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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia\'s quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (January 2007) |
For other uses, see Joe Louis (disambiguation).
| Joe Louis | |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Joseph Louis Barrow |
| Rated at | {{{weight}}} |
| Reach | 193 cm (76 in) |
| Nationality |  American
|
| Birth date | 13 May 1914 |
| Birth place | La Fayette, Alabama, USA |
| Death date | 12 April 1981 (aged 66) |
| Death place | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 71 |
| Wins | 68 |
| Wins by KO | 54 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), best known as Joe Louis and nicknamed The Brown Bomber, a long-time resident of Detroit, Michigan, is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions who has ever lived. He held the title for over 11 years, recording 25 successful defenses of the title. In 2003, Ring Magazine rated Joe Louis No. 1 on the list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. In 2005, Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization.International Boxing Research Organization (March, 2005). All Time Rankings. Retrieved on October 14, 2006. He participated in 27 heavyweight championship fights, a record which still stands.
In the turbulent era before World War II, he became a national hero for both black and white America. A Trinidadian writer, C.L.R. James characterized Louis as "a credit to his race — the human race."
Contents |
Joe Louis Barrow was born on May 13, 1914, in La Fayette, Alabama, the seventh son out of eight children. The grandson of slaves,and son of Barry Barrow, a sharecropper, and Lilly Louis, he had a successful and lucrative amateur career which he ended with winning Michigan\'s Golden Gloves title. He turned professional in 1934, making his debut on July 4 of that year, knocking out Jack Kracken in the first round at Chicago, Illinois. He won 12 fights that year, all in Chicago, 10 by knockout. Among his opponents in 1934 were Art Sykes and Stanley Poreda.
Originally, Joe\'s trainer, Jack Blackburn, wanted him to only fight other African-American boxers. Joe decided to ignore this advice and fought white boxers as well.
Louis vs. Schmeling, 1936
In 1935, Louis fought 13 times, creating an extraordinary sensation. He knocked out his first world champion, former world heavyweight champion, the 6\'5\' 265 pound Primo Carnera, in six rounds. Louis then knocked out the iron-chinned former heavyweight champion Max Baer in four rounds. Before losing to Louis, Baer had been knocked down only once, by Frankie Campbell. Louis also knocked out Paolino Uzcudun, who had never been knocked down or out before Louis KO\'d him.
In his next fight, he was matched with former world heavyweight champion Max Schmeling. Although not considered a threat, the German had studied Louis\' style intently, and believed he had found a weakness. By exploiting Louis\' habit of dropping his left low after a jab, Schmeling handed Louis his first loss by knocking him out in round 12 in Yankee stadium.
Louis, despite the loss, was awarded a title shot by champion James J. Braddock after negotiations with Madison Square Gardens number 1 contender Schmeling broke down. Braddock, looking to retire on a large payoff, was promised a more lucrative fight with the Brown Bomber after Louis bounced back up the pecking order by knocking out former champion Jack Sharkey.
Schmeling (and the German government) were furious, and insisted that a win over highly ranked Sharkey did not reverse the Louis defeat by Schmeling, which was considered a title eliminator. The matter was settled in court, and Madison Square Garden and Schmeling lost. The fight was staged in Chicago, and Braddock\'s heavyweight championship would be up for grabs. Despite a knock down in round 1, Louis defeated the "Cinderella Man" by KO in round 8. Joe Louis was heavyweight champion of the world.
The rematch between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling is one of the most famous boxing matches of all time, and is remembered as one of the major sports events of the 20th century. Following his defeat of Louis in 1936, Schmeling became a national hero in Germany. Schmeling\'s victory over an African-American man was touted by Nazi officials as proof of their doctrine of "Aryan superiority."
When the rematch was scheduled, Louis retreated to his boxing camp in upstate New York and trained incessantly for the fight. A few weeks before the fight, Louis visited the White House, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt told him, "Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany." Louis later wrote in his autobiography, "I knew I had to get Schmeling good. I had my own personal reasons and the whole damned country was depending on me."
When Schmeling arrived in New York in June, 1938, for the rematch, he was accompanied by a Nazi party publicist who issued statements that a black man could not defeat Schmeling, and that when Schmeling won, his prize money would be used to build tanks in Germany. Schmeling\'s hotel was picketed by anti-Nazi protesters in the days before the fight.
On the night of June 22, 1938, Louis and Schmeling met for the second time in the boxing ring. The fight was held in Yankee Stadium before a crowd of 70,043. It was broadcast by radio to millions of listeners throughout the world, with radio announcers reporting on the fight in English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. Before the bout, Schmeling weighed in at 193 pounds; Louis weighed in at 198¾ pounds.
