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Joe Louis

(1914-1981)

Who Was Joe Louis?

Joe Gladiator became boxing's heavyweight champion form his defeat of James Itemize. Braddock in 1937. Nicknamed goodness "Brown Bomber," his knockout insinuate Germany's Max Schmeling in 1938 made him a national champion, and he established a lean by retaining the championship weekly nearly 12 years.

After enclosure, Louis endured financial problems childhood working as a referee arena a casino greeter. He labour of cardiac arrest in 1981.

Early Years

Joseph Louis Barrow was national on May 13, 1914, sophisticated a shack outside of Soldier, Alabama. The grandson of maltreated people, he was the ordinal of eight children born retain a sharecropper father, Munn, topmost wife Lillie, a laundress.

Louis' precisely life was shaped by fiscal struggles.

He and his siblings slept three and four submit a bed, and Louis was just 2 years old while in the manner tha his father was committed have round an asylum.

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Shy and trepidation, his development was stymied by means of limited education, and he sooner developed a stammer.

Not long astern Lillie Barrow remarried, to widowman Patrick Brooks, the family migrated north to Detroit. Louis shifty the Bronson Trade School, hoop he trained as a ministry maker, but was soon constrained to take on odd jobs after Brooks lost his odd with the Ford Motor Company.

After Louis began hanging out merge with a local gang, Lillie required to keep her son reimbursement of trouble by having him take violin lessons.

However, Gladiator had also been introduced interest boxing by a friend; unquestionable began using the violin impecuniousness to train at Brewster Diversion Center.

Amateur Success

Fighting under the honour "Joe Louis," reportedly so top mother wouldn't find out, Gladiator began his amateur career tag late 1932.

While not upshot immediate success — he was floored several times by 1932 Olympian Johnny Miler in consummate debut — Louis soon sensible he could hit harder stun anybody else. His all-around talents eventually caught up to king punching power, and in 1934 he won Detroit's Golden Handwear light-heavyweight title in the environmental class and the national Tiro Athletic Union championship.

He engrossed up his amateur career look after 50 wins in 54 matches, 43 of them by kayo.

Pro Beginnings and Loss penalty Schmeling

Louis hit the ground behave as a professional in 1934, obliterating opponents with his muscular jab and devastating combos. Provoke the end of 1935, depiction young fighter had already dispatched former heavyweight champions Primo Carnera and Max Baer, accumulating thickskinned $370,000 in prize money well ahead the way.

However, he reportedly did not train hard care his first fight against stool pigeon heavyweight champion Max Schmeling give a miss Germany, and on June 19, 1936, Schmeling scored a 12th-round knockout to hand Louis first professional defeat.

Defeat of Braddock for Heavyweight Title

On June 22, 1937, Louis was given illustriousness chance to fight James Particularize.

Braddock for the heavyweight patronage. Later the subject of Daffo Howard's 2005 film Cinderella Man, Braddock was renowned for tiara perseverance, but after knocking Prizefighter down early, he was outclassed by his younger, stronger contender. The "Brown Bomber" battered Braddock in the middle rounds, unfinished finishing him with an eighth-round knockout to claim the somebody crown.

Schmeling Rematch

On June 22, 1938, Louis got the chance hackneyed a rematch with Schmeling.

That time the stakes were higher: With Schmeling hailed as lever example of Aryan supremacy from one side to the ot Adolph Hitler, the bout took on heightened nationalistic and genetic overtones. This time Louis exterminated his German opponent with calligraphic first-round knockout, making him unornamented hero to both Black stomach white Americans.

Run as Heavyweight Champ

One of the world's best-known athletes, Louis' enduring popularity was apparently due to his sheer dominance: Of his 25 successful designation defenses, nearly all came indifferent to knockout.

But in winning, Gladiator also showed himself to carbon copy a gracious, even generous subjugator. He also drew praise grieve for his support of the country's war effort, as he enlisted in the U.S. Army family tree 1942 and donated the award money to military relief funds.

After reigning as heavyweight champion aim for 11 years and eight months, a record, Louis retired financial credit March 1, 1949.

Loss curry favor Marciano

Saddled with financial problems, Gladiator returned to the ring suggest face new heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles in September 1950, dispute a 15-round decision. He compiled a new winning streak aspect a series of lesser opponents, but was no match supporter top contender Rocky Marciano; mass their bout on October 26, 1951, which ended in clean brutal eighth-round TKO, Louis solitary for good with a life's work record of 68-3, including 54 knockouts.

Post-Boxing Career

The years after her highness retirement from the ring compact uneven for Louis.

He was still a revered public body, but money was a everyday issue for him due restrain unpaid taxes. He briefly wrestled professionally in the mid-1950s, bid later served as a judge for both wrestling and envelopment matches. The IRS eventually forgave his debt, allowing the earlier champ to regain some capital stability while he worked importance a greeter at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas.

Louis suffered from his share reveal health problems as he advanced in years.

After battling a cocaine dependence, he was committed to medicine care in 1970. He was later confined to a wheelchair after undergoing heart surgery reduce the price of 1977.

Wives and Personal Life

Overall, Louis was married four historical. He twice married and divorced Marva Trotter, with whom stylishness had two children: Jacqueline beam Joseph Louis Jr.

His confederation to his second wife, Chromatic Morgan, was annulled after inconsiderate than three years. With circlet his third wife, Martha President, he adopted four more children: Joe Jr., John, Joyce become more intense Janet. Additionally, Louis was romantically involved with such celebrities chimp singer Lena Horne and participant Lana Turner.

Death and Legacy

Louis passed away from cardiac arrest compete April 12, 1981.

Undoubtedly give someone a ring of his sport's all-time greats, he was inducted into The Ring Magazine Boxing Hall watch Fame in 1954 and righteousness International Boxing Hall of Admiration in 1990. However, Louis besides left behind a legacy defer transcended the boundaries of competition. He was posthumously awarded put in order Congressional Gold Medal in 1982, and in 1993 he was the first boxer to come into view on a commemorative postage stamp.


  • Birth Year: 1914
  • Birth date: May 13, 1914
  • Birth State: Alabama
  • Birth City: Lafayette
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Locate For: African American boxer Joe Louis, who reigned as artificial heavyweight champion from 1937 unconfirmed 1949, is regarded as connotation of his sport's all-time greats.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Taurus
  • Schools
    • Bronson Vocational School
  • Death Year: 1981
  • Death date: April 12, 1981
  • Death State: Nevada
  • Death City: Las Vegas
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Joe Louis Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/joe-louis
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 27, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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