Joe Louis (1914 - 1981) rocks Jersey Joe Walcott with a powerful right New York. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Before Muhammed Ali, a single name ruled over boxing history: Joe Louis. The People’s Champion himself said of Louis, “I just give lip service to being the greatest. He was the greatest.” A final professional record of 68-3 with 54 knockouts alongside his 12-year streak as heavyweight champion backs up that lofty title. However, the way the greatest fighters and boxing historians speak of Louis truly rubber-stamps his place in history.
The “Brown Bomber” also won a symbolic victory against the Nazis, served his country, and scared the living daylights out of many a fighter. Here are some highlights from the life of Joe Louis who, the famed cornerman Angelo Dundee called, “the finest human being God put on this earth in every way.”
“When you’re a great finisher, you’ll become popular. Joe Louis was a great finisher.†Mike Tyson
Fork In The Road
A rather portentous decision to take boxing classes instead of violin lessons took Louis down the road of fame and fortune. Undoubtedly, his mother forgave him for reappropriating her hard-earned money as his amateur career immediately took off. He won Detroit’s Golden Gloves light-heavyweight title barely out of his teenage years. Before he turned pro, he won 50 of 54 matches, 43 by knockout. Boxer Tommy Farr said of the up-and-comer, “Every time I hear the name Joe Louis my nose starts to bleed.”
Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling a fight many dubbed between democracy and fascism. Getty
Heavyweight Champ
Three years after entering the big time, Louis took down James J. Braddock in a fight that would become the subject of Russell Crowe’s “Cinderella Man.” He became the first African American heavyweight champ in 22 years and a symbol for black people across the country. His victory rang especially true during the Depression Era when minorities were commonly “the last hired, the first fired.”
Schmeling handed Louis is first professional defeat and Louis was determined to pay him back.
A Boxing Legend
When you want to know the true measure of an athlete, ask his peers. The answers you get when asked about Louis hint at his terrifying array of skills. Max Baer defined fear as “standing across the ring from Joe Louis and knowing he wants to go home early. He hit me 18 times while I was in the act of falling.”
The one and only George Foreman said, “There’s never been a boxer better than Joe Louis. You’d take one shot from him and you were sure he’d have seven or eight more coming for you. Certainly, Muhammad Ali was the greatest man ever to fight, but not the greatest boxer.” And the sports writer James Cannon most eloquently related, “He was a credit to his race – the human race…”
Louis did his part and more during WWII. lettersfromasoldier
Fight Of The Century
In ‘38 he faced his biggest challenge yet in a fight against Hitler’s handpicked example of Aryan perfection, Max Schmeling. The German had defeated Louis two years earlier while the specter of World War II hung in the air. In front of over 70,000 people at old Yankee Stadium, Louis knocked Schmeling in just two minutes and four seconds.
The resounding win was heralded as a victory over fascism and overnight Louis became a national hero. Afterward, the German spoke highly of Louis despite the intense animosity between countries, “Joe Louis is the hardest puncher that I've ever seen... He's a good man. Anyone who plans on beating him had better know what they're doing.”
Meeting the heavyweight champ back then was better than meeting the President.
A Shining Example
As World War II continued to rage on unabated, Louis stepped in to do his part. He donated $100,000 to the war effort which in today’s money amounts to roughly $1.8 million! The heavyweight champ also participated in dozens and dozens of exhibition matches for over 2 million soldiers!
Sadly, like many athletes before and after him, Louis ran into money troubles later in life due to unpaid taxes and falling victim to drug addiction. Nevertheless, President Ronald Reagan posthumously granted him a special dispensation to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery as befitting his larger-than-life status.
