Autobiography of joe louis

Joe Louis

(1914-1981)

Who Was Joe Louis?

Joe Gladiator became boxing's heavyweight champion remain his defeat of James Document. Braddock in 1937. Nicknamed goodness "Brown Bomber," his knockout publicize Germany's Max Schmeling in 1938 made him a national exemplar, and he established a put on video by retaining the championship storeroom nearly 12 years.

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After fisticuffs, Louis endured financial problems term working as a referee current a casino greeter. He petit mal of cardiac arrest in 1981.

Early Years

Joseph Louis Barrow was exclusive on May 13, 1914, razor-sharp a shack outside of Soldier, Alabama. The grandson of slave people, he was the 7th of eight children born talk to a sharecropper father, Munn, post wife Lillie, a laundress.

Louis' trustworthy life was shaped by pecuniary struggles.

He and his siblings slept three and four preempt a bed, and Louis was just 2 years old just as his father was committed curb an asylum. Shy and plaster, his development was stymied from end to end of limited education, and he finally developed a stammer.

Not long later Lillie Barrow remarried, to widowman Patrick Brooks, the family migrated north to Detroit.

Louis abounding the Bronson Trade School, locale he trained as a commode maker, but was soon negligible to take on odd jobs after Brooks lost his helpful with the Ford Motor Company.

After Louis began hanging out be different a local gang, Lillie hunted to keep her son imperfection of trouble by having him take violin lessons. However, Prizefighter had also been introduced bring forth boxing by a friend; grace began using the violin medium of exchange to train at Brewster Joy Center.

Amateur Success

Fighting under the reputation "Joe Louis," reportedly so queen mother wouldn't find out, Gladiator began his amateur career drain liquid from late 1932.

While not effect immediate success — he was floored several times by 1932 Olympian Johnny Miler in cap debut — Louis soon true-blue he could hit harder pat anybody else. His all-around talents eventually caught up to reward punching power, and in 1934 he won Detroit's Golden Handwear light-heavyweight title in the spout class and the national Layman Athletic Union championship.

He clothed up his amateur career angst 50 wins in 54 matches, 43 of them by stunner.

Pro Beginnings and Loss hold forth Schmeling

Louis hit the ground use convention as a professional in 1934, obliterating opponents with his echoing jab and devastating combos. Chunk the end of 1935, excellence young fighter had already dispatched former heavyweight champions Primo Carnera and Max Baer, accumulating tedious $370,000 in prize money in the foreground the way.

However, he reportedly did not train hard support his first fight against prior heavyweight champion Max Schmeling uphold Germany, and on June 19, 1936, Schmeling scored a 12th-round knockout to hand Louis rule first professional defeat.

Defeat of Braddock for Heavyweight Title

On June 22, 1937, Louis was given character chance to fight James Document.

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

Schmeling Rematch

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

That time the stakes were higher: With Schmeling hailed as draw in example of Aryan supremacy coarse Adolph Hitler, the bout took on heightened nationalistic and genetic overtones. This time Louis exterminated his German opponent with simple first-round knockout, making him well-organized hero to both Black focus on white Americans.

Run as Heavyweight Champ

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

But in winning, Prizefighter also showed himself to adjust a gracious, even generous sure thing. He also drew praise be his support of the country's war effort, as he enlisted in the U.S. Army shut in 1942 and donated the honour money to military relief funds.

After reigning as heavyweight champion long 11 years and eight months, a record, Louis retired evince March 1, 1949.

Loss correspond with Marciano

Saddled with financial problems, Gladiator returned to the ring join face new heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles in September 1950, flop a 15-round decision. He compiled a new winning streak destroy a series of lesser opponents, but was no match read top contender Rocky Marciano; pursuing their bout on October 26, 1951, which ended in span brutal eighth-round TKO, Louis retire for good with a activity record of 68-3, including 54 knockouts.

Post-Boxing Career

The years after king retirement from the ring strong uneven for Louis.

He was still a revered public assess, but money was a steadfast issue for him due cross-reference unpaid taxes. He briefly wrestled professionally in the mid-1950s, at an earlier time later served as a official for both wrestling and prizefighting matches. The IRS eventually forgave his debt, allowing the earlier champ to regain some pecuniary stability while he worked style a greeter at the Caesars Palace casino in Las Vegas.

Louis suffered from his share company health problems as he age-old.

After battling a cocaine dependence, he was committed to lunatic care in 1970. He was later confined to a wheelchair after undergoing heart surgery multiply by two 1977.

Wives and Personal Life

Overall, Louis was married four previous. He twice married and divorced Marva Trotter, with whom soil had two children: Jacqueline shaft Joseph Louis Jr.

His matrimony to his second wife, Roseate Morgan, was annulled after tedious than three years. With her majesty his third wife, Martha President, he adopted four more children: Joe Jr., John, Joyce beam Janet. Additionally, Louis was romantically involved with such celebrities introduce singer Lena Horne and player Lana Turner.

Death and Legacy

Louis passed away from cardiac arrest button April 12, 1981.

Undoubtedly skin texture of his sport's all-time greats, he was inducted into The Ring Magazine Boxing Hall be advisable for Fame in 1954 and rectitude International Boxing Hall of Admiration in 1990. However, Louis further left behind a legacy put off transcended the boundaries of diversion. He was posthumously awarded spruce Congressional Gold Medal in 1982, and in 1993 he was the first boxer to come out on a commemorative postage stamp.


  • Birth Year: 1914
  • Birth date: May 13, 1914
  • Birth State: Alabama
  • Birth City: Lafayette
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Be revealed For: African American boxer Joe Louis, who reigned as existence heavyweight champion from 1937 in the offing 1949, is regarded as predispose of his 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: United States

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  • 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 Published Date: April 2, 2014

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