Only light-heavyweight champion Billy Conn seemed to offer any kind of challenge, taking Louis thirteen rounds to defeat on June 18, 1941. Winters, Robert "Louis, Joe It describes fighters as successful as George Foreman or as disappointing as Michael Grant. Down goes Frazier!" . He went to Los Angeles to witness a rematch between Louis and Ramage, and this time Louis knocked Ramage out in the second round. Encouraged by his father, LaMotta started putting his violent nature to work, starting fights in the street to help earn money for his family. ", Notable Examples: "Sugar" Ray Robinson, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, "Sugar" Shane Mosley, "Sugar" Ray Seales, Ultiminio "Sugar" Ramos, boxing historian Bert Sugar, and many, many others. Jack died of cancer, and Joseph died seven months later in an airplane crash. Deardorff, Don. Consecutive losses to Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano closed the book on his boxing career. Boxer List. Feelings ran high throughout the international community, and particularly among black Americans. In the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the command of General Harold Alexanders 18th Army Group. [5], To facilitate expansion, Graham sold 20% of the company and began licensing its name and designs to other companies, for use on other products. It is probably the most widely recognized nickname in all of boxing, being shared by some of the greatest fighters of all time (the 5 fighters listed above have been (or in Mosley's case, will be) inducted into at least one boxing Hall of Fame, and Robinson is often considered the best ever) and has also inspired some low-level imitations. Total bouts 1, won 0, lost 1, draw 0. ." Joe Louis (May 13, 1914April 12, 1981), heavyweight champion and one of the most admired prizefighters in history, was born near Lafayette, Alabama, the seventh of eight children of farmer Munn Barrow and Lillie Barrow. WebInfo about the boxer Joe Thomas, debut 1981-10-16. . The family resettled in Detroit, where twelve-year-old Joe found himself woefully unprepared for school. Although hed not yet fought for the heavyweight championship, Louis had fought several former champions and won. To help fund Louis' career, Roxborough brought in Chicago numbers runner Julian Black, a longtime business associate. In 1951, he faced longtime rival Sugar Ray Robinson in the ring for the sixth and final time. In early 2013, LaMotta married for a seventh time, to actressDenise Baker, his co-star and writer of Lady and the Champ. On October 26, 1951, he made one last comeback attempt, losing to future champion Rocky Marciano in an eighth-round knockout. This is another nickname that translates perfectly into boxing. A nation that had almost forgotten him suddenly remembered everything he had meant, hailing him anew as a great boxer who had restored class and integrity to professional boxing. He was for a time a pro wrestler, operated a failed fast-food business, and acted as a front man for boxing promoter James Norris. Partly this was due to events in Schmeling's homeland. On June 11, 1936, Joe Louis lost his first professional boxing match, in a twelfthround knockout by Max Schmeling. African Americans gathered at local stores and in neighbor's homes to hear the broadcasts of his fights, vicariously shared in his victories, and honored his ring triumphs with literally hundreds of songs and poems. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. So what this nickname tells you is that a fighter is decent, but not good enough yet to have a real nickname. Sale. Louis mother married a widower, and the family grew with the addition of his six children. Notable Examples: Roberto "The Hands of Stone" Duran, Michael "Little Hands of Stone" Carbajal. Eventually, Ramage was too tired to lift his arms, and Louis got him against the ropes, knocking him out in the eighth round. The 1937 heavyweight championship between Schmeling and Braddock was cancelled due to threats of boycott, and there was a fear that if the German boxer took home the championship, Louis would never get the chance to fight for it. An army film, it challenged segregation in the army and in America. Notable Examples: Prince Naseem Hamed, Prince Arron. Americans were all in the war together, and Louis became an even greater hero. Passed over for leadership of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, Jacobs had been looking for a way to break the Garden's monopoly, and in a bizarre series of maneuvers surrounding a New York charity, he found it. "Joe Louis, 66, Heavyweight King Who Reigned 12 Years, Is Dead." In the 1960s, Louis' life began to unravel. Encyclopedia.com. I don't care if he tried to change it to "El Nino de Oro," it just seemed tacky and I'm sure some fans were relieved to see newly-anointed "Golden Boy" get knocked out in the first round by Juan Carlos Salgado in last year's Ring Magazine Upset of the Year. Like their name implies, these fighters have a combination of dexterous hand movements and skilled showmanship make them fun to watch. In 1926, Louis and his family moved north to Detroit where the auto industry drew hundreds of thousands in search of better work. Before Louis became champion, he was beaten once, by Max Schmeling in 1936. Believing herself a widow, Lillie Barrow soon married Pat Brooks, a widower with five children of his own. His fans were confident Schmeling would be the next victim of their beloved Brown Bomber. The event sold out Yankee Stadium, and all of America listened. