Arizona Republic

26 November 1940

Popular Al McCoy, Listed As Louis' Next Victim,

May Prove  Surprise In Clash With Heavy Champion

 Boston, Nov 25 –

Al McCoy is listed as Joe Louis’s next victim at the Boston Garden  December 16, and undoubtably will be,  but the  But the Dorchester-Maine boy is no Paycheck.

Louis will have to whip McCoy. The challenger's knees won't clatter in his corner.

McCoy, a native of Winslow Me., has performed in every division – from flyweight to heavyweight. Carpentier perhaps is the only other fighter who did that.

McCoy started young— at 26 years of age, he is a veteran of 11 years of warfare and 150 glove duels. He is the roly-poly type – always has been that way. even as little fellow. His best weight now is 185 pounds. He has a rather unorthodox style, but boxes very well. He is cool and courageous – can take it and dish it out. He has never lost on a foul, is popular in Boston and is credited with having kept The game alive there throughout two different periods.

McCoy’s real name is Florin Alfred LeBrasseur. His father is a French-Canadian, his mother Irish. His ring moniker is derived from his  middle and his mother's maiden name. His wife is the sister of Verne Olsen, bright pitching prospect of the Chicago Cubs, and Heinie Olsen, the wrestler.

McCoy is managed by Bill Brennan, a Lynn, Mass., printer, with whom he started and with whom he will finish. Tell-tale ears are all that mark him as a fighter. In all his engagements—against the most formidable welter, middleweigh and light-heavyweights, McCoy lost no more than 15 decisions and.was knocked out only once—by six-foot, 5 ½ -inch Andre Lenglet in the second stanza in Montreal three years ago. He got even with the huge Frenchman in Boston two weeks later, dealing him the beating of his life.

McCoy is one of the very few to hold  decision over Tommy Loughran. He faced the Philadelphia master twice within a month in 1935 obtaining a draw the first trip. One of the most industrious workmen, McCoy muffed a grand opportunity at Madison Square Garden late in 1935, when he unwisely whittled down to fight a middleweight only to discover that he was meeting a light-heavyweight in capable Jock McAvoy. At that he came up from an early knockdown to have the Englishman hanging on in the final heats.

During the past year, McCoy has knocked out Nathan Mann and repulsed Buddy Knox

and Melio Bettina. He lost disputed decisions to Solly Krieger and Billy Conn.

The result of the Krieger scrap is no recommendation, for the Brooklyn war-horse was shopworn but McCoy obtained the shot at Louis on the strength of his showing against Conn. Not a few who were there contend that had the light-heavyweight leader been penalized a couple of rounds for low blows, as he easily might have been in New York, McCoy would have been entitled to the verdict

McCoy is determined to surprise everyone in the Louis fight. This he can do by stirring

up the slightest trouble for the heavyweight champion. Boxing men say McCoy really

should have held some title a some time or other, but breaks simply didn't come his way.

It's a bit late for Al McCoy to expect one now — in a match with Joe Louis

end