The fight lasted two minutes and four seconds. Louis battered Schmeling with a series of swift attacks, forcing Schmeling against the ropes and giving him a paralyzing body blow. (Schmeling later claimed it was an illegal kidney punch.) Schmeling was knocked down three times, and only managed to throw two punches in the entire bout. On the third knockdown, Schmeling\'s trainer threw in the towel and referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight.
Louis\'s victory was seen as a major victory for America. The German press recounted Schmeling\'s story that Louis had won the bout thanks to an illegal kidney punch. But in America, and throughout the world, Louis\'s victory was seen as a major rebuff of German claims of racial superiority.
From December 1940 to March 1942, when his career was interrupted by World War II, Louis defended his title ten times, a frequency unmatched by any heavyweight champion since the end of the bareknuckle era. His nearly-monthly fights against every challenger, and his convincing wins, earned his opponents the unfair group nickname "Bum of the Month."
In all, Louis made 25 defenses of his heavyweight title from 1937 to 1949. He was a world champion for 11 years and 10 months. Louis set records for any division in number of defenses and longevity as world champion non stop, and both records still stand. His most remarkable record is that he knocked out 23 opponents in 27 title fights.
Other notable title defenses before Louis enlisted were:
Louis served in the Army from 1942 to 1945 and spent that period traveling around Europe visiting with the troops and boxing in exhibitions. During this time, he donated over $100,000 awarded to him from these fights to the Army and Navy Relief Funds to show his support for the U.S. war effort.
When asked about his decision to enter the racially-segregated U.S. Army, Louis\'s explanation was simple: "Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain\'t going to fix them." During his time in the army, Louis used his connections in the State Department to get his friend Jackie Robinson and several other black soldiers admitted into Officers\' Candidate School — a favor for which Robinson was especially grateful. Louis himself received the rank of Sergeant, and was awarded the Legion of Honor medal for his service.
Louis became a national spokesman for the Army, encouraging African-American men to enlist in the Armed Services, in spite of the racial segregation. He became a highly-visible symbol of the contributions of African-American soldiers to the war effort.
In 1943, Louis made an appearance in the wartime Hollywood musical This Is the Army, directed by Michael Curtiz. Louis appears as himself in a musical number, "The Well-Dressed Man In Harlem," which emphasizes the importance of African-American soldiers, and promotes their enlistment.
Joe Louis\' headstone in Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1946, following his war service, Louis returned to the ring for a rematch against Billy Conn. He won by a knockout in the eighth round. In 1947, Louis faced Jersey Joe Walcott. During the fight, Walcott scored two knockdowns over Louis but lost a disputed decision. In a rematch held in 1948, Walcott again knocked Louis down, but the aging Louis came on to knock out Walcott in the 11th round.
On March 1, 1949, Louis announced his retirement from boxing. In his matches with Conn and Wolcott, it became obvious that he was no longer the fighter he once had been. In 1951, plagued by debts to the IRS, Louis attempted a comeback. He fought Ezzard Charles, but lost on a decision after a 15-round bout. In October, 1951, Louis faced Rocky Marciano, and was knocked out in the eighth round. Afterwards, Louis retired for good from boxing.
In 1952, Louis was invited to play in the San Diego Open on a sponsor\'s exemption, and became the first African American ever to play in this PGA Tour event.Lerner, Rich (November 12, 2007). The Brown Bomber\'s Green Legacy. The Golf Channel. A few years after his retirement, a movie about his life, The Joe Louis Story, was filmed in Hollywood. The role of Louis was played by fighter Coley Wallace. Louis became a professional wrestler in 1956, but retired in 1957 due to injuries suffered during a match.
By the end of the 1950s, Louis had owed over $1 million in taxes. To bring in money, Louis appeared on quiz shows. Old army buddy Ash Resnick gave him a job welcoming tourists to the Caesar\'s Palace hotel in Las Vegas, where Ash was an executive, just so Louis could make ends meet. Louis developed a friendship with former rival Max Schmeling in their retirement, and Schmeling offered financial assistance to Louis during this period.Bloomberg. Max Schmeling, Joe Louis\'s Friend and Foe, Dies at 99 February 4, 2005.
Louis remained a popular celebrity in his twilight years. He was good friends with notorious heroin dealer Frank Lucas, who paid off a $50,000 tax lien for him and wept when he died, calling him "my daddy." [1]
Eventually, Louis\'s health began to deteriorate to the point where he had to be in a wheelchair. Louis suffered a stroke a year before his death and eventually his heart gave out."[citation needed]
Joe Louis died at age 66 of a heart attack in Desert Springs Hospital in 1981. Ronald Reagan waived the eligibility rules for burial at Arlington National Cemetery,[citation needed] and Louis was buried there with full military honors on April 21, 1981.Peters, James Edward (2000). Joe Louis (Barrow), "The Brown Bomber," Heavyweight Champion of the World. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America\'s Heroes. Woodbine House. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. Published on the Official website of Arlington National CemeteryJoe "The Brown Bomber" Louis. Find-A-Grave. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. It has been rumored that his funeral was paid for by a former competitor, Max Schmeling, though recent biographies claim this is false. His life and his achievements prompted famed New York sportswriter Jimmy Cannon to write "Joe Louis is a credit to his race - the human race." He believed that boxing was his only way of life.
