Show U SPEAK SPEAKING I NG OF SPORTS By ROBERT McSHANE Re ea esq by We W m em m N Un Union LOU 1 OU NOVA young California heavyweight who ho figures on tak taking mg the champ away aay a ay from Joe Louis September 19 is smart enough to laugh at reports that the champ has sl It Isn Ian t t impossible that Louis has slipped a bit After Arter hl his fight with Conn the Brown Bomber admitted that he lacked some of his Ius former sl Perhaps the complete lack of financial worries has dulled tI 11 e a urge to win But Lou s still Is Isa isa Isa a dangerous opponent After all he whipped Conn And champion championships championships championships ships go with victory Conn bewildered the champ for tor 12 rounds His super or speed enabled hIm to Lou s But Nova will bc be b forced to rely on a different type of offense and defense lie He t Conn s speed In fact not very many heavyweIghts have had the Pittsburgh lad s speed Nova can absorb punIshment intelligent and reasonably fast fast he should make things tough for Louis However he can t offord of af afford atford ford to let the champ hit him very often If Louis has slipped it will tell m in his speed He can st at U 11 out out- punch out p ch any current contender 11 Ii our open on Lou s greatest fight was his second encounter WIth Max MaC ng The big German was as one of the world s best heavy we a former champion and a ar ar ar r val who had knocked h m out in m 1 re I I It II II t I 1 I 1 w R M xv I LOU NOVA I their previous battle battle Before the opening bell of that second fight dle died t tout out Louis Lows had sprung across the ring like a jungle cat Brushing aSIde s defense Low clubbed him punched hum him and mauled him hun There was no stopping this fighting machine In lIttle lIttlemore littlemore littlemore more than two minutes the fight was os o er er Worlds World's Greatest For those exciting seconds Louis was probably the greatest fighter the world has ever known That known That was Joe Louis Lows at his peak No heavyweight champ on has defended defended de defended fended h b s crown as often and as successfully u as Louis During hIS last few tew ew battles he be t dIsplayed the old urge to destroy his opponent m in the shortest possible t me But ut that doesn t mean he is through It s largely a matter of contrast He doesn t appear to be the fighter he was three years ago and unquestionably unquestionably he isn t But he doesn t have to be the fighter he was ill in 1938 to whip most of ot the present day heavyweIght hopefuls There is a chance that he be may have dropped back further than we know but that Is still a guess The two month rest may work wonders for Louis It may remove the stale staleness staleness staleness ness which has bas been accumulating during the past year Joe Is too much of a fighting man mannot mannot mannot not to take his work seriously Also he is smart enough to know that I Nova will do everything he can to get himself in perfect physical con condition condition for tor their match Just a few years ago Max Mat Baer another Californian was headed for a match with Ith Louis That was back on September 24 1935 Baer the ring s most ardent playboy re- re refused refused re refused fused to do any serious training He Be hated to leave the bright lights for some remote training spot He Be lasted last last- lasted lasted ed ed slightly more than three rounds Conscientious Trainer There s 5 no danger of at that with Nova He likes lilies solItude and seems to enjoy the rigors of training The dour giant is lS part Scotch Irish German and Italian And he loves to fight He has a deter amounting to stubbornness but he always has a definite goal in mind and unlimited faith in his abil ability ability Ity to reach that goal At the present time his one burn burning burnIng bag ing ambition Is to meet and beat Louis for tor the heavyweight crown croWD lie believes he be can do it But Dot whether whether er he can or not you can be sure he on on t I fall for lack 1 of s effort or nr preparation His willingness to prepare so thor thoroughly thoroughly thoroughly for tor the fight will be a o bIg help but Lou must still attain more elusIveness on defense There s another angle that mayor may or ormay ormay may not mean much Joe and hIS managers realize that the Nova en entanglement entanglement entanglement may be the Bomber s last title bout Chang ng world orld cond con cond cond upheaval d lions can cause many In the sports spotts spot ts world It s only natural tha that t Joe would 1 ke to rL retire tire an un undefeated undefeated undefeated defeated cl champ n that fact nr n ay spark park Joe to at leas lea leaa leasta a fair lair sen bias blai ce of his Jure grea greatness |