78 years ago

Date: 19th June 1946

Venue: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York

Title: World Heavyweight Title

Promoter: Mike Jacobs

Tv: NBC

Joe Louis
( 54 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 207 lbs

Billy Conn
( 61 - 10 - 1 )
Weight: 182 lbs

The rematch between Billy Conn and Joe Louis on June 19, 1946, at Yankee Stadium, was one of the most anticipated World heavyweight title fights in history. This fight, officially billed as the 22nd defence of Louis's World Heavyweight Championship, was the first world heavyweight title fight broadcast on television, courtesy of NBC.

The backdrop to this epic showdown was as dramatic as the fight itself. Both fighters had been inactive for more than four years, with their careers interrupted by their service in the military during World War II. Despite the layoff, the anticipation for their rematch was sky-high. Their first encounter in 1941 had been a boxing classic, with Conn, the lighter man by 25 pounds, using his speed and boxing skills to outmanoeuvre Louis for much of the fight before being caught and stopped in the 13th round. The rematch, however, came with its narrative twists.

Joe Louis, the "Brown Bomber," entered the ring as a solid 3½ to 1 favourite. At 207 pounds, Louis was at his physical prime, a devastating combination of power and precision. His opponent, Billy Conn, weighed in at 182 pounds, a light heavyweight champion who had captivated the boxing world with his daring attempt to dethrone the heavyweight king in their first meeting. The stakes were high, and the stage was set for another classic confrontation.

The fight attracted a massive crowd of 45,266 spectators, generating a gross gate of $1,925,504. Louis's share was a handsome $577,700, while Conn received $289,000. Despite the financial success and the historic nature of the broadcast, the rematch failed to live up to the electrifying standard set by their first encounter. The bout was marked by Conn's strategy to move and box, avoiding Louis's power, while Louis pursued his elusive target around the ring. It was a tactical affair, lacking the dramatic exchanges that had defined their first fight.

The turning point came in the eighth round. Louis, ever the patient hunter, finally caught Conn with a devastating right cross, staggering the challenger. Sensing the end was near, Louis unleashed a barrage of punches, culminating in a right uppercut and a left hook that sent Conn to the canvas, unable to beat the referee Eddie Joseph's count. It was a definitive conclusion to their storied rivalry.

The fight's aftermath saw a dejected Billy Conn contemplating retirement, only to reverse his decision shortly after, with aspirations for a third bout against Louis that never materialised. Instead, Conn's subsequent performances in November 1948, both victories by knockout, would be his last forays into the ring before retiring for good.