 |
| Joe Louis (acrylic on canvas) 48" x 48" |
Joe Louis had a reputation rare to most fighters. He was viewed as a modest, hardworking and clean living person, who followed the rules of the game…as well as the rules for a black man in the game at his time in history.
The American “white press” promoted him a positively as
possible for the times, nicknaming him: the “Mahogany Mauler,” “Chocolate
Chopper,” “Coffee-Colored KO King” and “The Brown Bomber.” Louis was considered
a “defender” of the people by much of the international community when he defeated
the Italian heavyweight, Prima Carnero, in 1935, an act that symbolized a
defeat for the Mussolini regime.
As number one contender for the heavy weight title, Louis
was matched within the former heavy weight champion Max Schmeling in 1936, but
received his first professional loss when he received a knockout at the hands
of the German in round 12.
Schmeling expected
that after his victory against Louis, he would get a title shot against
James Braddock, “The Cinderella Man” who had recently won the title away from
Max Baer. But Louis’ Manager Mike Jacobs had already struck up a deal with
Braddock’s manager for a fight between the Brown Bomber and the heavyweight
champion, a deal that left Schmeling without a chance at the title.
On the night of June 22, 1937, after a Round 1 knockdown by
Braddock, Louis inflicted constant punishment on the champion that resulted in a
knockout by Louis in the eighth round when the referee called the fight.
Despite being awarded the championship, Louis never felt
vindicated by the loss against Schmeling in ’36. He held on to the title
against three opponents in ’37 and was finally matched with the German in what
would become one of the most famous boxing matches of all time.
A few weeks before the battle, President Franklin Roosevelt
told Louis that the country needed “muscles like yours to beat Germany.” The
Nazis who had toted the victory by Schmeling over Louis in ’36 as proof of
Aryan superiority were assured that the “prize money” won by their fighter
would be used to build tanks in Germany. Though Schmeling was publicized by the
Nazis, the fighter didn’t stand behind them politically and never became a
party member.
The two fighters met for their rematch on June 22, 1938 in Yankee
Stadium. The fight lasted two minutes and 4 seconds. Schmeling was knocked down
three times after which the referee stopped the fight and his trainer threw in
the towel.
Louis continued to fight into the 1940s, and after a series
of insignificant battles, participated in another of the greatest heavyweights
bouts of all time against Billy Conn. But Louis’ fame was to far outlast is
career as a fighter. Louis held
great respect and popularity around the world and participated in in many
charitable fights. He enlisted as a Private in the Army in 1942, and becoming a
spokesman for this country against the Nazis. Never before had white Americans embraced
a “black man” as their representative in the world.
Because of his largess and his innocence about money, Louis
endured IRS problems till the end of his life. He died virtually penniless in
1981, with his funeral paid for by his long time friend and former competitor
Max Schmeling.
View video by clicking below