Louis Wins World s Boxing Title With Terrific Punch

Northern Advocate, 24 June 1937, Page 8

Louis Wins World s Boxing Title With Terrific Punch

Ex-Champion Gamely Takes Terrible Punishment

CHICAGO, June 22. rpuE heavyweight boxing championship of the world was won this evening by the negro, Joe Louis, who knocked out the titleholder, J. J. Braddock, in the eighth round of their bout for the ■title. The weights of the contestants were;—Braddock, 14st. lib.; Louis, 14st. I,llb. The odds were in favour of Louis by 12 to 5, In the opening' round, Braddock came out fighting, but Louis staggered the champion with a right to the jaw and two over the eyes. Opening out, Braddock whipped a right uppercut to ‘Louis’ chin. The negro went down, but was up before the count. The champion chased him to the ropes and pounded him on the body with both hands. It was Braddock s round.

Braddock Wobbly. i The second round opened with Braddock rushing Louis, but the advantage was only temporary, Braddock’s blows were wild, but Louis drove a right to the jaw, staggering him, and for the last few seconds of the round, he had Braddock wobbly from a two-fisted battering on the head.—Louis’ round. The third round opened with Louis jabbing with his left to the face. The contender shook the chapipion with a sharp right to the jaw before the bell.—Again Louis’ round. Braddock ended Louis’ cautious boxing with a left to the face and a right to the body, angering the contender, who preceded to tilt the champion’s head back with stiff rights and lefts, which made -Braddock miss many fclpws.—lt was again Louis’ round. Champion’s Eyes Puffed.

several times. I always wanted the experience of getting floored early in a fight and then going back to win.” Fifteen hundred police were assigned to duty in the Harlem district of New York to deal with eventualities arising out of the fight between Louis and Braddock, but order was maintained. In Chicago there was nearly a riot on the south side. Although the demonstration, for the most part, was good natured, negroes held parades, commandeered trams and otherwise noisily celebrated the occasion of the second negro, since Jack Johnson, winning the championship. “I Will Beat Louis.” After the bout, the beaten champion, Braddock, was a badly hurt man. A crimson stain, one foot in diameter, was left oh the canvas where his head had rested while the count was made. Braddock said: “Louis is a good fighter but I think that, with two bouts under my belt, I can beat him. The ring lights hurt my eyes, and I admit

Braddock’s eyes were puffed as. Le came for the fifth. He jabbed Louis’ rose, causing ;'.c to bleed. Louis hooked a left to the jaw and stepped out of right swings. The contender then proceeded to jab Braddock’s face and punish him with rights to the body. This too, was Louis’ 1 round. Braddock was badly shaken, by - a left to the jaw and two rights to the chin. He then heedlessly walked into Louis’ driving lefts and rights to the body and head, reopening a cut over his left eye. Similar blows staggered the champion and bruised his lips, but he stood flat-footed, vainly trying to counter his opponent’s vicious blows.—lt was Louis’ round. Braddock threw his fists about wildly in the seventh, while Louis cut him to ribbons with straight left jabs and rocked him with a right uppercut to the chin. Braddock was fighting blindly. Louis’ 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.

I was tired after the fifth round, - but that is nothing. I will fight Louis again, and, when 1 do, 1 will beat him.” The boxing writer for the “New ’ York Times” says: “For those who had a vision of Braddock’s ascendancy when he knocked Louis down in the first round it was only a temporary vision. It disappeared before the cool, calculating and crafty boxing and savage and vicious punching of Louis. , “Never Had a Chance.” “The finishing blow was one of hundreds with which Louis pelted and hammered Braddock, who fought grimly, fearlessly and willingly. He suffered a haemorrhage from the final blow, and even his seconds turned pale when they saw him lying on the canvas in a pool of blood.” * i Another writer says: “The finishing ! blow was one of the most terrific I single punches I have ever seen. Braddock never had a chance. He was outclassed by youth, speed and power. Braddock had only his gameness and stamina against a fighter both of whose hands were lethal.”

The End Comes. The end came in the eighth round, after it had been in progress 70 seconds. Louis opened cautiously, stabbing a left to his opponent’s face and keeping out of range. Louis rocked the champion with a short right to the jaw and followed up with another right to the j&w, flooring Braddock. The latter’s seconds carried him, after the count, unconscious to his corner. He was bleeding profusely. Louis’ face showed no marks of the battle. Immediately afterwards, he changed into street clothes and motored to a suburb for the night. He will go to his home in Detroit tomorrow, after collecting 122,500 dollars, his 171 per cent share of the receipts. The receipts totalled 700,000 dollars, of which Braddock’s share is 350,000 dollars. The attendance was 50,000. Louis’ Regret. Louis remarked: “My only regret is that I did not have Schmeling in the ring, instead of the man I out. “Braddock is by far the gamest man I! ever faced. The wonder to me was that he lasted as long as he did. Braddock punches hard. I am not denying that he hurt me