Billy Conn
Titles: Light-heavyweight champion from 1939-1940
Record: 63-12-1
Born: October 8, 1917 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA)
Years active: 1935-1948
Nickname:"The Pittsburgh Kid"
Conn will unfortunately go down in ring history for his loss to Joe Louis
with the Heavyweight title at stake. Ahead on points and boxing his way to
a victory Conn decided to go for a knockout and ended up on the wrong end
of it! Conn started his career at the age of 16 at the welterweight limit
and lost 6 of his first 14 fights. He worked hard to improve and with the
help of his trainer worked is way up the rankings. At middleweight he
defeated veterans Teddy Yarosz, Vince Dundee, Fred Apostoli and Fritzie
Zivic. Conn got his title shot at light heavyweight however where he out
boxed Melio Bettina and defended the title 3 times thereafter. He gave
up the light heavyweight crown for a shot at heavyweight champion Joe
Louis. Victories over the tough heavyweights Bob Pastor and Lee Savold
led to a title shot at Joe Louis. Conn gave a brilliant display of counter
punching before Louis knocked Conn out shortly before the bell sounded
ending round 13. Conn continued to fight until he entered the service in
1942. After his service stint ended he fought 4 more times, including a
bad rematch with Joe Louis and then decided to retire. Out of the ring
Conn would star as himself in a movie. Fleet feet, hard work and good
boxing skills allowed Conn to overcome his early setbacks, should be a
lesson to all fighters who start their career with little success.
Billy Conn
Career record: 63 W, 11 L, 1 D (14 K.O's)
1934
28 Jun Dick Woodward Fairmont, WV L 4
20 Jul Johnny Lewis Charleston, SC KO 3
30 Aug Bob Dronan Parkersburg, WV W 6
27 Sep Paddy Gray Pittsburgh, PA W 4
12 Nov Pete Leone Wheeling, WV KO by 3
1935
29 Jan Johnny Birek Pittsburgh, PA W 6
25 Feb Ray Eberle Pittsburgh, PA L 6
13 Mar Stanley Nagy Wheeling, WV W 4
8 Apr George Schlee Pittsburgh, PA KO 1
25 Apr Ralph Gizzy Pittsburgh, PA L 4
3 Jun Ray Eberle Millvale, PA W 6
10 Jun Ralph Gizzy Millvale, PA L 6
9 Jul Ray Eberle Millvale, PA W 6
19 Aug Teddy Movan Millvale, PA L 4
9 Sep George Leggins Pittsburgh, PA W 4
10 Sep Johnny Yurcini Washington, PA W 6
7 Oct Johnny Yurcini Johnstown, PA W 6
14 Oct Teddy Movan Pittsburgh, PA D 6
18 Nov Steve Walters Pittsburgh, PA W 6
1936
27 Jan Johnny Yurcini Pittsburgh, PA KO 4
3 Feb Kid Cook Pittsburgh, PA W 6
17 Feb Kid Cook Pittsburgh, PA W 8
16 Mar Steve Nickleash Pittsburgh, PA W 6
13 Apr Steve Nickleash Pittsburgh, PA W 6
27 Apr General Burrows Pittsburgh, PA W 6
19 May Dick Ambrose Pittsburgh, PA W 6
27 May Honeyboy Jones Pittsburgh, PA W 8
3 Jun Honeyboy Jones Pittsburgh, PA W 10
15 Jun General Burrows Pittsburgh, PA W 8
30 Jul Teddy Movan Pittsburgh, PA W 8
10 Aug Teddy Movan Pittsburgh, PA W 8
8 Sep Honeyboy Jones Pittsburgh, PA W 10
21 Sep Roscoe Manning Pittsburgh, PA KO 5
19 Oct Charlie Weise Pittsburgh, PA W 10
22 Oct Ralph Chong Pittsburgh, PA W 10
2 Dec Jimmy Brown Pittsburgh, PA KO 9
28 Dec Fritzie Zivic Pittsburgh, PA W 10
1937
11 Mar Babe Risko Pittsburgh, PA W 10
3 May Vince Dundee Pittsburgh, PA W 10
27 May Oscar Rankins Pittsburgh, PA W 10
30 Jun Teddy Yarosz Pittsburgh, PA W 12
13 Aug Young Corbett III San Francisco, CA L 10
30 Sep Teddy Yarosz Pittsburgh, PA W 15
8 Nov Young Corbett III Pittsburgh, PA W 10
16 Dec Solly Kreiger Pittsburgh, PA L 12
1938
24 Jan Honeyboy Jones Pittsburgh, PA W 12
4 Apr Domenic Ceccarelli Pittsburgh, PA W 10
10 May Eric Seelig Pittsburgh, PA W 10
25 Jul Teddy Yarosz Pittsburgh, PA L 12
14 Sep Ray Actis San Francisco, CA KO 8
27 Oct Honeyboy Jones Pittsburgh, PA W 10
28 Nov Solly Krieger Pittsburgh, PA W 12
1939
6 Jan Fred Apostoli New York, NY W 10
10 Feb Fred Apostoli New York, NY W 15
12 May Solly Krieger New York, NY W 12
13 Jul Melio Bettina New York, NY W 15
(Won World Light-Heavyweight Championship)
14 Aug Gus Dorazio Philadelphia, PA KO 8
25 Sep Melio Bettina Pittsburgh, PA W 15
(Retained World Light-Heavyweight Championship)
17 Nov Gus Lesnivich New York, NY W 15
(Retained World Light-Heavyweight Championship)
1940
10 Jan Henry Cooper New York, NY W 12
5 Jun Gus Lesnivich Detroit, MI W 15
(Retained World Light-Heavyweight Championship)
6 Sep Bob Pastor New York, NY KO 13
18 Oct Al McCoy Boston, MA W 10
29 Nov Lee Savold New York, NY W 12
1941
27 Feb Ira Hughes Clarksburg, WV KO 4
6 Mar Dan Hassett Washington, DC KO 5
4 Apr Gunnar Barlund Chicago, IL KO 8
26 May Buddy Knox Pittsburgh, PA KO 8
18 Jun Joe Louis New York, NY KO by 13
(For World Heavyweight Championship)
1942
12 Jan Henry Cooper Toledo, OH W 12
28 Jan J.D. Turner St. Louis, MO W 10
13 Feb Tony Zale New York, NY W 12
1942-1946. In the armed forces.
1946
19 Jun Joe Louis New York, NY KO by 8
(For World Heavyweight Championship)
1948
15 Nov Mike O' Dowd Macon, GA KO 9
25 Nov Jackie Lyons Dallas, TX KO 9