this made me cry. Joe Louis was without a doubt the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. What class the man possessed. What will. What desire. Just an amazing man. Billy Conn was just as great. He almost won but he made the fatal mistake of going toe to toe with the greatest finisher the sport has ever known.
I wish fighters like this still existed. They had their own fighting styles, they didn't talk a lot of smack because they let their punches do all the talking. Both of these men were great!
Billy Conn a great role model for many Irish-Americans the world over. But lost to one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the ring, Joe Louis, on that night. Nothing to be ashamed of he fought a hell of a fight. They don't make fighters quite like these guys anymore.
Billy Conn was a great fighter and did what he had to do against Louis, Joe Louis did what he always did, fought his way and never missed an opportunity to take an opponent out
That is known as one of the great moments of sportsmanship when Louis let Conn regain his balance. What a great champion he was, but Joe was an even greater man.
Nice post. Joe certainly didn't come out in the 13th like he was a beaten fighter. Kudos to Billy for this amazing effort, but my opinion is that Joe was going to keep banging away on the much smaller man in the 14th and 15th until Billy was counted out. This was no lucky KO of a fighter who lost because he got careless. BTW, Joe was just as much a hero to white kids as to blacks according to my dad, a lifetime fight fan who was 15 when Joe became champ. For nearly the next 70 years: "so and so is a great fighter, but he's no Joe Louis." All of his friends and my uncles whenever they talked fighters felt the same way. They also loved Billy Conn, but Joe Louis helped lots of white kids through the Great Depression.
i am too young to have seen Louis fight, but I watch videos ( too much)!! Louis was economical with energy, Big, rangy and very powerful. But what strikes me is the compact, non-telegraphed, perfectly-timed, devastating short 16-20 inch blows which blasted guys into oblivion. WHAT a finisher. No haymakers guys can get ready for. Fast, powerful, surgical precision. No one in last 20 years could weather his style for long. Only Kovalev or maybe a bulked up Ward would have a decent chance. INHO
this made me cry. Joe Louis was without a doubt the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. What class the man possessed. What will. What desire. Just an amazing man. Billy Conn was just as great. He almost won but he made the fatal mistake of going toe to toe with the greatest finisher the sport has ever known.
Joe Louis was the perfect champion, conducted himself with dignity and honor and still ended up famous world wide, a True champion forever
Still one of the best documentaries, proud to be from the burgh
Louis may have been told by his managers to be a gentleman, but it was easy for him because he was a natural gentleman.
I wish fighters like this still existed. They had their own fighting styles, they didn't talk a lot of smack because they let their punches do all the talking. Both of these men were great!
Billy Conn a great role model for many Irish-Americans the world over. But lost to one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the ring, Joe Louis, on that night. Nothing to be ashamed of he fought a hell of a fight. They don't make fighters quite like these guys anymore.
excellent doc - really gives you a good feel as to what Louis was back then and how astonishing Conn's achievement was
That's what class is. Louis could have flattened him when he stood up after the slip and wouldn't have been disqualified but he had too much class. (
I agree man, history needs to remember Billy Conn...
Spectacular fighter, an inspiration of mine
Billy Conn had a beautiful style….
Billy Conn was a great fighter and did what he had to do against Louis, Joe Louis did what he always did, fought his way and never missed an opportunity to take an opponent out
That is known as one of the great moments of sportsmanship when Louis let Conn regain his balance. What a great champion he was, but Joe was an even greater man.
Nice post. Joe certainly didn't come out in the 13th like he was a beaten fighter. Kudos to Billy for this amazing effort, but my opinion is that Joe was going to keep banging away on the much smaller man in the 14th and 15th until Billy was counted out. This was no lucky KO of a fighter who lost because he got careless. BTW, Joe was just as much a hero to white kids as to blacks according to my dad, a lifetime fight fan who was 15 when Joe became champ. For nearly the next 70 years: "so and so is a great fighter, but he's no Joe Louis." All of his friends and my uncles whenever they talked fighters felt the same way. They also loved Billy Conn, but Joe Louis helped lots of white kids through the Great Depression.
Two of the GREATEST fighters ever!
This is the true definition of dareing to be great !!
YAY! What a treat. Thanks for uploading....
This was when fighters were fighters, not these pansy-ass crybabies today...Louis and Conn were both class acts...may they rest in peace.
Joe louis, "a credit to his race,,,the human race". What a perfect comment.
i am too young to have seen Louis fight, but I watch videos ( too much)!! Louis was economical with energy, Big, rangy and very powerful. But what strikes me is the compact, non-telegraphed, perfectly-timed, devastating short 16-20 inch blows which blasted guys into oblivion. WHAT a finisher. No haymakers guys can get ready for. Fast, powerful, surgical precision. No one in last 20 years could weather his style for long. Only Kovalev or maybe a bulked up Ward would have a decent chance. INHO
Joe Louis was a real gentleman