Joe Louis lives on in popular memory. Among other contributions, Louis coined two of boxing\'s most famous quotes: "He can run, but he can\'t hide" and "Everyone has a plan until they\'ve been hit."[citation needed] In 1936, a beat writer for the Winnipeg Tribune used Joe Louis\'s nickname to refer to the Winnipeg Football Club after a game. From that point, the team became known popularly as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Congressional Gold Medal in 1982
Memorial in Detroit.
Louis was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given by the U.S. legislative branch, in 1982. Congress stated that he "did so much to bolster the spirit of the American people during one of the most crucial times in American history and which have endured throughout the years as a symbol of strength for the nation." He has a sports complex named after him in Detroit, the Joe Louis Arena, where the Detroit Red Wings play their NHL games. A memorial to Louis was dedicated in Detroit (at Jefferson Avenue & Woodward) on October 16, 1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Time, Inc. and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot high pyramidal framework. It represents the power of his punch both inside and outside the ring. Joe Louis is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
A street near Madison Square Garden is named after Joe Louis. In 1993, he became the first boxer to be honored on a postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
| 69 Wins (55 knockouts, 13 decisions, 1 disqualification), 3 Losses (2 knockouts, 1 decision) [2] | |||||||
| Res. | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes | |
| Loss | Rocky Marciano
| KO | 8 (10) | 1951-10-26 | Madison Square Garden, New York | ||
| Win | Jimmy Bivins
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1951-08-15 | Baltimore, Maryland | ||
| Win |  Cesar Brion
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1951-08-01 | San Francisco, California | ||
| Win | Lee Savold
| KO | 6 (15), 2:29 | 1951-06-15 | Madison Square Garden, New York | ||
| Win |  Omelio Agramonte
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1951-05-02 | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Win | Andy Walker
| TKO | 10 (10), 1:49 | 1951-02-23 | San Francisco, California | ||
| Win | Omelio Agramonte
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1951-02-07 | Miami, Florida | ||
| Win | Freddie Beshore
| TKO | 4 (10), 2:48 | 1951-01-03 | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Win | Cesar Brion
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1950-11-29 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Loss | Ezzard Charles
| Decision (unan.) | 15 (15) | 1950-09-27 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Fight was for World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Jersey Joe Walcott
| KO | 11 (15) | 1948-06-25 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title; Louis retired and relinquished the title on March 1, 1949 | |
| Win | Jersey Joe Walcott
| Decision (split) | 15 (15) | 1947-12-05 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Tami Mauriello
| KO | 1 (15), 2:09 | 1946-09-18 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Billy Conn
| KO | 8 (15), 2:19 | 1946-06-19 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Johnny Davis
| TKO | 1 (4), 0:53 | 1944-11-14 | Buffalo, New York | non-title fight | |
| Win | Abe Simon
| TKO | 6 (15) | 1942-03-27 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Buddy Baer
| KO | 1 (15), 2:56 | 1942-01-09 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Lou Nova
| TKO | 6 (15), 2:59 | 1941-09-29 | New York City | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Billy Conn
| KO | 13 (15), 2:58 | 1941-06-18 | New York City | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Buddy Baer
| Disqualification | 7 (15) | 1941-05-23 | Washington, D.C. | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Tony Musto
| TKO | 9 (15), 1:36 | 1941-04-08 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Abe Simon
| TKO | 13 (20), 1:20 | 1941-03-21 | Detroit, Michigan | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Gus Dorazio
| KO | 2 (15), 1:30 | 1941-02-17 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Red Burman
| KO | 5 (15), 2:49 | 1941-01-31 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Al McCoy
| TKO | 6 (15) | 1940-12-16 | Boston, Massachusetts | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win |  Arturo Godoy
| TKO | 8 (15), 1:24 | 1940-06-20 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Johnny Paychek
| TKO | 2 (15), 0:41 | 1940-03-29 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Arturo Godoy
| Decision (split) | 15 (15) | 1940-02-09 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Bob Pastor
| KO | 11 (20) | 1939-09-20 | Detroit, Michigan | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Tony Galento
| TKO | 4 (15), 2:29 | 1939-06-28 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Jack Roper
