Billy Conn Was Born on The 8th October 1917 In Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaBilly Conn was born on 8th October 1917 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Conn never fought as an amateur. Billy Conn was managed by Johnny Ray who fought as a lightweight and trained with hall of famer Harry Greb. Conn made his pro debut at age of 16 when he lost a decision to 21 year old Dick Woodward. Most of Conn's early fights were against older, more experienced opponents. Conn began his career at welterweight and fought against heavyweights. By the age of 21 Conn had defeated 9 present or former world champions. Almost one third of his fights were against title holders. Although often outweighed, Conn never lost to a heavyweight with the exception of Joe Louis. Billy Conn gained national attention with his upset victories over middleweight champion Fred Apostoli. Apostoli was regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, but Conn beat him on his New York debut at Madison Square Garden gaining a 10 round decision then won again in 15 rounds just five weeks later. He considered his fights with Apostoli the toughest ones. Billy Conn out Boxed And out Slugged Louis For 12 RoundsConn won the world light heavyweight title from Melio Bettina on 13th July 1939. He later gave up the title to campaign as a heavyweight. Billy Conn will forever be remembered for his near-upset of World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis on 18th June 1941 at the Polo Grounds in New York. Conn weighed in at 174 lbs and was outweighed by 30 pounds. Louis had beaten every top heavyweight and was in the prime of his career. Billy Conn out-boxed and out-slugged Louis for 12 rounds and almost sent Louis to the floor at the end of the 12th. Overconfident and ahead on points going into the 13th round. Billy Conn told his manager that he was ready to knockout Louis. Conn manager Johnny Ray told him that he was winning the fight and to keep boxing but Billy Conn was single-minded and ignoring the advise of his manager was determined to knockout Joe Louis. Joe Louis: Billy Conn Was The Best Light Heavyweight He Had Ever SeenBilly Conn came out slugging and was winning the first half of the round, but he was fighting an imprecise kind of fight. The bigger and stronger Louis eventually caught and hurt Conn and after a number of unanswered blows Louis knocked out Conn with two seconds left in the round. Joe Louis said this fight was the toughest of his career and that Billy Conn was the best light heavyweight he had ever seen. Billy Conn dared challenge the lightning and the lightning struck him down and left him a battered and defenceless hulk just two seconds before the 13th round ended one of the really great heavyweight fights of all-time. This Fight had everything. Not one of the 54,487, who paid more than $400,000 to see it, will ever forget. For they saw a part of their own lives. At the night of the fight Louis weighed 199 1/2 and Billy only 174 when referee Eddie Joseph called them to the center of the ring for their instructions. Betting had been heavy, with Pittsburgh's big gambling horde dumping a ton of money on the market in support of their fighting Irishman at the last minute to trim the odds on Louis to 9 to 5 at the opening bell. Billy Conn Ran For His Life For Most of The 2nd RoundLouis started out on the offense, as usual, and Conn made no secret of the respect in which he held the brown bomber. Billy Conn looked like an aerodynamic speed boat as he set all sorts of speed records for reverse gears in back-peddling the opening frame of the round. Joe Louis raised a nasty swelling on the Pittsburghers' right side with a terrific right hand just before the bell ended this round. Billy Conn slipped to the floor midway in this round in the Bob screamed -- thinking he'd been floored by a punch the mast he was up at one. Anyone who gave Conn a chance at the end of the second round must've been looking at a different fight. This was all Louis and he stung Billy Conn three or four times with left hooks and one wicked right to the pit of the stomach that almost tore Conn in half. Billy Conn ran for his life most of the 2nd round. It didn't seem possible the fight would go much further. Billy Conn, halfway through the round, went to work with three lefts and a right cross which stunned Joe Louis briefly and the mob went wild. |
They Were All Rooting For the Kid From Pittsburgh. The fight took a most amazing turn in the third and fourth rounds, with Conn ignoring the instructions of manager Johnny Ray for the first time. After continuing in full flight for 50 seconds, Conn abandoned his bicycle and started to uppercut Joe Louis. Conn scored with a left hook and then two upper cuts. Billy Conn came off the ropes to jab Louis, two to one, and then opened a slight gash over Louis' left eye. Louis landed the harder body punches when he got Conn on the ropes but Conn had all the best of it as he came off the ropes constantly getting that uppercut home | |
