Conn vs Qawi

[Rusty Tromboni]

I get it, the go-to, knee-jerk pick is COnn.

But Qawi, I think, has the exact style to really, really trouble Conn.

He's like Krazy Glue. He sticks all over you. He's almost as adhesive as Harada; no were near as busy, but much stronger.

Conn is the smaller man here against the best Qawi - Conn,at his best, was a big Middleweight, Qawi, at his best, was a Cruiserweight.

Who's your pick and why?

[KIT CARSON]

Conn was head shoulders above qwai. Look at the opp. And wins and loses

[Rusty Tromboni]

Conn was head shoulders above qwai. Look at the opp. And wins and loses

And styles make fights.

And size matters.

Two outta 3.

Qawi could get inside and bully a guy. Neither was a big puncher, so this is one where every round of 15 matters.

No one Conn fought, even if they're a tier or 5 above Braxton in talent, had Qawi's style.


It's funny. Qawi's career began when Conn's had, for all intents and purposes, finished: 24 years old. Both could have done so much more, but really did accomplish a lot in a comparatively short amount of time.

I'd give Moore a good chance at beating Conn, too. Again, not the guy I would put my money on, but I'd pick him before I would pick fighters "better" than him because his style (sound defense, supplmented by KO counter-punching) looks ideal for exposing Conn's short-comings.

I dunno how Conn can keep Qawi off him, and being bullied by Qawi could cost him on the scorecards, even if he dishes out most of the punishment.

It's a better version of Ali-Frazier.

[clemenza]

If the Fight was in Rahway state prison I would take the Camden Buzz saw.
But being inside the ring I would take Conn via Dec. Ya know Billy Conn was quite the outlaw himself he just never got too caught up in the streets like Dwight. Very similar fighters though, a lot more than you would think.

[billeau2]

I get it, the go-to, knee-jerk pick is COnn.

But Qawi, I think, has the exact style to really, really trouble Conn.

He's like Krazy Glue. He sticks all over you. He's almost as adhesive as Harada; no were near as busy, but much stronger.

Conn is the smaller man here against the best Qawi - Conn,at his best, was a big Middleweight, Qawi, at his best, was a Cruiserweight.

Who's your pick and why?

Its a great point. Im going Knee Jerk here. Good fight! Not easy by any stretch... Might be a bit of a barn burner at times, but Conn was a fantastic fighter with mobility that could IMO overcome Qawi's assault.

in this fight it is one of those that might be hard to choose, but the facts from which to draw are indisputable and make it an easy lead up to the decision: Does Conn's mobility triumph over Qawi's assault?

[Rusty Tromboni]

If the Fight was in Rahway state prison I would take the Camden Buzz saw.
But being inside the ring I would take Conn via Dec. Ya know Billy Conn was quite the outlaw himself he just never got too caught up in the streets like Dwight. Very similar fighters though, a lot more than you would think.

Well said. But Conn was so cagey and nasty, the last place I would want to meet him is some place where the gloves are off and rules don't apply. Those fast hands would be lethal with anything sharp.

[Rusty Tromboni]

Its a great point. Im going Knee Jerk here. Good fight! Not easy by any stretch... Might be a bit of a barn burner at times, but Conn was a fantastic fighter with mobility that could IMO overcome Qawi's assault.

in this fight it is one of those that might be hard to choose, but the facts from which to draw are indisputable and make it an easy lead up to the decision: Does Conn's mobility triumph over Qawi's assault?

Well said.

Qawi's performances against Holyfield and Foreman factor into my consideration quite a bit. And I really do believe that the one-sidedness of his fight with Spinks was owed to his mismanaged his weight cut. Both he a Spinks were natural Cruiserweights/very small Heavyweights, and I very much suspect that fight would have been more competitive if they weren't confined to 175 pounds. In either event, you can't hold to the loss to Spinks as evidence supporting Conn, as the Pittsburgh Kid didn't have Spinks' size and sharp-shooter power.

On the other hand, as you mention, Conn had great wheels: none of those guys moved anything like Conn.

It's just that while Billy was very mobile, he wasn't a Pastrano or Machen-in-retreat by any means ( guys I would pick to out-run Qawi). He liked to fight on the inside. His bread and butter was making exits on angles and resetting his attack. He was like an Usyk in reverse. I actually suspect that had A LOT to do with his low KO ration - his movement and body attack kept him from sitting down on his punches and teeing off on his opponent's dome.

