Louis Downs Another

Last February, when Chilean Arturo Godoy, a punchinello without a punch, lasted 15 rounds against Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis, most fight fans were less surprised than disgusted by the challenger's tactics of crawling around out of harm's way. Last week, in New York City's Yankee Stadium, Joe Louis faced the Chilean again in what Broadway wags called the "Second Battle of Squat Tag."

Fight fans saw a slight improvement on the first: a more aggressive Louis, less befuddled by his ring mate's antics; a more upright Godoy, less bent on self-preservation. For six rounds, iron-jawed, oak-legged Godoy, his left eye dripping blood from a first-round bombardment, stuck close to his adversary, withstood his short-range punches. But, in the seventh, he succumbed. In the eighth, Godoy was knocked down again for a count of eight, and a few seconds later, still charging crazily like a wounded bull, collapsed from exhaustion.

In 47 professional fights, last week's performance was Louis' 39th knockout, his eleventh successful defense (a record) of the title he took from Jim Braddock just three years ago.

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