Ranking Billy Conn's 10 Best Wins

So here's what I have for Billy Conn. Please, let me know what you think.

One rule: No repeating opponents.


1. 1940: Bob Pastor - W-KO-13

2. 1937: Teddy Yarosz (2nd meeting) - W-SD-15

3. 1939: Fred Apostoli (2nd meeting) - W-UD-15

4. 1939: Gus Lesnevich (1st meeting) - W-UD-15

5. 1938: Solly Krieger (2nd meeting) - W-UD-12.

6. 1939: Melio Bettina - W-UD-15

7. 1937: Young Corbett III - W-UD-10

8. 1936: Fritzie Zivic - W-SD-10

9. 1940: Lee Savold - W-UD-12

10. 1937: Oscar Rankins - W-SD-10


Honorable mentions:
1942: Tony Zale - W-UD-12
1937: Babe Risko - W-UD-10

 

Some tidbits:

I went with the second fight with Teddy Yarosz at No.1. Most reports suggest Yarosz deserved most of the early rounds but I'll live with the 'W' for Conn considering all agree he finished the stronger of the two.

A 19-year-old doing that to a guy like Yarosz and giving him the beating he did in the final couple of rounds (a month after going 10 rounds with Young Corbett III, no less) is just astonishing.

 

I feel Conn's KO over Pastor could go even higher. This was Conn's first HW bout since officially moving up and became just the second and final man to KO Pastor who hasdn't lost since challenging Joe Louis' title less than a year prior.

How do you feel about the Zale win? Conn was obviously already established at HW (albeit a very small one) but Zale was still only a MW. I put it at 10 just for Zale's name.

 

I'm going back and forth with Risko and Savold.

On one hand (Risko), you have: A 19-year-old Conn completely outboxing a quality opponent who literally just challenged for the world title.

But on the other (Savold)—Conn overcomes a 12-pound weight advantage and easily takes care of a Top 10 HW. I'm going with Savold for now based on the good upside Savold still had and the weight advantage Conn overcame.

But I can be persuaded.

 

Hell yeah it was. I think I glossed over the win in '38 and penciled down the one in '39.

So we have a 21-year-old Conn "clearly" beating Krieger (coming off that big win over Hostak) over 12 big-boy rounds. That's got to go at least No.4, right?

 

Noted. Will raise.

 

I can live with that. Risko would win just one more fight (a shot Gorilla Jones).