I really don't doubt that it's possible, but I am not terribly confident that he can play matador to Qawi's pressure.

[billeau2]

Well said.

Qawi's performances against Holyfield and Foreman factor into my consideration quite a bit. And I really do believe that the one-sidedness of his fight with Spinks was owed to his mismanaged his weight cut. Both he a Spinks were natural Cruiserweights/very small Heavyweights, and I very much suspect that fight would have been more competitive if they weren't confined to 175 pounds. In either event, you can't hold to the loss to Spinks as evidence supporting Conn, as the Pittsburgh Kid didn't have Spinks' size and sharp-shooter power.

On the other hand, as you mention, Conn had great wheels: none of those guys moved anything like Conn.

It's just that while Billy was very mobile, he wasn't a Pastrano or Machen-in-retreat by any means ( guys I would pick to out-run Qawi). He liked to fight on the inside. His bread and butter was making exits on angles and resetting his attack. He was like an Usyk in reverse. I actually suspect that had A LOT to do with his low KO ration - his movement and body attack kept him from sitting down on his punches and teeing off on his opponent's dome.

I really don't doubt that it's possible, but I am not terribly confident that he can play matador to Qawi's pressure.

I like the comparison with Usyk, and yeah Billy used the Angles. On a technical note, it took me many years to realize something about angles: You get a lot more out of them when you initially create a distance between yourself and the opponent. This distance allows a set up. Otherwise your still in a defensive position and mindset, as opposed to setting a trap. Yet sometimes one must move immediately at an angle, it can save your life in fact.

One of my teacher told the story of how years and years of turning at in the right direction, at the right angle saved his bacon. It was a very unpleasant occurance where 3 men had attacked him at a flyer's game. One guy lost an eye, the other guy was paralised, and the third guy had slashed my teacher on the neck...As my teacher put it, the cut missed his carteroid artery by millimeters, because of the direction of his head turn, and because of the angle he took. Lol, just an unpleasant aside.

[Anthony342]

I like the comparison with Usyk, and yeah Billy used the Angles. On a technical note, it took me many years to realize something about angles: You get a lot more out of them when you initially create a distance between yourself and the opponent. This distance allows a set up. Otherwise your still in a defensive position and mindset, as opposed to setting a trap. Yet sometimes one must move immediately at an angle, it can save your life in fact.

One of my teacher told the story of how years and years of turning at in the right direction, at the right angle saved his bacon. It was a very unpleasant occurance where 3 men had attacked him at a flyer's game. One guy lost an eye, the other guy was paralised, and the third guy had slashed my teacher on the neck...As my teacher put it, the cut missed his carteroid artery by millimeters, because of the direction of his head turn, and because of the angle he took. Lol, just an unpleasant aside.

In Philadelphia? I'm not surprised? Even if not, if there are any fans from there, they are savages. Let's not forget they once pelted snowballs at a Santa Claus in a 1968 Eagles home game, booed Destiny's Child during halftime at a Sixers game and decided to boo every comic off the stage during the Virus Comedy Tour in 2007 until Boston's own Bill Burr used all of his stage time to fire back at them, telling them how terrible their sports teams are, wishing horrible things for them and how much of a travesty it was that they built a statue for Rocky Balboa, a fictional boxer, decades before they ever built one for a real life Philadelphia boxing great, Joe Frazier. Or at that time, I don't think they had even put up the Frazier statue yet.

[billeau2]

In Philadelphia? I'm not surprised? Even if not, if there are any fans from there, they are savages. Let's not forget they once pelted snowballs at a Santa Claus in a 1968 Eagles home game, booed Destiny's Child during halftime at a Sixers game and decided to boo every comic off the stage during the Virus Comedy Tour in 2007 until Boston's own Bill Burr used all of his stage time to fire back at them, telling them how terrible their sports teams are, wishing horrible things for them and how much of a travesty it was that they built a statue for Rocky Balboa, a fictional boxer, decades before they ever built one for a real life Philadelphia boxing great, Joe Frazier. Or at that time, I don't think they had even put up the Frazier statue yet.

Yup...thats Philly!