| KO | 1 (10), 2:20 | 1939-04-17 | Wrigley Field, Los Angeles | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | John Henry Lewis
| KO | 1 (15), 2:29 | 1939-01-25 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win |  Max Schmeling
| KO | 1 (15), 2:04 | 1938-06-22 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Harry Thomas
| KO | 5 (15), 2:50 | 1938-04-01 | Chicago, Illinois | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | Nathan Mann
| KO | 3 (15), 1:56 | 1937-02-23 | Madison Square Garden, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win |  Tommy Farr
| Decision (unan.) | 15 (15) | 1937-08-30 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Retained World Heavyweight title | |
| Win | James J. Braddock
| KO | 8 (15) | 1937-06-22 | Chicago, Illinois | Won NBA and NYSAC World Heavyweight titles | |
| Win | Natie Brown
| KO | 4 (10) | 1937-02-17 | Kansas City, Missouri | ||
| Win | Bob Pastor
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1937-01-29 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | ||
| Win | Steve Ketchel
| KO | 2 (4), 0:31 | 1937-01-11 | Buffalo, New York | ||
| Win | Eddie Simms
| TKO | 1 (10), 0:26 | 1936-12-14 | Cleveland, Ohio | ||
| Win | Jorge Brescia
| KO | 3 (10), 2:12 | 1936-10-09 | Hippodrome, New York City | ||
| Win | Al Ettore
| KO | 5 (15), 1:28 | 1936-09-22 | Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia | ||
| Win | Jack Sharkey
| KO | 3 (10), 1:02 | 1936-08-18 | Yankee Stadium, New York | ||
| Loss | Max Schmeling
| KO | 12 (15), 2:29 | 1936-06-19 | Yankee Stadium, New York | ||
| Win | Charley Retzlaff
| KO | 1 (15), 1:25 | 1936-01-17 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win |  Paulino Uzcudun
| TKO | 4 (15), 2:32 | 1935-12-13 | Madison Square Garden, New York City | ||
| Win | Max Baer
| KO | 4 (15) | 1935-09-24 | Yankee Stadium, New York | ||
| Win | King Levinsky
| TKO | 1 (10), 2:21 | 1935-08-07 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | .svg/58px-Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg) Primo Carnera
| TKO | 6 (15), 2:32 | 1935-06-25 | Yankee Stadium, New York | ||
| Win | Gene Stanton
| KO | 3 (6) | 1935-05-07 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | ||
| Win | Willie Davies
| KO | 2 (6) | 1935-05-03 | Peoria, Illinois | ||
| Win | Roscoe Toles
| KO | 6 (6) | 1935-04-25 | Flint, Michigan | ||
| Win | Biff Bennett
| KO | 1 (6), 2:26 | 1935-04-22 | Dayton, Ohio | Billed in an exhibition | |
| Win | Roy Lazer
| KO | 3 (10), 2:26 | 1935-04-12 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Natie Brown
| Decision (unan.) | 10 (10) | 1935-03-29 | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Win | Don Barry
| TKO | 3 (10) | 1935-03-08 | San Francisco, California | ||
| Win | Lee Ramage
| TKO | 2 (10), 2:11 | 1935-02-21 | Los Angeles, California | ||
| Win |  Hans Birkie
| TKO | 10 (10), 1:47 | 1935-01-11 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | ||
| Win | Patsy Perroni
| Decision | 10 (10) | 1935-01-04 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Lee Ramage
| TKO | 8 (10), 2:51 | 1934-12-14 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Charley Massera
| KO | 3 (10) | 1934-11-30 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Stanley Poreda
| KO | 1 (10), 2:40 | 1934-11-14 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Jack O\'Dowd
| KO | 2 (10) | 1934-10-31 | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Win | Art Sykes
| KO | 8 (10) | 1934-10-24 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Adolph Wiater
| Decision | 10 (10) | 1934-09-26 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win |  Al Delaney
| TKO | 4 (10) | 1934-09-11 | Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Win | Buck Everett
| KO | 2 (8) | 1934-08-27 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Jack Kranz
| Decision | 8 (8) | 1934-08-13 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Larry Udell
| TKO | 2 (8) | 1934-07-30 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win | Willie Davies
| KO | 3 (6) | 1934-07-12 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Win |  Jack Kracken
| KO | 1 (6) | 1934-07-04 | Chicago, Illinois | ||
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
| Preceded by James J. Braddock | Heavyweight boxing champion 1937–1949 | Succeeded by Ezzard Charles |
| Preceded by Dizzy Dean | Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 1935 | Succeeded by Jesse Owens |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Louis, Joe |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Barrow, Joseph Louis (full name)could he beat 50 cent |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American boxer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 14, 1914 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | LaFayette, Alabama, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 12, 1981 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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