![]() Ĭonversely, Schmeling prepared intently for the bout. Louis spent significant time on the golf course rather than training. Louis' training retreat was at Lakewood, New Jersey, where Louis was introduced to the game of golf – later to become a lifelong passion. Perhaps, as a result, Louis took training for the Schmeling fight none too seriously. Nevertheless, many boxing fans considered Schmeling, 30 years old by the time of his first match with Louis, to be on the decline and not a serious challenge for the Brown Bomber. 2 contender for James Braddock's heavyweight title in 1936. As a result, Schmeling was well known to American boxing fans and was still considered the No. ![]() Later Schmeling lost the title in a rematch with Sharkey by a very controversial decision in 1932. One year later, Schmeling retained his title by a Round 15 knockout against William Stribling. Max Schmeling, on the other hand, was born in Germany, and he had become the first world heavyweight champion to win the title by disqualification in 1930, against Jack Sharkey, another American. By the time of the Louis-Schmeling match, Schmeling was thought of as the final stepping stone to Louis' eventual title bid. Louis' celebrity was particularly important for African Americans of the era, who were not only suffering economically along with the rest of the country but also were the targets of significant racially motivated violence, particularly in Southern states by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Since becoming a professional heavyweight, Louis amassed a record of 24–0 and was considered invincible heading into his first bout with Schmeling in 1936. ![]() As a successful African American professional in the northern part of the country, Louis was seen by many other Americans as a symbol of the liberated black man. Joe Louis was born in Alabama, but lived much of his early years in Detroit. Moreover, as a contest between representatives of the United States and Nazi Germany during the 1930s, the fights came to symbolize the struggle between democracy and fascism. ![]() As the most significant African American athlete of his age and the most successful black fighter since Jack Johnson, Louis was a focal point for African American pride in the 1930s. The two fights came to embody the broader political and social conflict of the time. Schmeling took the first match in 1936 by a knockout in round 12 and Louis won the second bout in 1938 with a knockout in the first round. Joe Louis) refers to two separate fights between the men which are among boxing's most talked-about bouts. World Heavyweight Champion (prior to 2nd fight)įormer (1930–1932) World Heavyweight Champion At the Madison Square Garden Bowl, before a throng of 50,000, Baer knocked the giant Carnera down eleven times in eleven rounds.World Heavyweight Championship (2nd fight) Now in line for the world heavyweight title, Baer fought Primo Carnera in 1934. Baer hammered Schmeling so thoroughly, referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight in the tenth round. In 1933, in the best fight of his career, Baer beat Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium before 60,000 fans. The death was attributed in part to the beating administered by Baer. Not long after, Schaaf died following a bout with Primo Carnera. In 1932, Baer knocked Ernie Schaaf unconscious in the tenth round of what had been a fairly even fight. Jack Dempsey helped Baer shorten his punches and took an interest in him for the rest of his career. One victor, Hall of Famer Tommy Loughran, told Baer that he was looping and telegraphing his punches. Ultimately cleared of criminal charges, Baer was suspended from fighting in California for a year.īaer quit boxing for several months after Campbell's death, then lost four of his next six fights, partly because of his reluctance to go on the attack. In 1930, he was charged with manslaughter when Frankie Campbell, brother of baseball player Dolph Camilli, died as a result of a Baer knockout. Baer was in supreme condition and dangerous in the ring. He turned pro in 1929 and won 22 of his first 24 fights, nine with first-round knockouts. Early in his career, Baer trained with a zeal he did not demonstrate later.
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