Joe Louis: The heavyweight champion who eliminated fascism

By Owais Tabassum: The year was 1938. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party had just annexed Austria. Humanity held out its breath while the world drunk on the brink of the most devastating conflict in history – the Second War II.

In the middle of this imminent disaster, another battle occupied the front of the stage through the pond in New York. The air was thick with the SMOG of the Great Depression while seventy thousand spectators embarked the Yankee Stadium, and around one hundred million listeners listening to radio in the world as Boxing heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, faced Max Schmeling from Germany.

Adolf Hitler and the “propagandist leader” of the Nazi party, Joseph Goebbels, had supported the Schmeling as their advertising Stooge in the world of boxing and with a good cause.

Schmeling was a smooth boxer, quickly on his feet, and a ring technician who held Knockout power in the two fists. He had proven his ability to stop Louis during their first meeting two years ago, inflicting him from his first defeat. He was a great pugilist, and Hitler knew it too well.

The public feeling articulated on a victory of Louis; Millions have huddled around the crackling of their radios in anticipation. This was the gravity of the event that President Franklin D. Roosevelt personally told Louis: “These are the muscles we need to defeat the Germans.” The situation simmered with tension and the burden of Louis’s shoulders was heavy.

The “FDR” does not need to worry, Louis understood the mission. By walking towards a central ring in an elegant and squatting position, taking advantage of his devastating power, he delivered overwhelming blows to the head and the body of Schmeling. He spilled it three times, interrupting the competition with category with a Knock-Out in the first round.

The image of fascism was almost decimated in 124 seconds.

A furious Joseph Goebbels frantically pointed out the broadcast engineers to eliminate the candle from the transmission while the Schmeling lay on the strings, succumbing to the punch of Louis.

While the word of the triumph of Louis quickly spread, the streets of each state broke out with joy. People sang and danced to celebrate the victory of their hero. Louis’ victory had helped open the way to racial relations across the country. Louis, an African-American born in Alabama in a family of sharecroppers, had literally fought with dirt and beaten the notion of Adolf Hitler of Aryan Supremacy. The victory was sweet.

Louis subsequently joined the war effort in 1942, becoming the original inspiration of the “Captain America” ​​of Marvel “ Captain America ‘holding fights in army camps, entertaining troops and promoting unity among the different races fighting side by side in this bloody conflict.

Schmeling, for his part, has never joined the Nazi party; His relationship with the Führer was complex. He risked his life and reputation to help Jewish children escape persecution. He too was a hero.

Back in the ring, Louis reigned as heavy goods vehicles for almost 12 years – an amazing achievement that remains unprecedented to date. It was not until 1950 that the Exceptional Ezzard Charles only dealt with the second loss of his legendary career

Louis’s life later was spoiled by financial problems, his managers had pocketed most of his career earnings leaving him only a fraction of his earnings. Louis was also extremely generous, helping family and friends getting out of the poverty hole. But unfortunately, many Louis commercial companies had also failed.

Perhaps the most devastating blow of Louis’ career did not come to the ring but from the IRS, which said that it owes more than $ 500,000 in rear taxes. With interest and fines, this figure has increased to more than $ 1,000,000, equivalent to $ 13 million today. When Louis’ mother died, she left him, a modest $ 500. Tragically, the IRS immediately seized this sum. Although my exploration of tax laws at the time confirmed that the government had acted in its legal rights, I found no justification for moral indecency to confiscate a personal gift from a mother who died to her son.

With regard to debts, slowing reflexes and sporting a bald patch, Louis, with a stellar career of 66 victories, 52 Knockouts and only 2 defeats, was forced to return to the ring for the last time.

This time, his enemy was none other than the future temple of fame, a future holder of undefeated records, a devastating artist with direct elimination; The “Brockton Blockbuster” Rocky Marciano.

Although Rocky expressed his regret for having to fight his hero whose victory against the Schmeling, he himself celebrated his youth. The way he dismantled Louis would make you think the opposite. Marciano had knocked out Louis in the 8th round with an overwhelming right hand, sending him through the strings and deviates from the ring. While Louis was desperately helped to get up, a feeling of sadness passed over the world of boxing. Louis’ boxing career was over

Louis’s heritage lives in modern media.

It is fascinating to think that decades later, we can see these historic meetings in amazing colors and high definition. The technology has progressed to the point where we can now enter the ring as an almost perfect graphic rendering of Joe Louis in the newly released boxing simulation game, “UndeMated”. Could fans of that time have imagined such a jump? »»

Louis and Schmeling became friends for the rest of their lives, Schmeling even provided Louis with financial aid during his most desperate years. This link was proof that reconciliation is possible even among enemies at the opposite ends of the ideological spectrum.

Other boxing figures and the world of broader celebrities, namely Jack Dempsey, the baseball icon Jackie Robinson and the legends of music Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, have financially helped Louis in recent years

The Muhammad boxing icon Ali took care of Louis’ funeral arrangements when he died on April 12, 1981. On the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the world of boxing has cried the loss of one of its most titanic figures.

Joe Louis experienced a time defined by deep segregation, racial hatred, the Second World War and the Great Depression. However, with nothing more than a pair of boxing gloves, he broke the racial barriers, built bridges, united a divided nation and eliminated fascism.