Louis, Joe (Joseph Louis Barrow) (l
`ĭs), 1914–81, American boxer, b. Lafayette, Ala. His father, a sharecropper, died when Louis was four years old, and in 1926 his stepfather took the family to Detroit, where Louis became interested in boxing. At 18 he began an amateur career in the ring. After winning (1934) the National Amateur Athletic Union light heavyweight title, Louis turned professional. In a meteoric rise, Louis—with magnificent physique, lightning punches, and stolid calmness—fought his way from the ranks of beginners to become (1937) the world heavyweight champion by knocking out James J. Braddock in the eighth round at Chicago. In 1938 he knocked out Max Schmeling Schmeling, Max (Maximilian Schmeling), 1905–2005, German boxer. He debuted as a professional fighter in 1924 and came to the United States in 1928. Two years later the methodical slugger beat heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey (by a foul) to become Europe's
..... Click the link for more information. —who had been the only man ever to defeat Louis (by a 12-round knockout in 1936) in professional boxing—in the first round in New York City. By the time he announced his retirement from the ring in 1949, Louis, often called the "Brown Bomber" by his admirers, had won 60 bouts, 51 by knockouts, and defended his title a record 25 times, scoring 21 knockouts. Louis came out of retirement in 1950, lost a decision to Ezzard Charles, and was knocked out (1951) by Rocky Marciano Marciano, Rocky (märsēä`nō), 1924–69, American boxer, b. Brockton, Mass. His real name was Rocco Francis Marchegiano.
..... Click the link for more information. , after which he retired. In 71 professional bouts Louis was defeated only three times.
(born May 13, 1914, Lafayette, Ala., U.S.—died April 12, 1981, Las Vegas, Nev.) U.S. boxer. Louis was born into a sharecropper's family and only began boxing after the family moved to Detroit. He won the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union title in 1934 and turned professional that year. During his career he defeated six previous or subsequent heavyweight champions: Primo Carnera, Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, James J. Braddock, Max Schmeling, and Jersey Joe Walcott. Nicknamed “the Brown Bomber,” Louis gained the world heavyweight championship by defeating Braddock in 1937 and held the title until 1949. Two of Louis's most famous bouts, those with the German boxer Max Schmeling, were invested with nationalist and racial implications, as Schmeling was seen, unfairly, as the embodiment of Aryanism and the Nazi party. Louis lost to Schmeling in 1936 but defeated him in one round in 1938, causing much jubilation among Americans, and especially African Americans. He successfully defended his title 25 times (21 by knockout) before retiring in 1949. His service in the U.S. Army during World War II no doubt prevented him from defending his title many more times. He made unsuccessful comeback attempts against Ezzard Charles in 1950 and Rocky Marciano in 1951.
Louis, Joe (b. Joe Louis Barrow) (1914–81) boxer; born in Lafayette, Ala. His reign as heavyweight champion of 11 years, eight months, is the longest in boxing history (1937–49). He turned professional in 1934 and won the heavyweight title in 1937 with a knockout of James J. Braddock in the eighth round. He defended his title 25 times, a record for any weight division, and posted a career record of 68 wins, three losses, with 54 knockouts. Nicknamed, "The Brown Bomber," he was a devastating puncher with either hand. His grace and seeming invincibility inspired African-Americans and won him fans throughout the world. Poor management of his earnings, however, left him practically destitute in his later years and he was often dependent on charitable gifts and such jobs as a "greeter" at a gambling casino. His autobiography, Joe Louis: My Life, was published in 1978.
`ĭs), 1914–81, American boxer, b. Lafayette, Ala. His father, a sharecropper, died when Louis was four years old, and in 1926 his stepfather took the family to Detroit, where Louis became interested in boxing. At 18 he began an amateur career in the ring. After winning (1934) the National Amateur Athletic Union light heavyweight title, Louis turned professional. In a meteoric rise, Louis—with magnificent physique, lightning punches, and stolid calmness—fought his way from the ranks of beginners to become (1937) the world heavyweight champion by knocking out James J. Braddock in the eighth round at Chicago. In 1938 he knocked out Max Schmeling Schmeling, Max (Maximilian Schmeling), 1905–2005, German boxer. He debuted as a professional fighter in 1924 and came to the United States in 1928. Two years later the methodical slugger beat heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey (by a foul) to become Europe's..... Click the link for more information. —who had been the only man ever to defeat Louis (by a 12-round knockout in 1936) in professional boxing—in the first round in New York City. By the time he announced his retirement from the ring in 1949, Louis, often called the "Brown Bomber" by his admirers, had won 60 bouts, 51 by knockouts, and defended his title a record 25 times, scoring 21 knockouts. Louis came out of retirement in 1950, lost a decision to Ezzard Charles, and was knocked out (1951) by Rocky Marciano Marciano, Rocky (märsēä`nō), 1924–69, American boxer, b. Brockton, Mass. His real name was Rocco Francis Marchegiano.
..... Click the link for more information. , after which he retired. In 71 professional bouts Louis was defeated only three times.
Bibliography
See his autobiographies (1947, 1978); biographies by C. Mead (1985) and R. Bak (1996); L. A. Erenberg, The Greatest Fight of Our Generation: Louis vs. Schmeling (2005); D. Margolick, Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink (2005).
Louis, Joe
in full Joseph Louis Barrow)
Joe Louis, 1946.
(credit: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
Louis, Joe (b. Joe Louis Barrow) (1914–81) boxer; born in Lafayette, Ala. His reign as heavyweight champion of 11 years, eight months, is the longest in boxing history (1937–49). He turned professional in 1934 and won the heavyweight title in 1937 with a knockout of James J. Braddock in the eighth round. He defended his title 25 times, a record for any weight division, and posted a career record of 68 wins, three losses, with 54 knockouts. Nicknamed, "The Brown Bomber," he was a devastating puncher with either hand. His grace and seeming invincibility inspired African-Americans and won him fans throughout the world. Poor management of his earnings, however, left him practically destitute in his later years and he was often dependent on charitable gifts and such jobs as a "greeter" at a gambling casino. His autobiography, Joe Louis: My Life, was published in 1978.
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