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. Roxborough dropped the Barrow from Louiss name because he thought Joe Louis Barrow was too long for the pro. Big Cat? He became bigger than boxing and sealed himself in history as the greatest of all-time. . The former champ also served as a celebrity greeter at the Caesar's Palace Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Encyclopedia.com. But sometimes, nicknames get reused. Perhaps the greatest tribute came from Muhammad Ali, who told a reporter: "From black folks to red-neck Mississippi crackers, they loved him. Joe Louis. Jack Blackburn, a very knowledgeable boxing man, was Louis's trainer. There was no truth to any of these generalizations. William Hosea. WebBut one of Americas favorite heroes fought with his fists. Boxer Jake LaMotta was born in 1922 in New York City. And who can forget Leonard and Hagler's wins over Hearns? ", Journalists repeatedly wrote that Louis slept and ate a lot, read the comics, rooted for the Detroit Tigers, and liked to play baseball and golf. Related boxers. [2] [3] Early life and education [ edit] Nick Graham was born in Calgary, Alberta, to English immigrants Ewen and Monica Graham. WebInfo about the boxer Joe Thomas, debut 1916-05-17. Born Joseph Louis Barrow, May 13 1914, in Lexington, AL; died of cardiac arrest, April 12, 1981, in Las Vegas, NV; son of Munn (a sharecropper) and Lily Barrow; married Marva Trotter, 1935 (divorced); married second wife, 1949 (divorced); married Rose Morgan, 1955 (marriage annulled); married Martha Jefferson, 1959; children: (both with Trotter) Jacqueline, Joe Jr. Boxer. In sixty-six professional bouts, Louis lost only three times (twice in the last two years of his career) and knocked out forty-nine of his opponents. [8], In 2012, Graham moved to New York City and began developing the Nick Graham collection. The Allied victory against the Axis was a long journeyone that actually took much longer than the war itself. ed. The following year he defeated Jim Braddock for the championship. Louis was Johnsons opposite outside of the ring. Blriot, Louis (18721936) French aircraft designer and aviator. A fearsome brawler, the "Bronx Bull" became the world middleweight champion in 1949, and engaged in several memorable bouts with fellow champion .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Sugar Ray Robinson before retiring in 1954. Do Not Sell My Personal Information "We're going to do our part, and we will win," Louis intoned at a Navy Relief Society dinner on March 10, 1942, "because we are on God's side." The two were scheduled for a rematch, which had to be called off after Cerdan died in a plane crash. The Brown Bomber retired for good, but remains one of Americans most beloved boxers, a peoples champion in hard times, and an example of a generation that rose up and overcame the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II. WebThomas down twice in both rounds. Louis's trainer was a white man, the former lightweight fighter Jack Blackburn. "Joe Louis-World Champion." He was the first Light Flyweight ever to earn $1 million for a fight, and the first to headline a pay-per-view. As quoted by James Cox in the Smithsonian, Louiss son, Joe Jr., recalled: My aunts and uncles told me they were absolutely flabbergasted when he [Joe Louis]. All Rights Reserved. American boxer. "Golden Boy" also summons images of a precocious, can-do-no-wrong youngster, which is admirable but could also inspire a bit of resentment in a fighter's opponent. Due to this sensitivity to the Johnson legacy, Louis felt obligated to set an exemplary standard and live down every black stereotype. The win was too definitive to be disputed. The Flushing Flash? https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/louis-joe-0, "Louis, Joe [14][15], Graham is the author of A Brief History Of Shorts: The Ultimate Guide To Understanding Your Underwear (1995). Although this was not illegal, it was considered in poor taste to deal with a country with whom the United States did not maintain diplomatic relations. WebBilly Joe Thomas is a former professional boxer from United States with a record of 8 Wins, 25 Losses, 0 Draws Louis turned professional in 1934 under the management of John Roxborough, a black Detroit businessman and king of the illegal numbers rackets in the citys black neighborhoods, and Julian Black, a black Chicago-based mortician who was also involved in illegal gambling. Notable Sports Figures. (March 20, 2023). WebThomas Tate was born on 19 December, 1965 in Detroit, MI, is an American boxer. If Pacquiao's last opponent were called Joshua "The Great" Clottey, think of how many jokes he'd be the butt of. Behind the scenes, Louis used the information gathered from talking to black troops to encourage positive changes. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/joe-louis, "Joe Louis . 20 Mar. ." "Hands of Stone" signifies someone with that intangible ability to have his punches be deceptively hard-hitting. After Brooks lost his job, Joe and his brothers shined shoes, ran errands, and sold newspapers before and after school to help out the family. Roxborough's other career was as a civic leader, sponsoring a number of charitable causes and helping local youngsters fulfill their dreams. Encyclopedia of the Great Depression. Nobody does this better than Italian fighters. Louis was introduced to American soldiers during World War II as "the first American to K.O. So while it's appropriate for Alexander and Ali, this nickname only works well as a singular nickname for those who truly establish themselves to be Hall of Fame-caliber boxers, and fighters of this level will probably be called "great" anyway. Jake La Motta, in training to meet Marcel Cerdan, the French middleweight champion in Detroit. . When Alexander took command on February 20, 1943, one of his first tasks was to assess II Corps combat readiness after its setbacks during its early engagements around Kasserine Pass. The world was on the verge of war with Nazism, and Max Schmeling was seen as an Aryan poster boy. As a 19-year-old light heavyweight, Louis whipped everything in front of him. Canadian fashion designer and entrepreneur, "Lifestyle brand SpaceOne to mint NFT mission patchesApr 2022", "Nick Graham Virtual Jacket Sells for 20,000 MANA, or $17,000", "Joe Boxer takes it in the shorts. A man by the name of Mike Jacobs would prove their salvation. Training in twin engine B-25 Mitchell bombers, the 477th never