What makes Billy Conn great?

Grimm · Post by **Grimm** » 27 Feb 2010, 13:06

I think I may be the only person that doesn't agree with his greatness.

The more I think about it the more I find him to be overrated.

His best performance is being knocked out by Joe Louis.

Can someone explain to me why he is looked at so highly?

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 13:15

I will be happy to do that once you first explain

why you know so little about boxing and yet post on a "boxing" website.

Grimm · Post by **Grimm** » 27 Feb 2010, 13:38

granberry wrote:I will be happy to do that once you first explain

why you know so little about boxing and yet post on a "boxing" website.

I am asking a question pertaining to boxing on a boxing forum am I in the wrong place?

Why don't you tell me what Harold Johnson thinks about this?

Or tell me some more about how Ali wasn't a great fighter.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 13:49

Tell us WHY you 'think' Conn wasn't a good fighter.

LOL

Grimm · Post by **Grimm** » 27 Feb 2010, 13:52

granberry wrote:Tell us WHY you 'think' Conn wasn't a good fighter.

LOL

I never said that Conn was not a good fighter.

I believe Conn is overrated and does not deserve to be mentioned along with the elite.(Langford,Charles,Moore etc.)

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 27 Feb 2010, 14:10

If you don't feed the rodeo clown he goes away eventually . . .

To me, the Louis performance is just icing on the cake. As a middleweight he beat HOFers Fritzie Zivic, Teddy Yarosz and Young Corbett III. When he moved up to his best weight, light heavy, he really came into his own and NEVER lost at 175- with victories over great fighters such as Fred Apostoli, Melio Bettina, Tony Zale and Gus Lesnevich. THen he goes up to heavyweight and beats a slew of contenders including Gus Dorazio, Gunnar Barlund, Lee Savold and Bob Pastor.

Incredible fighter with a top-notch resume filled with victories over HOFers and above middleweight only lost to Joe Louis . . . not too shabby. Do I rate him over the 3 fighters you mentioned?-Moore,Charles and Langford-no but he's a clear top 10 light heavyweight.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 14:27

Tell what is wrong with Conn as a fighter, LOL

Did he have a poor defense?

LOL

Did he have poor footwork?

LOL

Did he have a poor left jab?

LOL

Did he have poor stamina?

LOL

Did he have a poor ability to tie opponents up inside?

LOL

Did he have poor opposition?

LOL

Did he do poorly in important fights?

LOL

Tell us all about it, genius.

ThatOne · Post by **ThatOne** » 27 Feb 2010, 14:40

Even though he lost to Louis he was making Louis look foolish until Louis knocked him out. I can't believe how flustered Joe Louis was by a boxer who used movement.

slakka · Post by **slakka** » 27 Feb 2010, 15:12

As much as I deeply respect Johnny Ray Billy coudda been managed into an even better prime than the incredible one he had at the too young pre-prime age of only 23.

Grimm · Post by **Grimm** » 27 Feb 2010, 15:16

dempseyfire wrote:If you don't feed the rodeo clown he goes away eventually . . .

To me, the Louis performance is just icing on the cake. As a middleweight he beat HOFers Fritzie Zivic, Teddy Yarosz and Young Corbett III. When he moved up to his best weight, light heavy, he really came into his own and NEVER lost at 175- with victories over great fighters such as Fred Apostoli, Melio Bettina, Tony Zale and Gus Lesnevich. THen he goes up to heavyweight and beats a slew of contenders including Gus Dorazio, Gunnar Barlund, Lee Savold and Bob Pastor.

Incredible fighter with a top-notch resume filled with victories over HOFers and above middleweight only lost to Joe Louis . . . not too shabby. Do I rate him over the 3 fighters you mentioned?-Moore,Charles and Langford-no but he's a clear top 10 light heavyweight.

He has some nice wins in his career but at light-heavyweight his accomplishments seem a bit short when compared to other greats.

What would you say his best win at light-heavyweight was?

TheGreatA · Post by **TheGreatA** » 27 Feb 2010, 16:12

He was an amazing fighter who I think actually gets underrated more often than not.

How many light heavies could have stayed in there with a prime Joe Louis for 13 rounds and actually have had the better of the battle until then?

He took apart the underrated heavyweight Bob Pastor with body blows, being the only man to stop him outside of Joe Louis. Lee Savold, Gunnar Bärlund and Gus Dorazio were also ranked heavyweights that Conn beat. Beat the next light heavyweight champion Gus Lesnevich twice. Beat the underrated southpaw light heavyweight Melio Bettina twice. Beat middleweight king Fred Apostoli twice. Easily won a decision over reigning middleweight champ Tony Zale. Competed with the likes of Young Corbett III, Teddy Yarosz, Solly Krieger, Vince Dundee, Babe Risko, Fritzie Zivic, Oscar Rankin while only 19 years of age.

