MAX SCHMELING TO FIGHT NEGRO JOE LOUIS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 160, 18 June 1936, Page 7

MAX SCHMELING TO FIGHT NEGRO JOE LOUIS

To-night in Madison Square Garden, New York, the remarkable Aiabama negro, joe Louis, will square up against the tough and hardhitting German, Max Schmeling. It is the first big world fight of 'the y«aSr,i tbao'/Brown? Bomber" versus "The Hammer of Hamburg." If Ldtiis! wins, his next bout will certainly be against J.arrie.s Braddock for the heavy-weight title. | { /, 3 -|,' 3 American critics mostly favour the chances of Louis, but there are other? who say that he will find Schmeling the stiffest proposition he has ever had to tackle. In 57 contests, Schmeling has scored 33 knock-outs, which is a high average. His best contests were with johnny Risko, Young Stribling, Uzcudun and Mickey Walker, and his most disappointing bouts were with Jack Sharkey, against whom he won nnd later lost the world's heavyweight championship. He is 30 years of age. J , ><; .... Louis, 22 years of age, has had 26 consecutive victories since he turned professional two years ago—and his last two victims were Camera and Max Baer, both knocked out. He is the most-talked-of coloured fighter since jack Johnson. *j.:i*&m£i

Louis is a relentless fighter whose one great ambition is to regain the worlds heavy-weight boxing supremacy for his' race, and to meet Br.iudock ha will first have to win to-night —and win decisively. An indication of his methods is tarnished by one report of his victory over Max Baer last September: "Louis mowed down Baer with a punching blast as deauly as machinegun fire. iMercilesly and methodic•ally, and never wasting a blow, he hardly ever slackened a punching pace which has seldom been equalled in pugilistic history- in nis devastating killing, Louis struck Baer more than one hundred times, while Baer landed thirteen blows." Against Carnera "The negro brought his ferocious attack to a climax with three knock-downs in the sixth round to end the battle. Carnera, whose weight was 18st. Blb., was helpless. Louis, 14st., never left the contest in doubt."

Schmeling does not shiver at the tale of these victories. Normally a quiet fellow, he did go so far as to say on his arrival in America a few weeks back: i #rff /' •• '*f "I'm pretty sure I can beat Louis, or I would not have come over. Louis can be beaten. What the others did wrong I will do right. I think I am better than I was." But the Hammer of Hamburg has never met a Joe Louis. Schmeling is a good puncher, as his records prove, but in the past he has been rather overcautious in the ring. He let Jack Sharkey take the heavyweight title from him after he had worked Sharkey into a good position. He kept back his heavy artillery until it was too late. Louis lets nothing past him. He scents an opening; there is a ripping flash, and up to the present that has been the end. There is nothing to suggest that Maximillian Schmeling will succeed tonight where Carnera and Baer failed.