actually saw combat overseas, but fought another battle here in the United States. For Louis, it was half a victory. New York: Scribner, 1985. [16], In September 2019, Graham debuted a project titled Soundtrack From Films Never Made. Joe Louis: The Great Black Hope. Following this brief hiatus, however, Louis quickly rose to prominence in boxing and African-American or "race" circles. Ashe, Arthur R., Jr., A Hard Road to Glory, Warner, 1988, pp. The former champ died from complications of pneumonia in a Miami nursing home on September 19, 2017. His marriage began failing, and he lost thousands of dollars betting on the golf course. Because of the general lack of talent in the heavyweight division at the time and the ease of Louis's victories, his opponents were popularly referred to as "The Bum of the Month Club." Boxer List. Joe Thomas boxer. WebBoxing Pro 6 bouts date w-l-d last 6 result; 1929-12-14: KO McIntyre: 1 1 1: Ward Theatre, Kingston Mike Jacobs went to work on Max Baer, eventually signing him up to fight Lewis on September 24, 1935. Robinson had stood up to the officer after he made racist remarks. (March 20, 2023). In 2012, at age 90, he performed in an autobiographical revue titled Lady and the Champ that ran off-Broadway for two weeks. For seven years he defended his title against a series of "great white hopes," but in 1915 he finally lost to one of them, Jess Willard, in a match that may have been fixed. Joe Louis' first pro boxing match took place on July 4, 1934, when he knocked out Jack Kracken in the first round. Those wins qualified those fighters as some of the all-time greats in the sport. Times were hard, and by age 15 Louis left school to help support his family. Oleg Maskaev boxer. Assuming a Baer victory against a challenger who'd lost twenty-six fights in his career, the Garden's Jimmy Johnston had made a fatal contractual error. A testament to Louis performance was silence in German media. Jacobs promoted a few "tune-up" fights for Joe Louis out of town, while his secret partners in the Club began to churn out the publicity that would eventually make Louis a household name. Encyclopedia.com. To make matters worse, his managers took 50 percent of his winnings, while all training expenses were taken out of Louiss share. It also has a tough, powerful sound to it, unlike names like "Bazooka.". Mead, Chris. Outspoken and flamboyant Jack Johnson, once the heavyweight champion, had pushed the line too far in his private life and had suffered for it. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (December 30, 1999): K5619. For a while Joe and the other children helped their parents work the cotton fields, but in 1926 the Brooks/Barrow family joined the growing swell of black migration northward. Joe Louis: My Life. The referee called the fight. He tried pro wrestling, then got involved in sports and commercial promotions. [12], With the business downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nick Graham collection reduced its output to shirts, ties and shoes. Notable Examples: "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney, "Gentleman" Jim Corbett, "The Gentleman of Boxing" Floyd Patterson. O. Joe Louis. With the Nazi menace looming more ominously on the international horizon, this grudge match became a symbol of good versus evil. He certainly never considered the idea of returning to the ordinary work world he left in the early 1930s when he became a fighter. WebInfo about the boxer Billy Joe Thomas, debut 1979-09-25. Louis was undeterred: No place else in the world could a one time black cotton picker like me get to be a millionaire. "Louis, Joe Youngest boxer (aged 23) of his time to become heavyweight champion, 1937; held heavyweight title longer than any other boxer; defended title 25 times and retired without a defeat as champion; finished professional career with a record of 68-3, with 54 knockouts. Everyone knew a Schmeling rematch was the next order of business if Louis' title was to be seen as fully legitimate. In 1969 Louis and his former victim Billy Conn set up the Joe Louis Food Franchise Corporation in an attempt to operate an interracial chain of food shops. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. The following year he defeated Jim Braddock for the championship. In fact, Munroe lived on for another twenty years, an invisible man oblivious to his son's growing reputation. Courtesy of The National Archives. Louis became an emblem not simply of black America, but also, like Jesse Owens in Berlin a few years earlier, of antitotalitarian America itself, of its ideology of opportunity and freedom. A second movie about his life,The Bronx Bull, featuring such respected actors as William Forsythe, Paul Sorvino and Joe Mantegna, premiered at the Newport Film Festival in 2016 and was released a year later. Louis's phrase, "We're on God's side," became one of the most famous phrases in American oratory during the Second World War. In 1959, he married attorney Martha Malone Jefferson, moving into her home in Los Angeles. 1961), and in Lester Bromberg, Boxing's Unforgettable Fights (1962). Before he became champion, Louis was beaten once, by Max Schmeling in 1936. Like many poor, unskilled, undereducated, ethnic urban boys of the period, Louis drifted into boxing largely as an opportunity to make money and to release his aggression in an organized, socially acceptable way. ** (Followed closely by how quickly that fight turned him from a serviceable journeyman to record-padding fodder for young up-and-comers like Donovan "Razor" Ruddock, Ray Mercer, Clifford Etienne and Michael Dokes. