A NEW CHAMPION

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 5

A NEW CHAMPION

LOUIS WINS BOXING TITLE BRAOOOCR SEVERELY PUNISHES KNOCKED OUT IN EIGHTH ROUND Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, Juno 22. Joe Louis, the negro challenger, defeated James Braddock, the holder of the world’s heavy-weight boxing title, by a knock-out in the eighth round of a 15-round bout at Chicago. Braddock was carried unconscious to his corner, bleeding profusely from cuts on the face and nose. The attendance was 50,000, and the receipts amounted to 700,000d01. Louis weighed 14st I*lb and Braddock 14st 11b. THE BOUT. Braddock came out fighting in the first round, but Louis quickly staggered tho champion with a right to the jaw, and two rights over the eye opened a cut. ' Braddock suddenly whipped a right uppercut to the chin and Louis went down. However, he was up before the count started. The champion chased him to tho ropes and pounded, him on the body with both hands. It was Braddock’s round. The second round opened with Braddock again rushing Louis to the ropes, hut tho advantage was only temporary. His blows were wild, and Louis drove a right to the jaw, staggering the champion, and in the last few seconds of the round he had Braddock wobbly from a two-fisted battering to the head. It was Louis’s round. The third round opened with Louis effectively gabbing with his left to tho face. Louis suddenly leaped with a right to the body and a left to the face. The contender shook the champion with a sharp right to the jaw just before the bell. Again tho round went to Louis. In the fourth round Braddock ended the challenger’s cautious boxing with a left to the face and, a right to the body, angering Louis, who proceeded to_ tilt_ the champion’s head hack with stiff rights and lefts, which made Braddock miss many blows. It was the challenger’s round. Braddock’s eyes were slightly puffed as he came up for the fifth round. He jabbed Louis on the nose, causing it to bleed., Louis hooked a left to the jaw and stepped out of range of (Braddock’s right swings. The contender then proceeded to jab Braddock’s face and to punish him severely with rights to the body. Louis won the round. Braddock was badly shaken by a left to the jaw and two rights to the chin ■ in the sixth round. Louis, who was driving lefts and rights to the body and head, reopened a cut over Braddock’s left eye._ Similar blows staggered the champion and bruised his lips,.but he stood flatfooted, vainly trying to counter his opponent’s vicious blows. This also was Louis’s round. Braddock threw his fists about wildly in the seventh round, while Louis cut him to ribbons with straight left jabs and rocked him with a right uppercut to the chin. Braddock was now fighting back blindly. Louis’s left always struck Braddock’s face, while the tottering champion was incapable of retaliating. Braddock drove a right feebly to the head before the bell, but he was plainly defeated. THE END. The end came after seven seconds in the eighth round. Louis opened by boxing cautiously, stabbing a left to his opponent’s ‘face and keeping out of range of Braddock. He rocked the champion with a short right to the jaw, followed by another right to the jaw, which floored Braddock, who was counted out. Braddock’s seconds carried him unconscious to his corner. AFTER THE CONTEST. After the match Louis said: “My only regret is that I did not have Schmeling in the ring to-night instead of the man I knocked out. Braddock was hy far the gamest man I have ever faced. The wonder to me was that he lasted as long as he did. Braddock punches hard, and I am not denying that he hurt me several times. 1 always wanted the experience of getting floored early in a fight and then coming back to win.” Braddock said: “ Louis is a good fighter, but I think that with two bouts under I ray belt I can heat him. The ring lights hurt my eyes, and I admit that I was tired after the fifth round, hut that is nothing. I will fight Louis again, and when I do I will beat him.” Louis’s face did not show marks of being in a battle. He immediately changed into his street clothes and motored to a nearby suburb for the night. He will proceed home to Detroit to-morrow after collecting 122,000 dollars, his share of the receipts. Braddock was a badly hurt man at the end of the fight. A crimson stain one foot in diameter was left on the canvas where his head had rested while the count was made. OUTCLASSED BY YOUTH. The boxing editor of the ‘ New York Times ’ says: “ For those who visioned Braddock’s ascendancy when he knocked down Louis in the first round it was only a temporary vision. It disappeared under tho cool, calculating, and crafty boxing and tho savage, vicious punching of Louis. The finishing blow was one of the hundreds with which Louis pelted and hammered Braddock, who, fighting grimly, fearlessly, • and willingly, was reduced to a bleeding mass at the end. He suffered a Inemorrhago from tho final blow, and even his seconds turned pale when they saw him lying on the canvas in a pool of blood.” The boxing writer of tho ‘ North American Newspaper Alliance ’ says: “ The finishing blow was one of the most terrific single punches 1 have ever seen in the ring. Braddock never had a chance. He was outclassed by youth, speed, and power. Braddock had only his,gameness and stamina against a fighter whose both hands were lethal.

NEGROES CELEBRATE. To deal with eventualities arising from the fight 1,500 police were assigned to the Harlem district of New York, but order was maintained. Chicago’s southside, however, reported conditions approaching a riot. Although the demonstrations for the most part were good matured, the negroes he'd parades and commandeered trams, and otherwise noisily celebrated the first negro victory in a title bout since Jack Johnson won the championship. CHAMPIONS TO DATE. Venr. U/innpr Rounds.

Year, Winner. 1889—John L Sullivan Loser. J<( Jake Kilrain >und 75 1892 —J J, Corbett John L Sullivan 21 1897—R. Fitzsimmons J. J. Corbett 14 1899—J. Jeffries K. Fitzsimmons 11 1899—J Jeffries 1*. Sharkey 25 1902—J. Jeffries R. Fitzsimmons 8 1903—J. Jewries J. J. Corbett 10 1904— J. Jeffries J. Munro 1905— Jeffries retired. M. Hart beat J. Root in 12 rounds. 2 1906—T. Hums M. Hart 20 1007—T. Burns J. O'Brien 00 1907—T. Burns W. Squires “ Gunner " Moir I 190/—1. Burns 10 1908—T Burns J. Palmer 4 1908—T. Burns J. Roche 1 1908—T. Burns W. Squires 8 1908—T. Burns W.- Lang 6 1908—1. Burns W. Squires 13 3908—1. Johnsca T. Bums 3* 1909—J. Johnsoi. S. Ketchell 12 1910—J. Johnson I. Jeffries 15 1912—J. Johnson J. Flynn 9 1014—J. Johnson I*. Moran 20 1915—J. Willard . J. Johnson 00 1919—J, Dempsey J. Willard 4 3920—J. Dempsey W. Miske 30 1020—J. Dempsey W. Brennan IS 1921 —J Dempsey G. Carpcnlier 4 1923—J. Dempsey T. Gibbons 15 1923—J, Dcmpscv Luis Firpo 2 1026— Gen-- Tunney J. Dempsey 30 1927—Gene Tunney J. Dempsey 10 1928—Gene Tunney Tom Heeney 11 1930—M. Schmeling J. Sharkey 4 1932—J. Sharkey M. Schmeling 13 3933—Primo Camera J. Sharkey 6 1934—Max Baer Primo Camera n 1935—J. J. Braddock Max Baer 15 1937—Joe Louis James J. Braddock 8