What if Billy Conn wins the Joe Louis fight?? In reality: Louis v Conn I is on June 6, 1941 A rematch was arranged almost immediately, but before the fight could be held, Conn met another opponent who slowed his return to the ring. A longstanding feud between Conn and his father-in-law, former boxer Jimmy Smith, flared up when Conn and his wife, Mary Louise, took their newly christened child to the Smith home. Smith took a swing at Conn and the younger man retaliated with a blow to Smith's head. Conn suffered a broken left hand. After the hand healed, but before the Louis match could be rescheduled. Then in early 1942, Conn fights Henry Cooper (1/12/42), Jay D. Turner (1/28/42 ), and Tony Zale ( 2/13/42 ) over a one month period. Meanwhile, Louis defends against Lou Nova (9/29/41) & Buddy Baer (1/9/42) In 1942, Conn beat Tony Zale and This content is protected World War II was at one of its most important moments, however, and both Conn and Louis were called to serve in the Army. Conn went to war and was away from the ring until 1946. Would Conn, as Champion, & Louis "rematched" in early 1942, or would have Conn taken the Nova & BBaer defenses in 1942, and made Louis wait until 1946 when Conn came home from WW2?
I think that if Conn had edged Louis, the money for a rematch with Louis would have been overwhelming! It would probably have broken box office records, and Conn would have ended up signing on the dotted line!
Conn would have become a mega star over night .He'd have being all over the place ,TV ,radio newspaper interviews .His gift of the gab would have helped. They would have compared him with greats of the past ,giving him a great shot at beating Johnson, Dempsey ,Tunney etc.Conn woulda lapped it up .He'd have being seen with the top movie stars of the day ,men and women would have adored him Then in a record busting rematch ,with Conn installed as slightly favorite to beat Joe again ,and some saying that Billy would ko the Brown Bomber this time .. Louis would put out the performance of his life. Conn would find a Louis hell bent on revenge. Joe would hammer Billy in to a bloody wreck in 6round's with Conn never even winning a round . Normal business resumed .
All of this. And we'd be having 100-page 1941 Conn v. [insert modern big heavyweight] threads. And many boxing folks likely would have seen it as proof that Louis loses to Corbett and Tunney.
I rate Louis at no. 1 all-time at heavyweight and a big part of that is his unbeaten, unbroken title run. I know a lot of people (and I used to be one of them) rate Ali at no. 1 and for good reason - although likely different criteria - but I feel Louis’ dominance earns him the top spot. But if Conn had won their first fight, it would undoubtedly affect Louis’ all-time standing in the division and Conn would rank higher than now on all-time p4p lists. I see what @Fergy wrote as a spot-on summary of what would have happened if Conn had beaten Louis and I also agree that Louis would have emphatically regained the title in an immediate rematch and continued his run until WW2 intervened.
Conn reign as champion until after war . they fight June 1941 & war happening for USA December Lou Nova another golden boy at time . could be Conn v Nova before rematch with Louis. or Louis v Nova in eliminator ? & plan for winner to big outdoor challenge in stadium with Conn summer of the 1942. interrupted plan by war. Joe Louis fade into oblivion during war as ex chdmpion. great chdmpion but yesterday's news
The original plan was to match Conn against Nova, with the winner getting Louis. In the end Louis's people decided that there was more money to be made defending against both. You are right to identify Conn Nova as being one of the fights that this scenario might have opened the way for. The question is whether Conn's people would see Nova as a threat to derail their big payday in the Louis rematch.