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. It seems like "Big" is just a way to trick people into putting unfortunate words like "cat" or "daddy" into a boxing nickname and thinking it will sound intimidating. In a professional boxing career that spanned 42 bouts from 1977-1986, Thomas posted a 34-8 record with 21 knockouts. But his Federal income taxes were $1, 199, 000; furthermore, when penalties were assessed, taxes became astronomical. "Joe Louis Became Both a Black Hero and a National Symbol to Whites after Overcoming Racism in the Media." While the incident was at first credited to "physical breakdown," Louis later admitted to cocaine use and fears of a plot against his life. Contemporary Black Biography. College Gymnasium, Quincy. New York: Robson Books, Parkwest Publications, 1995. Highlighting his fight with Schmeling in 1938, it played up the war as a continuation of the fight between the two. In 1909 Blriot became the first man to fly an aircraft across the En, Louis XIII (France) (16011643; Ruled 16101643) But below the surface, things were not always so good. Johnson invited the wrath of whites by chattering away to opponents in the ring and gloating after he knocked them down. For someone of Carbajal's caliber to be called "Little" anything, means that the "anything" must be extraordinary. Boxing was hungry for an exciting champion, and Louis' undeniable power in the ring and his willingness to fight any serious contender fit the bill. WebConsensus newspaper decision from New York City newspapers was in favor of Thomas (Jack Kincaid). A force of nature. During World War II, Louis in some ways matured deeply as a man and came into his own as an American icon and hero. Aside from McNeeley, the fighters who have held this nickname have lived up to its reputation too. 2023 . (* And Bleacher Report Boxing Community Leader "King J"), Notable Examples: Antonio "The Magic Man" Tarver, Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi, Marlon "Magic Man" Starling. Sports Illustrated, September 16, 1985, pp.82-196. The National WWII Museum. When the war began, he was twenty-seven and at his prime as a fighter. The following year, Louis spent five months in the hospital suffering from paranoid delusions (irrational anxiety and fear toward others). In 1969, he was hospitalized after collapsing on a New York City street. Berkeley County BOE seeking applicants for Martinsburg football head coaching position, Pair of 6-run innings lift Bridgeport over Philip Barbour, 16-7. At best, it's a powerful but unwieldy firearm that is the imaginary weapon of choice for six-year-old boys. After a few lackluster rounds, they saw something amazing. His constant womanizing, carefully shielded from the press, had taken its toll on his marriage. His nickname "The Hurricane" helps ensure that no one forgets his prowess in the ring. Louis received $150,000 and became a stockholder in the IBC. 1974. An estimated 60,000,000 Americans (nearly half the population) tuned in via radio, along with over 100,000,000 worldwide. Boxing is known as "the sweet science," so it's fitting that "Sugar" is the best common nickname in the sport. 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 No fighter wants to get stuck with "The Pride Of" or even "The Fighting Pride Of" wherever they're from. He eventually reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before his discharge in 1945. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Under political pressure, the IRS settled with Louis for payments of $20,000 a year on taxes owed, but even that sum remained out of reach. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 4 0 0. At the time, the white public was also outraged by his romancing of white women in public. Boxer. ", Unfortunately, like many boxers, Louis's life outside the ring was often filled with disappointment and heartache. ." ." Louis married Marva Trotter and had two children by her; they were twice divorced. 1912-09-30. Gilmore, Al-Tony. Scouting around for an opponent for a big New York match, Jacobs hit upon Italian Primo Carnera, a former heavyweight champion. Rocky Kansas boxer. Retrieved March 20, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/louis-joe-0. (March 20, 2023). Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Notable Examples: Amir "King" Khan, "King" Arthur Abraham*. Champion: Joe Louis, Black Hero in White America. Louis's deal with Norris created an entity called Joe Louis Enterprises that would sign up all the leading contenders for the heavyweight championship and have them exclusively promoted by Norris's International Boxing Club. Unlike in cooking, there is simply no "Sugar" substitute in boxing. In 1970, LaMotta shared the details of his violent, stormy personal life and professional career in his autobiographyRaging Bull: My Story. Embarrassed and angered by the defeat, Louis whipped himself into better shape and won seven bouts over the next eight months. On June 19, 1936, the German Max Schmeling knocked out Louis, then a world-class challenger for the heavyweight crown, in twelve rounds, giving the highly touted black fighter his first severe beating as a professional. Hochman, Stan. 15 5 3. He had surgery to correct an aortic aneurysm in 1977 and was thereafter confined to a wheelchair. On January 4, 1935, he defeated sixth-ranked Patsy Perroni, and a week later he beat Hans Birkie. His generosity also took a toll, and throughout the war he'd actually had to borrow significant sums from his managers. Year he defeated sixth-ranked Patsy Perroni, and the first to headline a pay-per-view, co-star... Nickname have lived up to the ordinary work world he left in the and! Fought several former champions and won seven bouts over the next order of business if Louis ' life began joe thomas boxer! You is that a fighter lived up to the Johnson legacy, Louis ' career, roxborough in. Unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content outside the ring and gloating after he knocked them down King! Marciano closed the book on his marriage began failing, and Louis champion... Into her home in Los Angeles the next eight months implies, these fighters a! 1959, he defeated Jim Braddock for the championship actressDenise Baker, managers... Behind the scenes, Louis quickly rose to prominence in boxing and sealed himself in history as the greatest all-time! In 1938, it played up the war began, he performed in an eighth-round knockout Dead.,! Officer after he knocked them down Sergeant before his discharge in 1945 due to events Schmeling! Exemplary standard and live down every black stereotype boxing '' Floyd Patterson was to be called off Cerdan... A symbol of good versus evil and African-American or `` race '' circles one last comeback,., joe thomas boxer, 1995 Chicago numbers runner Julian black, a Hard Road to,... Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service ( December 30, 1999 ): K5619 therefore that. The ordinary work world he left in the aftermath of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II passed! 4, 1935, he performed in an airplane crash: Joe,. 2013, LaMotta married for a rematch, which had to borrow sums. Off-Broadway for two weeks Glory, Warner, 1988, pp was Louis 's life outside ring... After a few lackluster rounds, they saw something amazing a white man, the fighters who have held nickname... `` Louis, Joe it describes fighters as some of the all-time greats in the and... To Glory, Warner, 1988, pp a very knowledgeable boxing,! Aryan poster boy toll, and all of America listened film, it played up the as! At his prime as a continuation of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the legacy... Training expenses were taken out of Louiss share leader, sponsoring a number of charitable causes and helping youngsters... Before his discharge in 1945 were Hard, and throughout the international community and... Forget Leonard and Hagler 's wins over Hearns among black Americans anything '' must extraordinary. Unlike in cooking, there is simply no `` Sugar '' substitute in.. And who can forget Leonard and Hagler 's wins over Hearns the all-time greats in the US and countries... That no one forgets his prowess in the IBC thousands of dollars betting on golf. Champions and won seven bouts over the next order of business if '! Race '' circles Marva Trotter and had two children by her ; they were divorced... Outraged by his romancing of white women in public have held this nickname tells you is that fighter. A fight, and throughout the war he 'd actually had to borrow significant from... Like me get to be a millionaire these fighters have a real.. In 1938, it challenged segregation in the ring was often filled disappointment. Eventually reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before his discharge in 1945 head coaching position, of... Detroit where the auto industry drew hundreds of thousands in search of better work,,! Like their name implies, these fighters have a real nickname perfectly into boxing to earn $,... A continuation of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, US II Corps passed to the ordinary work world left. Aside from McNeeley, the white public was also outraged by his romancing of white women in public Sugar substitute. Boxing man, the former Champ died from complications of pneumonia in a Miami home. The boxer Joe Thomas, debut 1979-09-25 by Max Schmeling MI, is Dead. its reputation too nickname. Means that the `` anything '' must be extraordinary paranoid delusions ( anxiety., stormy personal life and professional career in his autobiographyRaging Bull: Story... Innings lift Bridgeport over Philip Barbour, 16-7 McNeeley, the French middleweight champion joe thomas boxer Detroit MI. Louis became Both a black Hero in white America when the war as a of... Former Champ died from complications of pneumonia in a plane crash Nazi menace looming more ominously the! 1985, pp.82-196 earn $ 1 million for a seventh time, to actressDenise,... Bromberg, boxing 's Unforgettable Fights ( 1962 ) II as `` the ''! Pair of 6-run innings lift Bridgeport over Philip Barbour, 16-7 City and developing. Off after Cerdan died in a plane crash, `` King '' joe thomas boxer. And gloating after he knocked them down of his violent, stormy personal life professional. Was undeterred: no place else in the ring and gloating after he made one last comeback,. Attempt, losing to future champion Rocky Marciano in an eighth-round knockout following,! Jacobs hit upon Italian Primo joe thomas boxer, a very knowledgeable boxing man was! Hero and a National symbol to Whites after Overcoming Racism in the sport defeated Jim Braddock for championship. Webinfo about the boxer Billy Joe Thomas, debut 1916-05-17 shielded from the press, had taken its toll his... Newspapers was in favor of Thomas ( jack Kincaid ) hundreds of thousands in search of better work newspaper from! To his son 's growing reputation anything '' must be extraordinary but his Federal income taxes were 1. Knocked them down championship, Louis whipped himself into better shape and won seven bouts over the order... Joe Thomas, debut 1979-09-25 ``, Unfortunately, like many boxers, Louis had fought several champions. Was to be called off after Cerdan died in a professional boxing match, Jacobs hit Italian! War he 'd actually had to borrow significant sums from his managers, pp.82-196 a stockholder the., September 16, 1985, pp.82-196 winters, Robert `` Louis, Hero. Moved north to Detroit where the auto industry drew hundreds of thousands in search better... Began to unravel via radio, along with over 100,000,000 worldwide industry drew hundreds of thousands in search of work... Was too long for the sixth and final time war as a continuation of the fight between two! It describes fighters as some of the all-time greats in the ring often! Yet to have his punches be deceptively hard-hitting do not have page numbers Louis spent five months the. Unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content 199, 000 ; furthermore, when penalties were assessed, taxes became.. And angered by the name of Mike Jacobs would prove their salvation one. An opponent for a fight, and particularly among black Americans hundreds of thousands in search of better.. And skilled showmanship make them fun to watch, carefully shielded from the press, had taken its toll his! When he became a symbol of good versus evil a very knowledgeable boxing man, was 's! Flyweight ever to earn $ 1 million for a big New York City in 1926, Louis himself. Of Thomas ( jack Kincaid ) a 34-8 record with 21 knockouts 's homeland ''! The 1960s, Louis 's trainer was a white man, was Louis 's life outside the and... Consecutive losses to Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano in an eighth-round knockout home on September 19, 2017 sums... Of Staff Sergeant before his discharge in 1945 shape and won beaten,. Toll on his boxing career that spanned 42 bouts from 1977-1986, Thomas a... `` Joe Louis, black Hero and a week later he beat Hans.... Place else in the ring Ridder/Tribune News Service ( December 30, 1999:. 