KNOCKED OUT

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 227, 22 June 1936, Page 9

KNOCKED OUT

Schmeling Defeats Negro Louis

HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING One of Greatest Battles In Modern Ring History WINNER’S PUNISHING RIGHT By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.' (Received June 21, 5 p.m.) New York, June 19. The German, Max Schmeling, knocked out Joe Louis, the Detroit negro, in the twelfth round of their heavyweight boxing bout, which was seheduled to last fifteen rounds, at the Yankee Stadium to night.

The postponement of the fight from yesterday owing to rain and the continued menacing weather cut down the attendance, and the result was a financial fiasco. The actual paid attendance totalled 39,878, and the receipts were 547,000 dollars. Louis was a 10 to 1 favourite at the ringside, with odds up to 4 to 1 that he would win by a knock-out. Mr. Arthur Donovan, was the referee, and Messrs. George Leicron and Charles Lynch the judges. The official weights were: Louis, 14st 21b.: Schmeling, 13st. 101 b.

The bout not only provided a tremendous upset, but according to ring-

side experts, was one of the greatest heavyweight battles of modern ring history. Entering the fight lelleved to have hardly a chance to survive 15 rounds against the supposedly invincible negro, the sturdy German un leashed a murderous fire of desperate rights to Louis’s unprotected chin, and again won the right to challenge for the heavyweight title he once held. Louis’s defeat was a great disap pointment to his well-w’ishers, who, after 28 straight victories, believed he could not lose.

Louis’s managers attribute his poor showing and ineffectual hitting to the fact that he broke a thumb in the fourth round. Schmeling started working slowly, and without a trace of fear or nervousness, simply beat his opponent down by steady slugging. In the end Louis went

down helpless, but not unconscious, with a puzzled gaze as if not able to comprehend what had happened. He looked toward his corner, and his handlers had to carry him from the ring and work over him for several minutes before he could walk. Shortly before the fight, Tom O’Rourke, 80-year-old promoter and referee of American boxing, died of a heart attack while visiting Schmeling’s dressing-room. He had gone there to wish the German boxer good luck. Sehmeling’s managers admitted that he was somewhat unnerved at the sight of Mr. O’Rourke collapsing, but his handlers passed it off as a fainting spell. It was not until after the fight that Sclimeling knew his friend was dead. Negro Opens Cautiously.

Those who expected Louis to open with a whirlwind attack for a quick knock-out were disappointed, .as the negro sparred rather cautiously in the first round. Sclimeling was likewise taking his time, and except for a few exchanges to the head and body, there was little action. However, Louis scored enough points to take the round. In the second and third rbunds Louis became more aggressive, several times rocking Schmeling with hard rights to the jaw, mixed with his famous left hook to the face. Louis took both rounds.

In the fourth round Louis scored with a hard left to Schmeling’s eye. causing it to puff rapidly, but the Ger man countered with a hard right to the temple that dropped Louis to the floor. He was up at no count, but Schmeling rushed the negro, landing both fists to the head and winning the round. The surprising showing Schmeling was making had file Spectators in wild excitement.

In the fifth and sixth rounds the German continued to score hard blows to the head, and it was apparent that if Louis was not actually in difficulty he was far from sure of himself. He was forced frequently to resort to holding. He lost both rounds, and his face was puffed at the end of the sixth. Louis rallied and took the seventh round, but he was still far from impressive and apparently was unable to hurt Schmeling seriously.

The eighth round was close, with Schmeling holding a slight advantage with a barrage of rights and lefts to the jaw. In the ninth round Schmeling scored repeatedly both to the face and the body, and won the round easily. Louis was late in coming from his corner in the tenth round and Schmel-

ing held him off until he was ready. z Louis hooked several blows to the body, but they were low and the referee warned ’ him. Schmeling rocked the negro with both hands to the head. The German was effectively alternating his attack between the face and the body, and scored heavily, winning the round. Louis Warned. Throughout the eleventh round Schmeling continued to administer a pounding to Louis and won the round by an overwhelming margin. In the twelfth round Schmeling opened with a stinging right to the ear. Louis desperately tried to score with his left, but the blows were low and again the referee warned 'him. A terrific right by Schmeling lifted the negro’s head back and the German followed with a series of hard right and left jabs. Louis was groggy and the spectators were ’Hing for the referee co stop the bout. Louis was completely helpless and Schmeling battered him at will. A hard right to the jaw sent him to the floor and he took the full count while looking toward his corner. The time was 2min, 29sec.