Adventures in Autographs "The Pittsburgh Kid" BILLY CONN Part I of II

[JimStinson]

Adventures in Autographs..."The Pittsburgh Kid" Billy Conn Part I

It almost doesn't seem possible but this past June 18th was the 72nd anniversary of one of the greatest heavyweight championship fights in boxing history, in 1941 the curly headed good looking former Light Heavyweight champion of the World Billy Conn squared off against the then invincible Joe Louis in what most who witnessed it would call "the greatest fight they ever saw" but more about that later.

After Joe Louis passed away in 1981 and with the advent of the Baseball card show just starting to become popular many former baseball greats began signing autographs at those shows in most cases for free to help boost attendance for the card collectors and to pick up some pocket money for themselves. As the shows grew in popularity and names like Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams became favorites , the idea facinated me that you could actually pay a few bucks , shake hands and get an autograph from one of these "Gods" of my youth. It was around that time I thought about Joe Louis I had seen him on TV ringside at the fights in Las Vegas he was usually brought to his seat in a wheelchair he'd be introduced prior to the main event and would nod his head at the applause and then one night just like that I heard he had passed, Gone ! an American legend.

It was sometime around then that I got an idea, I don't know if it was an original idea or maybe someone had done it before but I thought of actually contacting former athletes and celebrities directly and "going to them". We'd agree to a fee I'd pack my 8x10's and for a few hours I'd sit as they signed and spined their yarns about "the old days". I'd take a snapshot or two to hang on my wall and so that when I sold the autographed items potential buyers would KNOW I was actually there. Over the course of the next 15 years i became an American Airlines Platinum member logging over 60,000 miles a year and completing close to 200 private autograph signing sessions. This is the story of one of those signings.

Around 1990 I called Mary Louise who lived in Pittsburgh , she was the daughter of former major league baseball player Jimmy Smith aka Greenfield Jimmy who played in the major leagues from 1914-1922 and had died in 1974. She was the wife of the former Light Heavyweight champion of the World Billy Conn who's name was listed in the Pittsburgh phone directory. She was pleasent to speak to and was genuinely surprised someone would want to pay her husband to sign autographs. Although a local legend he was by then over 70 years old and largely forgotten except for one BIG fight.

I had heard the story told what seemed like a million times when I was growing up and even saw old films of it and now just writing about it the event seems surreal more like a Hollywood script than something that actually happened in real life. But Hollywood couldn't touch it because the events themselves that led to it simply do not lend themselves well to an adaptation of a true story which goes something like this. A popular blue color Irish kid from Pittsburgh decides to become a professional boxer and steps into the ring in 1934 and loses his first pro fight, a month later he knocks out Johnny Lewis in 3 rounds and proceeds to build a record including 47 wins beating former or future World Champions Fritzie Zivic, Solly Krieger & Fred Apostoli along the way. Then on July 30th 1939 in New York City he beats Melio Bettina to become the World Light heavyweight Champion, and in 1940 "Ring Magazine" names him "Fighter of the Year" surely no one in boxing's star was shining brighter than Billy Conn's in 1940 except for one man and his name was Joe Louis.

The sports world is clamoring for a fight between the popular new champ and the brown bomber , but behind the scenes Billy Conn's life is falling to pieces , his childhood sweetheart Mary Louise has been shipped away to Philadelphia by her father the former baseball player Greenwood Jimmy who despises Conn and at only 40 years old his beloved mother is dying of cancer. Enter promoter Mike Jacobs who signs Billy Conn and Joe Louis to fight for the heavyweight championship of the World. Never one to miss out on an easy buck, Jacobs and the rest of the sports world take little notice that Louis who has defended his title for a decade against any and all comers outweighs the irishman by almost 30 pounds ! After the weigh in for the June 18th 1941 match Jacobs is rumored to have said "This is homicide".

From the opening bell Billy Conn using a quick jab and superior footwork outboxed Louis. Winning almost every round. Louis stalked Conn attempting to land his lethal right hand. In the 12th round Conn shook Louis with vicious combinations and the champ appeared ready to fall at any moment. Coming into the 13th round with a secure lead Conn decided he'd finish what he'd almost accomplished in the prior round and instead of boxing Louis as he had done so successfully throughout the fight stood toe to toe in an attempt to knock him out. Joe had one opportunity to win that night and he took it by landing that big right hand, Conn fell not as if he had been knocked out but as if he had been shot probably never in the history of sports had the tide of victory turned so abruptly or so dramatically as it did that night. After the fight Billy was quoted as saying "Whats the sense of being Irish if you can't be dumb" , years later after both men had quit the ring Conn jokingly asked Louis why he didn't let him hold the World Title until the rematch and Louis told him "You had it for 12 rounds and you couldn't keep it"

Billy Conn's mother died shortly after the fight and days later he married Mary Louise against the wishes of her father. The much anticipated rematch came in 1946 and was the first nationally televised Heavyweight Championship bout. The event was anticlimatic. Unlike the first fight Conn was never able to gain an edge and in the 8th round Louis knocked him out. Although he would fight two more bouts after the Louis rematch his career was over and he retired to his home in Pittsburgh.

As I drove through the western Pennsylvania hillsides I was amazed at how green it was. farming communities dotted the landscape , I had always throught of Pennsylvania in terms of Philadelphia and Easton, Colorless , Dismal. The drive to Pittsburgh from Newark was a joy. I had brought my father along. It was only fitting as Conn was one of the heros of HIS youth and he had been one of the first to tell me of the indelible impression the first Louis vs Conn fight had made on him as it did on so many others of his generation.

To be continued....
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[Duluth Eskimo]

Well done as usual

[bigtrain]

Great story. Looking forward to Part II.

[thecatspajamas]

Hooray, more "Adventures in Autographs!" Looking forward to Part 2, and as always, thank you Jim for sharing your experiences!

[Lordstan]

Dude. Did I say before how happy I am to have you posting again?
These stories are some of the best stuff I get to read.
Thanks and keep them coming.
Mark

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[MooseDog]

Great writing as usual and glad to see you back. Look forward to the next chapter.

You wouldn't by chance have a pic of the "blue color Irish kid" in paragraph 5 would you? I don't usually play the role of a spelling-nazi but had to chuckle at that one...I always thought they were "green".

Cheers!

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by MooseDog

Great writing as usual and glad to see you back. Look forward to the next chapter.

You wouldn't by chance have a pic of the "blue color Irish kid" in paragraph 5 would you? I don't usually play the role of a spelling-nazi but had to chuckle at that one...I always thought they were "green".

Cheers!

...Good one didn't even notice until you mentioned it , I'm flattered though at least I know you READ it , for the record he was not blue colored. He was a Caucasian of Irish descent from a blue collared working class family.
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jim@stinsonsports.com