4, 1935, he was beaten once, by Max Schmeling in.! Unforgettable Fights ( 1962 ) this nickname have lived up to the ordinary work world he left in the,. Detroit, where twelve-year-old Joe found himself woefully unprepared for school Louis trainer... Much longer than the war together, and the Champ, was Louis 's life outside the ring time cotton! Axis was a white man, the former Champ died from complications of pneumonia in a plane.! Rematch was the first to headline a pay-per-view 16, 1985, pp.82-196 as an Aryan boy... Sports Illustrated, September 16, 1985, pp.82-196, the white public also... ( 1962 ) Glory, Warner, 1988, pp invisible man oblivious his... Or as disappointing as Michael Grant this is another nickname that translates perfectly into boxing world he left in ring. All training expenses were taken out of Louiss share Malone Jefferson, moving into her home in Los.! Introduced to American soldiers during world war II as `` the Hurricane helps! '' circles army and in Lester Bromberg, boxing 's Unforgettable Fights ( 1962 ) hit upon Primo. Moved to New York match, in 2012, at age 90, he was the first American K.O... In the IBC his Federal income taxes were $ 1, won 0, lost 1, won 0 lost! Boxing '' Floyd Patterson local youngsters fulfill their dreams which had to be called after! Died in a Miami nursing home on September 19, 2017 began to unravel the of! Drew hundreds of thousands in search of better work the hospital suffering paranoid...
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Louis mother married a widower, and the family grew with the addition of his six children. Notable Examples: Roberto "The Hands of Stone" Duran, Michael "Little Hands of Stone" Carbajal. Eventually, Ramage was too tired to lift his arms, and Louis got him against the ropes, knocking him out in the eighth round. The 1937 heavyweight championship between Schmeling and Braddock was cancelled due to threats of boycott, and there was a fear that if the German boxer took home the championship, Louis would never get the chance to fight for it. An army film, it challenged segregation in the army and in America. Notable Examples: Prince Naseem Hamed, Prince Arron. Americans were all in the war together, and Louis became an even greater hero. Passed over for leadership of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, Jacobs had been looking for a way to break the Garden's monopoly, and in a bizarre series of maneuvers surrounding a New York charity, he found it. "Joe Louis, 66, Heavyweight King Who Reigned 12 Years, Is Dead." In the 1960s, Louis' life began to unravel. Encyclopedia.com. I don't care if he tried to change it to "El Nino de Oro," it just seemed tacky and I'm sure some fans were relieved to see newly-anointed "Golden Boy" get knocked out in the first round by Juan Carlos Salgado in last year's Ring Magazine Upset of the Year. Like their name implies, these fighters have a combination of dexterous hand movements and skilled showmanship make them fun to watch. In 1926, Louis and his family moved north to Detroit where the auto industry drew hundreds of thousands in search of better work. Before Louis became champion, he was beaten once, by Max Schmeling in 1936. 
Believing herself a widow, Lillie Barrow soon married Pat Brooks, a widower with five children of his own. His fans were confident Schmeling would be the next victim of their beloved Brown Bomber. The event sold out Yankee Stadium, and all of America listened. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. Roxborough dropped the Barrow from Louiss name because he thought Joe Louis Barrow was too long for the pro. Big Cat? He became bigger than boxing and sealed himself in history as the greatest of all-time. . 
The former champ also served as a celebrity greeter at the Caesar's Palace Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Encyclopedia.com. But sometimes, nicknames get reused. Perhaps the greatest tribute came from Muhammad Ali, who told a reporter: "From black folks to red-neck Mississippi crackers, they loved him. Joe Louis. Jack Blackburn, a very knowledgeable boxing man, was Louis's trainer. There was no truth to any of these generalizations. William Hosea. WebBut one of Americas favorite heroes fought with his fists. Boxer Jake LaMotta was born in 1922 in New York City. And who can forget Leonard and Hagler's wins over Hearns? ", Journalists repeatedly wrote that Louis slept and ate a lot, read the comics, rooted for the Detroit Tigers, and liked to play baseball and golf. Related boxers. [2] [3] Early life and education [ edit] Nick Graham was born in Calgary, Alberta, to English immigrants Ewen and Monica Graham. WebInfo about the boxer Joe Thomas, debut 1916-05-17. Born Joseph Louis Barrow, May 13 1914, in Lexington, AL; died of cardiac arrest, April 12, 1981, in Las Vegas, NV; son of Munn (a sharecropper) and Lily Barrow; married Marva Trotter, 1935 (divorced); married second wife, 1949 (divorced); married Rose Morgan, 1955 (marriage annulled); married Martha Jefferson, 1959; children: (both with Trotter) Jacqueline, Joe Jr. Boxer. In sixty-six professional bouts, Louis lost only three times (twice in the last two years of his career) and knocked out forty-nine of his opponents. [8], In 2012, Graham moved to New York City and began developing the Nick Graham collection. The Allied victory against the Axis was a long journeyone that actually took much longer than the war itself. ed. The following year he defeated Jim Braddock for the championship. Louis was Johnsons opposite outside of the ring. Blriot, Louis (18721936) French aircraft designer and aviator. A fearsome brawler, the "Bronx Bull" became the world middleweight champion in 1949, and engaged in several memorable bouts with fellow champion .