking a detailed resolution and successful the heavyweight championship of the world. All knew the combat now belonged to Conn. Not solely was he forward on factors, however he was dictating the phrases and had badly shaken Louis within the spherical simply ended. All he needed to do was field well and the title was his. However there have been three rounds to go and Conn was about to make his first, and final, severe error in ring technique that night time because the bell rang and the large crowd roared in anticipation.
Conn simply couldn’t assist being grasping. Or as some would say later, “too Irish.” He wished to choose up the place he had left off on the finish of spherical twelve and pursue the knockout that was so shut he may style it. He moved on to the champion, cuffing him with a tough one-two to start out the soon-to-be remaining spherical. In the meantime Joe, who had simply been advised by coach Blackburn that he wanted a knockout to win, responded with acceptable urgency. The 2 went toe-to-toe as Conn determined to push his luck and keep within the trenches with the larger, extra highly effective man, buying and selling punch for punch, the extreme alternate bringing the group to its ft once more because the challenger unleashed one other wild flurry of blows. However then, the inevitable.
A heavy proper from Louis staggered Conn and compelled him to carry and it was apparent to all he was in dire hassle. Joe doggedly pursued and what {followed} was a methodical battering. Flush proper arms and uppercuts took their toll earlier than a vicious proper to the physique rendered Conn helpless. Gone was all the technical wizardry of “The Pittsburgh Child” as he dazedly {followed} Louis across the ring and absorbed punishment. A remaining, ending volley of amazingly correct energy punches determined the battle, the final blow a proper hand to the pinnacle that left Conn groveling within the resin mud. Billy tried, however couldn’t beat the depend. The referee waved his arms and extinguished the courageous challenger’s hopes of constructing historical past, the match lastly determined by Conn being too courageous, and “The Brown Bomber” being too highly effective.
As the story goes, when Louis exited the ring he encountered his supervisor, John Roxborough, who stood with a cigar protruding from the nook of his mouth. Louis checked out him and requested: “What number of of these did you swallow tonight?” Joe didn’t await a solution; Roxborough didn’t supply one. In spite of everything, everybody on the Polo Grounds had swallowed laborious greater than as soon as that night time, having been thrilled by one of many best and most dramatic championship fights in boxing historical past.
— Robert Portis
