| Birth: |
|
May 13,
1914 |
| Death: |
|
Apr. 12, 1981 |
Professional
Boxer. Heavyweight Champion of the World from 1937 to
1949. He began his pro career in 1934, and by 1936 he
had beaten such great heavyweights as Stanley Poreda,
Natie Brown, and Rosco Toles. He was seemingly
invincible, until his meeting with Max Schmeling on June
19, 1936. Schmeling was the underdog but, to the
surprise of all, gave Joe Louis a stinging defeat by
knocking him out in the 12th round. In 1937, he faced
World Heavyweight Champion James J. Braddock in Chicago.
In an eight round match, he captured the Heavyweight
Championship of the World by knocking Braddock out.
After this victory, Joe Louis stated, "I don't want
nobody to call me champ until I beat Schmeling." On June
22, 1938, he again took on the man who had beaten him,
Max Schmeling. With Adolph Hitler marching across Europe
the fight became a huge international event. This time
around, Joe Louis knocked Schmeling out in the first
round and captured the admiration of countless
Americans. As Champion, he took such boxers as Lou Nova,
Tony Galento, Gus Dorazio, Buddy Baer, and Johnny
Paycheck,. In an epic battle with Billy Conn at the Polo
Grounds in 1941, he was behind on the scorecards and
came back to knock out Conn in the late rounds. During
World War II he served in the United States Army, then
returned to the ring to defend his title several more
times before retiring in 1949, still the undefeated
Champion and with an astonishing 25 title defences. He
tried several comebacks to the ring but they were
unfortunately unsuccesful and he retired for good in
1951. He still holds the distinction of having
successfully defended his title more times than any
other heavyweight in history. His life and success story
serve as proof that black and white Americans can
coexist. When he died in 1981, Joe Louis was eulogized,
and continues to be known, as one of the greatest
prizefighters of all time.
Cause of death:
Cardiac Arrest
Search Amazon for Joe
Louis
|
| |
Burial:
Arlington National
Cemetery
Arlington
Arlington County
Virginia,
USA
Plot: Section 7A, Grave 177 |
Maintained
by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 1 2001
| | | |