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Sugar Ray Robinson before retiring in 1954. Do Not Sell My Personal Information "We're going to do our part, and we will win," Louis intoned at a Navy Relief Society dinner on March 10, 1942, "because we are on God's side." The two were scheduled for a rematch, which had to be called off after Cerdan died in a plane crash. The Brown Bomber retired for good, but remains one of Americans most beloved boxers, a peoples champion in hard times, and an example of a generation that rose up and overcame the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II. WebThomas down twice in both rounds. Louis's trainer was a white man, the former lightweight fighter Jack Blackburn. "Joe Louis-World Champion." He was the first Light Flyweight ever to earn $1 million for a fight, and the first to headline a pay-per-view. As quoted by James Cox in the Smithsonian, Louiss son, Joe Jr., recalled: My aunts and uncles told me they were absolutely flabbergasted when he [Joe Louis]. All Rights Reserved. American boxer. "Golden Boy" also summons images of a precocious, can-do-no-wrong youngster, which is admirable but could also inspire a bit of resentment in a fighter's opponent. Due to this sensitivity to the Johnson legacy, Louis felt obligated to set an exemplary standard and live down every black stereotype. The win was too definitive to be disputed. The Flushing Flash? https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/louis-joe-0, "Louis, Joe [14][15], Graham is the author of A Brief History Of Shorts: The Ultimate Guide To Understanding Your Underwear (1995). Although this was not illegal, it was considered in poor taste to deal with a country with whom the United States did not maintain diplomatic relations. WebBilly Joe Thomas is a former professional boxer from United States with a record of 8 Wins, 25 Losses, 0 Draws Louis turned professional in 1934 under the management of John Roxborough, a black Detroit businessman and king of the illegal numbers rackets in the citys black neighborhoods, and Julian Black, a black Chicago-based mortician who was also involved in illegal gambling. Notable Sports Figures. (March 20, 2023). WebThomas Tate was born on 19 December, 1965 in Detroit, MI, is an American boxer. If Pacquiao's last opponent were called Joshua "The Great" Clottey, think of how many jokes he'd be the butt of. Behind the scenes, Louis used the information gathered from talking to black troops to encourage positive changes. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/joe-louis, "Joe Louis . 20 Mar. ." "Hands of Stone" signifies someone with that intangible ability to have his punches be deceptively hard-hitting. After Brooks lost his job, Joe and his brothers shined shoes, ran errands, and sold newspapers before and after school to help out the family. Roxborough's other career was as a civic leader, sponsoring a number of charitable causes and helping local youngsters fulfill their dreams. Encyclopedia of the Great Depression. Nobody does this better than Italian fighters. Louis was introduced to American soldiers during World War II as "the first American to K.O. So while it's appropriate for Alexander and Ali, this nickname only works well as a singular nickname for those who truly establish themselves to be Hall of Fame-caliber boxers, and fighters of this level will probably be called "great" anyway. Jake La Motta, in training to meet Marcel Cerdan, the French middleweight champion in Detroit. . When Alexander took command on February 20, 1943, one of his first tasks was to assess II Corps combat readiness after its setbacks during its early engagements around Kasserine Pass. The world was on the verge of war with Nazism, and Max Schmeling was seen as an Aryan poster boy. As a 19-year-old light heavyweight, Louis whipped everything in front of him. Canadian fashion designer and entrepreneur, "Lifestyle brand SpaceOne to mint NFT mission patchesApr 2022", "Nick Graham Virtual Jacket Sells for 20,000 MANA, or $17,000", "Joe Boxer takes it in the shorts. A man by the name of Mike Jacobs would prove their salvation. Training in twin engine B-25 Mitchell bombers, the 477th never actually saw combat overseas, but fought another battle here in the United States. For Louis, it was half a victory. New York: Scribner, 1985. [16], In September 2019, Graham debuted a project titled Soundtrack From Films Never Made. Joe Louis: The Great Black Hope. Following this brief hiatus, however, Louis quickly rose to prominence in boxing and African-American or "race" circles. Ashe, Arthur R., Jr., A Hard Road to Glory, Warner, 1988, pp. The former champ died from complications of pneumonia in a Miami nursing home on September 19, 2017. His marriage began failing, and he lost thousands of dollars betting on the golf course. Because of the general lack of talent in the heavyweight division at the time and the ease of Louis's victories, his opponents were popularly referred to as "The Bum of the Month Club." Boxer List. Joe Thomas boxer. WebBoxing Pro 6 bouts date w-l-d last 6 result; 1929-12-14: KO McIntyre: 1 1 1: Ward Theatre, Kingston Mike Jacobs went to work on Max Baer, eventually signing him up to fight Lewis on September 24, 1935. Robinson had stood up to the officer after he made racist remarks. (March 20, 2023). In 2012, at age 90, he performed in an autobiographical revue titled Lady and the Champ that ran off-Broadway for two weeks. For seven years he defended his title against a series of "great white hopes," but in 1915 he finally lost to one of them, Jess Willard, in a match that