I imagine his resume would have been even better if not for the war.

TheGreatA · Post by **TheGreatA** » 27 Feb 2010, 16:17

Grimm wrote: He has some nice wins in his career but at light-heavyweight his accomplishments seem a bit short when compared to other greats.

What would you say his best win at light-heavyweight was?

What was Sam Langford's best win at light-heavyweight?

Grimm · Post by **Grimm** » 27 Feb 2010, 16:20

TheGreatA wrote:
Grimm wrote: He has some nice wins in his career but at light-heavyweight his accomplishments seem a bit short when compared to other greats.

What would you say his best win at light-heavyweight was?
What was Sam Langford's best win at light-heavyweight?

I would say it's quite tough to determine because he fought 100 years ago and many things are still undocumented.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 17:22

Grimm wrote:
TheGreatA wrote:
Grimm wrote: He has some nice wins in his career but at light-heavyweight his accomplishments seem a bit short when compared to other greats.

What would you say his best win at light-heavyweight was?
What was Sam Langford's best win at light-heavyweight?
I would say it's quite tough to determine because he fought 100 years ago and many things are still undocumented.

Beautiful answer from grimm's vast fund of knowledge.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 17:29

TheGreatA wrote:He was an amazing fighter who I think actually gets underrated more often than not.

How many light heavies could have stayed in there with a prime Joe Louis for 13 rounds and actually have had the better of the battle until then?

He took apart the underrated heavyweight Bob Pastor with body blows, being the only man to stop him outside of Joe Louis. Lee Savold, Gunnar Bärlund and Gus Dorazio were also ranked heavyweights that Conn beat. Beat the next light heavyweight champion Gus Lesnevich twice. Beat the underrated southpaw light heavyweight Melio Bettina twice. Beat middleweight king Fred Apostoli twice. Easily won a decision over reigning middleweight champ Tony Zale. Competed with the likes of Young Corbett III, Teddy Yarosz, Solly Krieger, Vince Dundee, Babe Risko, Fritzie Zivic, Oscar Rankin while only 19 years of age.

I imagine his resume would have been even better if not for the war.

Conn's resume couldn't be any better.

Do you think Billy Conn could have lasted more than 90 seconds against Mike Tyson?

"All time great" (LOL cough, cough) Michael Spinks lasted for all of 90 seconds against Tyson.

That includes the ten count.

Goodnight, Irene · Post by **Goodnight, Irene** » 27 Feb 2010, 19:18

There is way, way too much emphasis on the first Louis fight.

People should shelve it for a while, & look at his sterling career as a whole --- hell, that wasn't even his peak weight!

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 19:19

Goodnight, Irene wrote:There is way, way too much emphasis on the first Louis fight.

People should shelve it for a while, & look at his sterling career as a whole --- hell, that wasn't even his peak weight!

True.

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Feb 2010, 19:23

CONN-APOSTOLI weigh in.

Look how tall Conn is.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 28 Feb 2010, 17:52

How many here have read "Sweet William" THE LIFE OF BILLY CONN? It's an interesting read, and your doubts may be erased by the knowledge revealed in the book.

Ambling Alp · Post by **Ambling Alp** » 28 Feb 2010, 18:42

No, I haven't read that book. does it go into great detail about many of his fights?

Specifically, fights against Fritzie Zivic, Teddy Yarosz, Young Corbett III.

I agree with Goodnight Irene that way too much is made about his first fight with Joe Louis and not enough about the rest of his career. That was just one fight, as important as it was. He had an extensive middleweight career that you don't hear enough about. Actually he fought in that weight class for the majority of his career.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 28 Feb 2010, 20:55

CNorkusJr · Post by **CNorkusJr** » 26 Mar 2010, 00:09

Former heavywt contender Charley Norkus, Melio Bettina,and Billy Conn

NY City 1981

enrique · Post by **enrique** » 31 Mar 2010, 16:47

I met him at Hank Kaplan's house about twenty years ago.

Was he great? There were no alphabet belts at the time and less than a dozen men walked the earth calling themselves champions.

And he was one of them.

Senya13 · Post by **Senya13** » 01 Apr 2010, 12:25

enrique wrote:Was he great? There were no alphabet belts at the time

There were.

Crease · Post by **Crease** » 02 Apr 2010, 06:48

Conn is great because: His skill, footwork and composure.

And he was always willing to fight anyone.

What makes Billy Conn great?

What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?

Re: What makes Billy Conn great?