Comrade Lesnevich?

[robert.snell1]

The Clearfield Progress PA
15 November 1939

Comrade Lesnevich Has Punchers Chance Against Billy Conn


NEW YORK ,Nov, 14—

Who is this Gus Lesnevich who fights William Conn at the Garden, Nov. 17, and What chance has he, if any?

Billy Conn; much the taller, should successfully defend his World light-heavyweight. leadership by outspearing Gustav George Lesnevich in 15 rounds.

Comrade Lesnevich is, however, the hardest hitter the handsome Pittsburgh kid has tackled. The Russian is a two-fisted swatter . . . has flattened opponents with both fists.

It was only last June in Nutley, in his native New Jersey, that Comrade Lesnevich put a lily in the hand of skinny Dave Clark,, whom Joe Louis and his handlers were booming as the 175-pound foreman. Get-Up-and- Go Gus starched Clark in Round One with a right to the whiskers.
Louis worked in Clark's corner. Smoky Joe's only remark was: "Boy, that Lesnevich looked like me in the second Schmelling fight!".

Comrade 'Lesnevich pitched a left to halt Young Stuhley on the coast. Comrade Lesnevich has a pip of a straight right to the body, a punch which few warriors throw effectively. Because of Conn's defensive style, in which the Irishman keeps his left very high to protect what Will Gibson used to call the old potato, Comrade Lesnevich figures to have ample opportunity to land this blow, which is parked under the heart.

CLEVER CONN CANT
AFFORD TO LET DOWN

Comrade Lesnevich long has been the No. 1 man of the National Boxing Association and, is. accepted by the New York Commission and most other fistic bodies as the leading contender.
Conn will have to be as good as he ever was . . . a little, bit better than he was in his second scrap with Melio Bettina . . . to top Comrade Lesnevich.

In addition to the authority in his Dukes, Comrade Lesnevich is strong, fast -and thoroughly courageous he can travel 15 rounds at full speed ...has a roomful of stamina.

Comrade Lesnevich, once worked in a sugar refinery and later in a cooper shop, hammering iron hoops on barrel staves. He also toiled in an ice plant, stacking and loading cakes of the stuff. ' ,
He played end and halfback with a semi-professional football team, was a third baseman and a catcher in baseball, competed as a swimmer in amateur meets and at one time served as a triple-threat in his mother's restaurant; He was chef, waiter and bouncer.

FIRST GLOVES CAME
WITH SOAP COUPONS

Comrade Lesnevich was born at Cliff side Park, N. J., just a few steps from Joe Schenck's Palisades Park, across the Hudson from New York, which is where his mother ran the
restaurant. The date of his birth is Feb. 22, 1915. He attended grade school at Cliff side Park and for a while attended Cliffside Park High School.

Get-Up-and-Go Gus started boxing in back of his mothers restaurant with gloves obtained by his
brother, Walter, ( with several thousand soap coupons. )

Comrade Lesnevich had his first amateur fight in 1932 when he was 17 and weighed 153.
A fractured wrist suffered when he slipped off a trapeze in the high school gymnasium forced him to abandon his simon-pure .swatting .proclivities for.a spell, but he returned to wind up his-amateur career by winning in a New York Golden Gloves inter-city tournament. He has fought professionally in Florida, California and Australia.

He has just one bad habit. He is a motorcycle speed demon. His manager, Joe Vella, took the machine away from Comrade Lesnevich after the battler crashed into a trolley. The trolley crashed into him, says Comrade Lesnevich.

But. Comrade Lesnevich -tells the Cockeyed world that he'll crash into Billy Conn; on Nov..17.

[HomicideHenry]

Lesnevich was one of my favorites, and he had the look of a tough able bodied bastard to have done the job against Conn, considering his beaten concave nose and gnarled puffed up ears. Unfortunately, he was too battled scarred and worn by the time he fought Conn, imo, least to be competiting with fast light heavyweights any more.

His move to HW the following year was a smart one, but he remained to stay in the 175 pound division as well, facing the likes of the mob controlled Billy Fox, Freddie Mills and Joey Maxim. But after Conn, like I said, he never was quite the same fighter. His well reknowned toughness, unfortunately, didnt hold up against such men as Bruce Woodcock and of course, HW champion Ezzard Charles.

[Robinson]

I always love to read what you put up Rob.

I would love to have watched this fight.

[My2Sense]

Lesnevich once blew through Melio Bettina in a round, and basically ended his days as a top contender. That's really a shocking and mind-boggling achievement.


How close were the Conn fights, and how exciting were they?

[My2Sense]

But after Conn, like I said, he never was quite the same fighter. His well reknowned toughness, unfortunately, didnt hold up against such men as Bruce Woodcock and of course, HW champion Ezzard Charles.

He also had been inactive for about 3-4 years before that while in the army.

[clubberlang]

Cool article.

Just happened to be reading about Gus last night, did you know that following his knockout wins over Mauriello, Fox & Bettina that he was actually considered to be a threat to Joe Louis (which is crazy when you look at his pre 1949 record). Still I can appreciate a time when a loss was put down to an off night and didn’t spell the end of your career.

[jimglen]

"a loss" not just solely an 'off ' night, but also a time when losses were excepted and expected and as you said Clubber, "didn't spell the end of your career..." such was the level of competition!

Lesnevich was by no means a lesser fighter after Conn, he was still and always top draw as was 'most' of his comp, anyone of them capable of winning or lossing to the other, back & forth, including Conn.

[robert.snell1]

Cool article.

Just happened to be reading about Gus last night, did you know that following his knockout wins over Mauriello, Fox & Bettina that he was actually considered to be a threat to Joe Louis (which is crazy when you look at his pre 1949 record). Still I can appreciate a time when a loss was put down to an off night and didn’t spell the end of your career.

nice input mate. can you send me any material you have as i did not find a lot on him

[robert.snell1]

"a loss" not just solely an 'off ' night, but also a time when losses were excepted and expected and as you said Clubber, "didn't spell the end of your career..." such was the level of competition!

Lesnevich was by no means a lesser fighter after Conn, he was still and always top draw as was 'most' of his comp, anyone of them capable of winning or lossing to the other, back & forth, including Conn.

thanks Jim