JOE LOUIS BEATS SCHMELING

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22436, 24 June 1938, Page 11

JOE LOUIS BEATS SCHMELING

World Boxing Title Retained KNOCK-OUT IN FIRST ROUND Challenger Down Three Times IPKITmD FUN 4SCOCIATIO* —COPTKIOHT.) (Received June 23, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 22. The negro, Joe Louis, to-night held the world heavy-weight boxing title when he knocked out the German, Max Schmeling, in 2min 4sec. It was one of the most remarkable world title bouts ever held. Schmeling apparently never had a chance. The confidence with which the negro shuffled to the centre of the ring, his eyes blazing, and landed three straight lefts to the contender’s head immediately connoted his supremacy. They were trip-hammer blows, which reddened Schmeling’s swarthy countenance, but which he weathered and gamely shot a right to Louis’s face, reminiscent of 1936, but the expressionless negro shook off the blow and pressed in.

Schmeling swayed backward, raising both arms before him as if attempting to gain equilibrium. This was only a few seconds before the end. Schmeling never regained his equilibrium. He fell towards the ropes, and Louis smashed him full in the mouth. The contender’s head snapped back and he slumped against the ropes, while Louis rained blows to his practically unprotected head and face.

The referee compelled Louis to back away, and technically counted out over the contender, although the latter was not yet downed actually. Then Schmeling fell resistlessly to the canvas, but was up at the count of two. Louis thereupon floored him again with pelting rights and lefts. Terrific Punishment As the referee counted over the semi-paralysed challenger, who was trying to rise, with blood streaming from his mouth, his trainer threw in the towel and commenced to climb through the ropes, apparently to pick up Schmeling from the floor. The referee threw the towel from the ring and waved the trainer away. Schmeling was now up and Louis commenced raining rights and lefts to the German’s bloodsmeared chin. Schmeling sprawled sideways and fell to the floor. Racing into the centre of the ring, Louis administered a - steady stream of rights and lefts to the face, literally smothering the contender, who finally went down under a barrage-like two-handed attack. He rose after the count, but thereafter succumbed, falling three times. It was a battered, semi-conscious Schmeling who rose from the third fall, He was in terrible shape, but instinct kept him on his feet while Louis pantherishly tore him to pieces on the ropes. Schmeling’s trainer apparently saw that he was in extreme danger of permanent injury after the second fall and thereupon threw in the towel, but Schmeling took another fall and rose, to receive a measure of further demoniac punishment before the referee could wave the champion aside, giving him a victory by a tchnical knock-out. Schmeling afterwards claimed a foul in spite of the fact that under New York rules a foul is impossible. He declared that a kidney punch paralysed him. The referee admitted that one of the first punches with which Louis hit the German was a terrific right to the kidneys, but was fair.