In a world with no Joe Louis, how great could Conn have been?

[lufcrazy]

So Conn had a great run as a MW contender and a dominant run as a LHW champ before losing his HW title shot in a dramatic come from behind knockout in arguably the greatest losing performance in history.

If we remove Joe Louis from the timeline here, Could Conn have been HW champ? could he have defended it pre war and could he have defeated Bivins, Walcott and Charles post war?

which HW's would you have favoured Conn from that time?

And of course, had he been hw champ with successful defences, just how great could he have gone on to be?

[SLAKKA]

Conn insiders will always tell you Billy motivated vs Billy unmotivated was night and day so this is actually a good question.

[PowerPuncher]

It depends who the champion is, Conn in a way got a very good style match up against Louis who could be ponderous with his movement. He'd do well against bigger slower men, unless they caught up to him ofcourse or just mauled him

I think larger pure boxers would handle him with relative ease. So I think Charles/Walcott both beat him.

It's certainly no given that he wins the title

[janitor]

I honestly think Conn would have been heavyweight champion, if Louis had not been born.

Hard to see who else would have beaten him, unless he had come up againt a very bad sylistic match up.

What relay ruined Conn's resume was not Louis, but the war. He lost his best years to the war, and would have built an incredible resume with or without wining the heavyweight title.

[janitor]

Originally Posted by PowerPuncher

I think larger pure boxers would handle him with relative ease. So I think Charles/Walcott both beat him.

It's certainly no given that he wins the title

He would likley have had the title long before they were in a position to derail him.

[lufcrazy]

well the top guys round about this time were godoy, baer, galento, franklin, braddock simon and schmelling.

would any of those be rightful favourites over the Conn that so nearly dethroned Joe Louis?

the two germans have the best chance but time is on Conn's side here.

I think after the war, Jersey would have beaten him but I think bivins would have slipped sufficiently for Conn to overcome his challenge.

[janitor]

This is what Conn would be up against:






1940 [Only registered and activated users can see links. ], Champion

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1941 [Only registered and activated users can see links. ], Champion

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1942 [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]*, Champion

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He likley makes his move in 1941. With Louis out of the picture it is hard to see who the champion is, but the top three fighter that year are Pastor (who he beat), Betina (who he beat) and Franklin (who Pastor beat). That looks prety good for him, but those rankings reflect the fact that Louis had eliminated some key players, notably Godoy. You are also going to have Lou Nova at the top of the rankings in 1941, and no Louis to eliminate him. It should also be noted that Louis nipped Buddy Baer 's rise in the bud, and he would have been a very bad stylistic match for Conn.

So who holds the crown when Conn makes his move?

Probably either Pastor Godoy or Nova.

[McGrain]

Even if Louis didn't exist he would KTFO Billy Conn.

[lufcrazy]

Originally Posted by McGrain

Even if Louis didn't exist he would KTFO Billy Conn.

[McGrain]

You know it's true Luf!! You know its true.

[lufcrazy]

Originally Posted by McGrain

You know it's true Luf!! You know its true.

come on McG give it a go, assuming Joe Louis isn't around, how do you see the title picture and Conn's place in it?

[McGrain]

In the situation you describe this ghostly figure KTFO Billy Conn:

[McGrain]

Guys, that photoshop was a lot of effort?




Interestingly, he might have had to take out Pastor to get the title. No probs there.

[lufcrazy]

great artistry there mcg!

[frankenfrank]

He would have been KOd by Cream / Wright / Bivins / Marshall / Charles or even much earlier by Nova / Baer / Braddock / Sharkey / 1 of those or even their predecessors .

N over8ed fighter .

Louis was another circus show , a showbiz stunt , needed 4 American propaganda and nationalism . Like Schmelling was 4 Hitler .

Clay , William Harison , Joe Louis , Max Schmelling , Billy Conn were all hype jobs . Of course that they had a clue about fighting , but they were not any better , and sometimes even much worse than much more obscure and lowly regarded fighters whom get dissed by d homo erotic worshipers in this type of forums .