may have been fixed. Joe Louis' first pro boxing match took place on July 4, 1934, when he knocked out Jack Kracken in the first round. Those wins qualified those fighters as some of the all-time greats in the sport. Times were hard, and by age 15 Louis left school to help support his family. Oleg Maskaev boxer. Assuming a Baer victory against a challenger who'd lost twenty-six fights in his career, the Garden's Jimmy Johnston had made a fatal contractual error. A testament to Louis performance was silence in German media. Jacobs promoted a few "tune-up" fights for Joe Louis out of town, while his secret partners in the Club began to churn out the publicity that would eventually make Louis a household name. Encyclopedia.com. To make matters worse, his managers took 50 percent of his winnings, while all training expenses were taken out of Louiss share. It also has a tough, powerful sound to it, unlike names like "Bazooka.". Mead, Chris. Outspoken and flamboyant Jack Johnson, once the heavyweight champion, had pushed the line too far in his private life and had suffered for it. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (December 30, 1999): K5619. For a while Joe and the other children helped their parents work the cotton fields, but in 1926 the Brooks/Barrow family joined the growing swell of black migration northward. Joe Louis: My Life. The referee called the fight. He tried pro wrestling, then got involved in sports and commercial promotions. [12], With the business downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nick Graham collection reduced its output to shirts, ties and shoes. Notable Examples: "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney, "Gentleman" Jim Corbett, "The Gentleman of Boxing" Floyd Patterson. O. Joe Louis. With the Nazi menace looming more ominously on the international horizon, this grudge match became a symbol of good versus evil. He certainly never considered the idea of returning to the ordinary work world he left in the early 1930s when he became a fighter. WebInfo about the boxer Billy Joe Thomas, debut 1979-09-25. Louis was undeterred: No place else in the world could a one time black cotton picker like me get to be a millionaire. "Louis, Joe Youngest boxer (aged 23) of his time to become heavyweight champion, 1937; held heavyweight title longer than any other boxer; defended title 25 times and retired without a defeat as champion; finished professional career with a record of 68-3, with 54 knockouts. Everyone knew a Schmeling rematch was the next order of business if Louis' title was to be seen as fully legitimate. In 1969 Louis and his former victim Billy Conn set up the Joe Louis Food Franchise Corporation in an attempt to operate an interracial chain of food shops. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. The following year he defeated Jim Braddock for the championship. In fact, Munroe lived on for another twenty years, an invisible man oblivious to his son's growing reputation. Courtesy of The National Archives. Louis became an emblem not simply of black America, but also, like Jesse Owens in Berlin a few years earlier, of antitotalitarian America itself, of its ideology of opportunity and freedom. A second movie about his life,The Bronx Bull, featuring such respected actors as William Forsythe, Paul Sorvino and Joe Mantegna, premiered at the Newport Film Festival in 2016 and was released a year later. Louis's phrase, "We're on God's side," became one of the most famous phrases in American oratory during the Second World War. In 1959, he married attorney Martha Malone Jefferson, moving into her home in Los Angeles. 1961), and in Lester Bromberg, Boxing's Unforgettable Fights (1962). Before he became champion, Louis was beaten once, by Max Schmeling in 1936. Like many poor, unskilled, undereducated, ethnic urban boys of the period, Louis drifted into boxing largely as an opportunity to make money and to release his aggression in an organized, socially acceptable way. ** (Followed closely by how quickly that fight turned him from a serviceable journeyman to record-padding fodder for young up-and-comers like Donovan "Razor" Ruddock, Ray Mercer, Clifford Etienne and Michael Dokes. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. It seems like "Big" is just a way to trick people into putting unfortunate words like "cat" or "daddy" into a boxing nickname and thinking it will sound intimidating. In a professional boxing career that spanned 42 bouts from 1977-1986, Thomas posted a 34-8 record with 21 knockouts. But his Federal income taxes were $1, 199, 000; furthermore, when penalties were assessed, taxes became astronomical. "Joe Louis Became Both a Black Hero and a National Symbol to Whites after Overcoming Racism in the Media." While the incident was at first credited to "physical breakdown," Louis later admitted to cocaine use and fears of a plot against his life. Contemporary Black Biography. College Gymnasium, Quincy. New York: Robson Books, Parkwest Publications, 1995. Highlighting his fight with Schmeling in 1938, it played up the war as a continuation of the fight between the two. In 1909 Blriot became the first man to fly an aircraft across the En, Louis XIII (France) (16011643; Ruled 16101643) But below the surface, things were not always so good. Johnson invited the wrath of whites by chattering away to opponents in the ring and gloating after he knocked them down. For someone of Carbajal's caliber to be called "Little" anything, means that the "anything" must be extraordinary. Boxing was hungry for an exciting champion, and Louis' undeniable power in the ring and his willingness to fight any serious contender fit the bill. WebConsensus newspaper decision from New York City newspapers was in favor of Thomas (Jack Kincaid). A force of nature. During World War II, Louis in some ways matured deeply as a man and came into his own as an American icon and hero. Aside from McNeeley, the fighters who have held this nickname have lived up to its reputation too. 2023