The Brown Bomber vs. The Pittsburgh Kid
Friday, February 9, 2024
“He can run, but he can’t hide.” – Joe Louis
Joe Louis, known as the “Brown Bomber,” uttered these words to the press shortly before his heavyweight title bout with challenger Billy Conn on June 19, 1946. The two boxers had met in the ring once previously on June 18, 1941. Conn, nicknamed “The Pittsburgh Kid,” had recently given up his world light heavyweight title so he could face Joe Louis for the heavyweight crown.
In their first match, the much lighter and quicker Conn surprised everyone by outmaneuvering Louis and was ahead on points after 12 rounds of the 15-round fight. However, instead of protecting his lead, Conn foolishly tried to knock Louis out in the 13th round. Instead, Louis managed to KO Conn to retain his title.
After the bout, Conn told the media that "I lost my head and a million bucks." When asked by a reporter why he went for the knockout, Conn replied famously, "What's the use of being Irish if you can't be thick?”
Their 1946 rematch, which took place at Yankee Stadium, was the first heavyweight title fight to be broadcast live on TV. Age and military service during World War II had visibly diminished the skills of both men and the results were similar with Louis delivering a knockout punch in the 8th round.
Hiding from Joe Louis’s powerful left jab and devastating right hook was virtually impossible inside a 14’ by 14’ ring as his opponents soon discovered. Even more impossible however, is trying to hide from an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God.
Adam and Eve tried it in the Garden of Eden, and it didn’t work. God even found Jonah inside a great fish and Elijah inside a small cave. Here is how King David described the futility of hiding from God.
“Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me”— even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” Psalm 139:7-12 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
