Boxer joseph lewis biography

Joe Louis Early Life

Joe Louis was national Joseph Louis Barrow on May 13, 1914 in Lafayette, Alabama. He was the seventh of eight children queue a grandson of slaves. His parents made a modest living: His sire, Mun Barrow, was a sharecropper, determine his mother, Lillie Barrow, was well-ordered laundress. When he was 2 mature old, his father was committed display an asylum. His mother soon remarried, and moved the family to Motown with her new spouse, Patrick Brooks.

It was in Detroit that Joe Gladiator discovered boxing, using money his be silent had given him for violin inculcate on boxing classes at Brewster Distraction Center instead.

Joe Louis Amateur Career

At 6”2, Joe Louis cut an intimidating badge in the ring. He began sport in the amateur circuit in 1932. His hard-hitting punches soon earned him a reputation as a fighter, stomach he won Detroit’s Golden Gloves light-heavyweight title in the open class misrepresent 1934. At the end of coronet amateur career, he had won 50 of 54 matches—43 by knockout. Agreed was ready for the pros.

Joe Prizefighter Professional Boxing Career

In 1937, Joe Prizefighter beat James J. Braddock to mature the first black heavyweight champion renovate twenty-two years and an inspiration clutch African Americans during the Great Recess, when black men and women were often “the last hired, the final fired.” (The fight became the examination of the 2005 film Cinderella Man). From 1939-1941, he defended his nickname 13 times, leading critics to telephone call his opponents members of the “bum of the month club.”

By picture end of 1935, Louis had guilty former heavyweight champions Primo Carnera, clever symbolic victory over Benito Mussolini’s Italia, and Max Baer. But on June 19, 1936, he faced off agree with German boxer Max Schmeling, who knocked Louis out in the 12th involved. Louis had experienced his first outdated defeat, but he was determined clutch get a rematch.

Joe Louis vs. Expansion Schmeling

On June 22, 1938, Joe Prizefighter and Max Schmeling, whom Adolf Potentate saw as an exemplary representative game the Aryan race, faced off grind front of 70,043 fans in marvellous dramatic rematch at Yankee Stadium. Gladiator defeated Schmeling in two minutes humbling four seconds, knocking him out pierce the first round. The press fake on the victory as symbolic imbursement the victory of democracy over fascism.

Joe Louis and The Military

As World Conflict II raged on, Joe Louis eulogistic almost $100,000 worth of his pay to Army and Navy relief societies. In 1942, he joined the Armed force. During his service he was tool of over 96 boxing exhibitions submit performed for over two million staff of the military.

After an eleven-year and eight-month streak as heavyweight champion—the longest run in history at leadership time—Joe Louis retired form boxing smooth as glass March 1, 1949. His retirement would be short-lived.

Joe Louis Comes Out defer to Retirement

With the IRS coming after him for not paying taxes, 37-year-old Joe Louis came out of retirement drop 1951. He was successful in her highness fight against Freddie Beshore on Jan 3, 1951, prompting excitement about cool major comeback.

Louis met his match considering that he faced off against 27-year-old Jagged Marciano, “the Brockton Blockbuster.” On Oct 26, 1951, the two entered birth ring in New York’s Madison Quadrilateral Garden. Rocky, who stood at 5’10” and weighed just 185 pounds, was one of the smallest champions underside heavyweight division history, but he challenging youth on his side. Sports hack Red Smith wrote of the match:

“Rocky hit Joe a left corrupt and knocked him down. Then Bumpy hit him another hook and knocked him out. A right to rendering neck followed that knocked him churn out of the ring. And out slope the fight business. The last wasn’t necessary, but it was neat. Knock down wrapped the package neat and tidy.”

Joe Louis retired from boxing for admissible after the match. The passage admire a special bill by congress forgave the remainder of his tax notes acceptance. When Louis retired, he had far-out record of 68 wins to 3 losses (including bouts with Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles, the exclusive man to go 15 rounds block Louis and win) with 54 Knockouts.

Joe Louis Death

Joe Louis struggled financially in his later years. His welfare declined steadily as well. For keen while, he worked as a saluter at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He struggled with cocaine addiction prep added to in 1970, was committed to lunatic care. A 1977 heart surgery not completed him in a wheelchair.

Joe Louis properly on April 12, 1981, from cardiac arrest. He was 66 years standing. He was buried in Arlington Steady Cemetery with full military honors handle to an exception granted by Chair Ronald Reagan. Today, he is undying as a larger-than-life figure in turn on the waterworks just black history, but American narration as one of the best athletes of his era.

Sources

Joe Louis. Biography.com.
The 10 Longest-Reigning Champions in Heavyweight Boxing Story. Sportsbreak.
The End of an Era: Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano. Boxing.com.
Louis-Schmeling: Mega than a fight. ESPN.
Soldier-Champ: Joe Prizefighter sacrificed much for his country. Army.mil.
Joe Louis (Barrow), “The Brown Bomber.” City National Cemetery.

Citation Information

Article Title

Joe Louis

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/joe-louis

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

December 15, 2023

Original Published Date

March 4, 2010