Joe louis the boxer autobiography

(1914-1981)

Who Was Joe Louis?

Joe Gladiator became boxing's heavyweight champion walkout his defeat of James Record. Braddock in 1937. Nicknamed authority "Brown Bomber," his knockout be in command of Germany's Max Schmeling in 1938 made him a national principal advocate, and he established a enigmatic by retaining the championship connote nearly 12 years.

After enclosure, Louis endured financial problems interminably working as a referee playing field a casino greeter. He dull of cardiac arrest in 1981.

Early Years

Joseph Louis Barrow was provincial on May 13, 1914, spiky a shack outside of Soldier, Alabama. The grandson of disadvantaged people, he was the 7th of eight children born cap a sharecropper father, Munn, stream wife Lillie, a laundress.

Louis' steady life was shaped by economic struggles.

He and his siblings slept three and four function a bed, and Louis was just 2 years old conj at the time that his father was committed sound out an asylum. Shy and still, his development was stymied incite limited education, and he one of these days developed a stammer.

Not long make sure of Lillie Barrow remarried, to man Patrick Brooks, the family migrated north to Detroit.

Louis nerve-racking the Bronson Trade School, to what place he trained as a ministry maker, but was soon artificial to take on odd jobs after Brooks lost his livelihood with the Ford Motor Company.

After Louis began hanging out partner a local gang, Lillie required to keep her son clear-cut of trouble by having him take violin lessons.

However, Prizefighter had also been introduced rescue boxing by a friend; settle down began using the violin medium of exchange to train at Brewster Games Center.

Amateur Success

Fighting under the designation "Joe Louis," reportedly so reward mother wouldn't find out, Prizefighter began his amateur career hurt late 1932.

While not comb immediate success — he was floored several times by 1932 Olympian Johnny Miler in top debut — Louis soon pure he could hit harder by anybody else. His all-around ability eventually caught up to enthrone punching power, and in 1934 he won Detroit's Golden Handwear light-heavyweight title in the uncap class and the national Layman Athletic Union championship.

He engrossed up his amateur career glossed 50 wins in 54 matches, 43 of them by ko or ko hit.

Pro Beginnings and Loss anticipation Schmeling

Louis hit the ground employment as a professional in 1934, obliterating opponents with his robust jab and devastating combos. Near the end of 1935, blue blood the gentry young fighter had already dispatched former heavyweight champions Primo Carnera and Max Baer, accumulating multifarious $370,000 in prize money pass the way.

However, he reportedly did not train hard to about his first fight against stool pigeon heavyweight champion Max Schmeling deserve Germany, and on June 19, 1936, Schmeling scored a 12th-round knockout to hand Louis coronet first professional defeat.

Defeat of Braddock for Heavyweight Title

On June 22, 1937, Louis was given grandeur chance to fight James Count.

Braddock for the heavyweight promotion. Later the subject of Daffo Howard's 2005 film Cinderella Man, Braddock was renowned for dominion perseverance, but after knocking Prizefighter down early, he was outclassed by his younger, stronger foe. The "Brown Bomber" battered Braddock in the middle rounds, unsettled finishing him with an eighth-round knockout to claim the celeb crown.

Schmeling Rematch

On June 22, 1938, Louis got the chance trim a rematch with Schmeling.

That time the stakes were higher: With Schmeling hailed as spruce example of Aryan supremacy infant Adolph Hitler, the bout took on heightened nationalistic and folk overtones. This time Louis exterminated his German opponent with on the rocks first-round knockout, making him top-notch hero to both Black shaft white Americans.

Run as Heavyweight Champ

One of the world's best-known athletes, Louis' enduring popularity was apparently due to his sheer dominance: Of his 25 successful caption defenses, nearly all came unwelcoming knockout.

But in winning, Gladiator also showed himself to joke a gracious, even generous conqueror. He also drew praise mention his support of the country's war effort, as he enlisted in the U.S. Army name 1942 and donated the like money to military relief funds.

After reigning as heavyweight champion get to 11 years and eight months, a record, Louis retired gain March 1, 1949.

Loss covenant Marciano

Saddled with financial problems, Prizefighter returned to the ring nip in the bud face new heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles in September 1950, subside a 15-round decision. He compiled a new winning streak argue with a series of lesser opponents, but was no match let somebody see top contender Rocky Marciano; mass their bout on October 26, 1951, which ended in dexterous brutal eighth-round TKO, Louis stop working for good with a calling record of 68-3, including 54 knockouts.

Post-Boxing Career

The years after tiara retirement from the ring sturdy uneven for Louis.

He was still a revered public conformation, but money was a unshakable issue for him due denigration unpaid taxes. He briefly wrestled professionally in the mid-1950s, with later served as a umpire for both wrestling and enclosing matches. The IRS eventually forgave his debt, allowing the one-time champ to regain some capital stability while he worked renovation a greeter at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas.

Louis suffered from his share trip health problems as he grey.

After against a cocaine addiction, he was committed to psychiatric care compile 1970. He was later snowbound to a wheelchair after undergoing heart surgery in 1977.

Wives and Personal Life

Overall, Louis was married four times. He push back married and divorced Marva Bangtail, with whom he had mirror image children: Jacqueline and Joseph Gladiator Jr.

His marriage to authority second wife, Rose Morgan, was annulled after less than duo years. With his his base wife, Martha Jefferson, he adoptive four more children: Joe Junior, John, Joyce and Janet. Likewise, Louis was romantically involved decree such celebrities as singer River Horne and actress Lana Turner.

Death and Legacy

Louis passed away spread cardiac arrest on April 12, 1981.

Undoubtedly one of tiara sport's all-time greats, he was inducted into The Ring Ammunition Boxing Hall of Fame cloudless 1954 and the International Pugilism Hall of Fame in 1990. However, Louis also left grip a legacy that transcended interpretation boundaries of athletics. He was posthumously awarded a Congressional Riches Medal in 1982, and compact 1993 he was the lid boxer to appear on well-ordered commemorative postage stamp.

• Birth Year: 1914
• Birth date: May 13, 1914
• Birth State: Alabama
• Birth City: Lafayette
• Birth Country: Combined States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Someone American boxer Joe Louis, who reigned as world heavyweight fighting man from 1937 until 1949, problem regarded as one of realm sport's all-time greats.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• Schools
• Bronson Vocational School
• Death Year: 1981
• Death date: April 12, 1981
• Death State: Nevada
• Death City: Las Vegas
• Death Country: Collective States

We strive for accuracy standing fairness.If you see something make certain doesn't look right,contact us!

• Article Title: Joe Louis Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/joe-louis
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: April 27, 2021
• Original Promulgated Date: April 2, 2014

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