On This Day
Associated Press
Joe Louis stands over challenger Max Schmeling, who is down for a count of three,
as referee Arthur Donovan sends Louis to a neutral corner. (AP)
Joe Louis stands over challenger Max Schmeling, who is down for a count of three,
as referee Arthur Donovan sends Louis to a neutral corner. (AP)
On This Day: Joe Louis Knocks Out Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium
June 22, 2009 06:00 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
On June 22, 1938, Joe Louis knocked out Hitler favorite Max Schmeling in just two minutes before a crowd of 70,000, launching one of boxing’s most successful careers.
The "Brown Bomber" Is Victorious
Joe Louis fought the underdog, Max Schmeling, in 1936. In a major upset, Schmeling beat Louis in the 12th round, causing Louis "a defeat that would continue to sting long after the cuts had healed," according to the Official Site of Joe Louis. Louis went on to regain the heavyweight title when he beat James Braddock in 1937. But according to his official Web site, he said, "I don't want nobody to call me champ until I beat Schmeling."
The fight took on a fiercely political tone, thanks to the recent military mobilization of German forces under Adolf Hitler. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Hitler had openly met together before the fight, and a worldwide audience viewed the bout as a symbolic battle between America and Nazi Germany, PBS reports.
Known as the "Brown Bomber," Louis was the clear local favorite at Yankee Stadium. Having repaired the faulty post-jab, left-hand drop that Schmeling had exploited in their first meeting, Louis quickly laid into his stunned opponent with a barrage of quick, close jabs.
Clearly outmatched, Schmeling was unable to connect more than two punches in the entire fight, falling repeatedly to the mat before the referee finally called the fight after only two minutes and four seconds, according to PBS.
The fight took on a fiercely political tone, thanks to the recent military mobilization of German forces under Adolf Hitler. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Hitler had openly met together before the fight, and a worldwide audience viewed the bout as a symbolic battle between America and Nazi Germany, PBS reports.
Known as the "Brown Bomber," Louis was the clear local favorite at Yankee Stadium. Having repaired the faulty post-jab, left-hand drop that Schmeling had exploited in their first meeting, Louis quickly laid into his stunned opponent with a barrage of quick, close jabs.
Clearly outmatched, Schmeling was unable to connect more than two punches in the entire fight, falling repeatedly to the mat before the referee finally called the fight after only two minutes and four seconds, according to PBS.
Key Players: Joe Louis and Max Schmeling
Joe Louis Barrow was born in Alabama in 1914. Looking for a better life, Louis' family moved to Detroit in 1924, where their shy young son Joe was soon discovered boxing at Brewster's East Side Gym. "He fell in love with the sport," according to PBS. Louis went on to become one of the sport's most successful fighters, setting several world records before retiring in 1949, according to his official site. He died on April 12, 1981.
Max Schmeling was associated in American minds with Hitler and the Nazi Party, but he had actually declined to join the party and even refused an award from Hitler. He would go on to become both a hero in Germany and a lifelong friend of Louis. He died in 2005, at the age of 99, according to NPR.
Max Schmeling was associated in American minds with Hitler and the Nazi Party, but he had actually declined to join the party and even refused an award from Hitler. He would go on to become both a hero in Germany and a lifelong friend of Louis. He died in 2005, at the age of 99, according to NPR.
Video: Louis vs. Schmeling I and II
On June 19, 1936, two years before the Yankee Stadium fight, Schmeling provided Louis with his only career defeat. Schmeling had studied Louis’ fight films and had detected that the younger fighter tended to drop his left hand after a left jab—a weakness that Schmeling exploited while beating Louis in 12 rounds. The loss proved to be a humiliating turning point for Louis. A video of the fight is posted on YouTube.
Source: YouTube
A 10-minute excerpt of the PBS documentary, “The Fight,” is available on YouTube. The excerpt shows the entire June 22, 1938, Louis–Schleming bout. It also explains how the rematch took on international importance as tension grew between the U.S. and Germany, with Hitler making Schmeling a symbol of Aryan strength. Louis, however, knocked out Schleming in one of the shortest heavyweight title bouts in history.
Source: YouTube (PBS)
Later Developments: Louis’ career and life
Louis successfully defended his title for years after the Schmeling fight, facing Lou Nova in 1941 before enlisting in the U.S. military to serve during World War II, according to his official site. Though he never saw the front lines, Louis served as a public relations representative thanks to his popularity across America.
After his fight with Schmeling, Louis won victory after victory, eventually establishing himself as one of the sports' greatest heavy weight fighters, as well as a leader of social change in America, reports East Side Boxing.
After his fight with Schmeling, Louis won victory after victory, eventually establishing himself as one of the sports' greatest heavy weight fighters, as well as a leader of social change in America, reports East Side Boxing.
Reference: Boxing
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