Was Joe Louis "avoiding" southpaws?

[Salardo]

I have a very rare interview of Joe Louis and Max Schmeling being interviewed ringside at the Ali-Mildenberger fight in Germany. Howard Cosell says to Louis that he didn't want to fight southpaws and especially Melio Bettina who was Light Heavyweight Champion like Billy Conn. Here is the interview:


Here is a newspaper article about Louis saying he once sparred a southpaw and then said he would never fight a southpaw:

(article was found by another boxing fan, not me.)

[Capaedia]

Bettina was irrelevant by the time Louis got back from the war. Before that, he wasnt a heavyweight player.

Had he been Louis contender during his active reign, he would be just a number on a record and someone else would be made out to have been avoided by Louis.

As it was, Conn beat Bettina and then Louis fought him instead. Maybe they shouldve fought too but for 17 years of unprecedented dominance, im willing to give him some leeway in not meeting ONE flavour of the month.




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[forget]

there weren't many south paws boxers back then in the pros. most were converted early in their career.