Billy Conn vs Joe Louis - The Best Losing Performance?

Yeah, as much as I love Arguello, I've always felt that that fight was pretty one-sided (4-5 rounds in favour of Pryor as you say). I think he was getting a bit of home cooking to have been given that many rounds.

 

Certainly one of the best losing challengers - aswell as Tommy Farr against Louis too - I personally don;t think Louis' title was anything near as bad as the 'bum-of-the-month' brigade like to make out - Walcott's first fight against Louis was another of the best ever losing challengers aswell - in my book he actually won that one and then Louis became the first to regain the title in their rematch haha

 

It was a close fight depending on your scoring criterea, I score for clean effective punching and ring generalship, 2 things Arguello did well. Larry Merchant had it similar, so did the judges in fact (not that that means much as one of them at least was incompedant)

I think it is very unfair to dismiss other peoples opinions on this fight as it was a close bout, and beleive me I have watched it heaps and heaps of times and always had a similar scorecard.

 

Conn/Louis 1941...Here's my take on thie remarkable fight...for over seven years joe Louis was considered unbeatable...A lean and muscular puncher with the greatest punching leverage,ever seen on a heavyweight champion.Powerful and destructive combination puncher who flattened such giant as Abe Simon, Buddy Baer, Max Baer,etc. I remember as a young boy,how Louis was held in AWE...His opponent lightheavyweight Billy Conn,who beat all his opponents as Melio Bettina,Gus Lesnevich, Bob Pastor,Gunnar Barlund, Lee Savold,etc... Conn was a great fighter,that fateful night June 18,1941,bur at only 169 lbs,Billy had to avoid the Brown Bombers lethal fists...Conn did just that for most of 12 rounds,boxing and outpunching Louis for a good part of the fight,until a frantic Louis caught Billy with thosequick and powerful shots that ko,d Conn in the 13th round...I strongly doubt that any other 169 pound fighter in all boxing history,would have put up the great fight against the great Joe Louis, that the great light heavyweight Billy Conn, that great night in 1941...One for the ages I say...

 

...Maybe its unfair, I just don't understand where your coming from. Help me out. Elaborate. Pryor lands 15-20 punches in a round, Alexis lands one big right hand and that's supposed to give him the round?

 

Given the weight diference, and Louis's status relative to opther fighters his weight, you could make a case for it being the best p4p performance won lost or drawn.

 

i had it close but clear for pryor myself. the momentum had shift slightly to arguello but the rounds were still in pryor's favour

 

LaPorte vs Sanchez & Chavez. He was as tough as they come.
How about recently in Taylor-Froch?

 

Frazier-Ali 3
Cotto-Margarito

 

That was a classic, I met Billy in Atlantic City, I think it was after the Holmes/Scott Frank fight. Still looked like a fit and tough guy. Louis was the greatest and Billy gave it a go. Billy was teasing Joe about a rematch and said he would win it next time, Joe said you had it for 13 rds and couldn't keep it......Brown Bomber was the man in everyway

 

Some modern fans,don't understand the subtle but significance meaning of the Louis/Conn fight...It wasn't that Billy Conn gave all the great destructive punching Joe Louis, could handle,for13 rounds alone...It was Billy Conn was 169 pounds that night.that was so special...A smallish lightheavy,against arguably the greatest puncher that the heavyweights ever produced...That made Conn a legend.....

 

When it comes to Alexis Arguello, I'd say that Ruben Olivares put up a great losing effort against him. Olivares seemed like he had the fight in control until the 13th round when Alexis caught him.

 

Nice one, GreatA.

How about Pintor vs Gomez? Nelson vs Sanchez?