LOUIS WINS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23225, 24 June 1937, Page 11

LOUIS WINS

WORLD BOXING TITLE KNOCK-OUT IN EIGHTH ROUND BRADDOCK OUTCLASSED SEVERELY PUNISHED BY CHALLENGER I United Press Association) ‘ (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) NEW YORK, June 22. (Received June 23, at 5.5 p’.m.) . 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. Louis weighed 14st IJlb and Braddock 14st 11b.

Braddock came out fighting in the first round, but Louis quickly staggered the champion with a right to the jaw, and two rights over the eye opened a cut. Braddock suddenly whipped a right upper-cut to the chin and Louis went down. However, he was up before the count started. The champion chased him to the 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, but the advantage was only temporary. His blows were wild and Louis drove a right to the jaw, staggering the champion, and m the last few seconds of the round he had Braddock wobbly from a twofisted battering to the head. It was Louis’s round. The third round opened with Louis effectively jabbing with his left to the face. Louis suddenly leaped with a right to the and a left fo the face. The contender shook Hie champion with a sharp right to the jaw just before the bell. Again the round went to Louis; CHALLENGER ANGERED In the fourth round Braddock ended Louis’s cautious boxing with a left to the face and a right to the body, angering the contender for the title,, who proceeded to tilt the champion’s head back with stiff rights and lefts, which made Bradcic ck 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. Then he i.-cv.’ ssly walked into Louis, who was driving lefts and rights : to. the be ciy and head,, reopening a cut over Evaddock’s., left .eye. Similar blows staggered the champion and bruised bis lips, but he stood flatfooted, vainly drying to counter his opponent’s vicious blows. This also was Louis’s round.

Braddock threw his fists about wildly in the seventli round, while Louis cut him to ribbons with straight left jabs and rocked him with a right upper-cut 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 came after seven seconds In the eighth round. Louis opened by boxing cautiously, stabbing a left to his opponent’s face and keeping nut 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 BOUT 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' by 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. I 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 my belt I can beat him. The ring lights hurt my eyes, and I admit that I was tired after the fifth round, but 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 el 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. The boxing editor of the New I’ork 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 the cool, calculating and crafty boxing and the 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 hcemorrhage from the 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 the North

American Newspaper Alliance says

“ The finishing blow was one of tho most terrific siifgle punches I 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. NEGRO DEMONSTRATIONS To deal with eventualities arising from the fight 1500 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 natured, the negroes held parades and commandeered trams and otherwise noisily celebrated the first negro victory in a title bout since Jack Johnson won the championship. The attendance at the bout was 50,000, and the receipts amounted to 700,000 dollars. WORLD TITLE FIGHT? FARR AND SCHMELING REQUEST TO BRITISH BOARD LONDON, June 22. Farr and Schmeling have signed articles to fight in London in August or September. The British Control Board will be asked to recognise it as a world title fight. The proposed match in England between Farr and the winner of the championship fight at Chicago has been abandoned because Louis and Braddock each demanded excessive guarantees.