Joe Louis Was Taught How To Bob And WeaveWhen Jack Blackburn had that Sparring match with Jack Johnson. Jack Blackburn was only a lightweight boxer, but for a lightweight boxer to draw blood from Jack Johnson's nose especially as Johnson was the king pin heavyweight, that incident made Jack Johnson extremely infuriated. Johnson tried his best to put Blackburn away, but he never even came close to doing it. Since that time they have never had much love for each other. Jack Blackburn said Johnson would not have had an easy time with Joe Louis had they fought. Blackburn and Louis became really good pals. Both of them strike up a rather special kind of relationship. Though it was Holman Williams who taught Joe Louis how to jab, box and move about in the ring, it was his trainer, Blackburn who taught Joe Louis how to put his whole body behind his punches, how to pace himself, how to set the other fighter up for the kill and how to fight against the different styles of boxing he would come up against in the boxing ring. The Day Joe Louis Met President Franklin D. RooseveltJack Blackburn taught Joe Louis a lot about defence. Between them they had a kind of father and son relationship. Joe Louis said that if Ali had fought in his time though he’d have to stay in there a long time. Guys with Ali’s style who move and have speed I beat them. That jab bing and running would have made it a hard fight Ali could run as much as he like, but I would get him eventually. When the 24 year old Joe Louis stopped by the White House early in 1938 to meet president Franklin D. Roosevelt. The president did what most everyone wanted to do on meeting the heavyweight champion. Franklin D. Roosevelt gripped Louis's arm and said: Joe, we're depending on those muscles for America. German Blond Bomber Max SchmelingBlond German Bomber Max Schmeling had previously knocked out Louis in round 12 of their first fight in 1936 and that was due to Joe Louis carelessly underestimating the German fighter . Joe Louis figured that he was just going for an easy holiday, therefore, he had not trained hard enough for Max Schmeling, because he believed that he was fit and in his prime of life as a boxer knocking over a bum fighter a month he figured that the German Max Schmeling would be an easy meat for dinner. For the second fight Joe Louis had learnt his lesson. This second time round he would not take the German fighter Max Schmeling for granted. Joe Louis Knockout Germany's Blond Bomber: Max SchmelingThe following year, Louis won the world heavyweight championship. In 1938, the world quivered on the brink of World War II. The Louis-Schmeling rematch had become an allegory of that coming war. Never in the history of boxing has any fight carried more symbolic weight than the Louis-Schmeling fight 22nd June 1938. The night before the fight, Joe Louis sat with his friend sportswriter Jimmy Cannon. Louis solicited. Jimmy make a pick? Yes, said Cannon. Knockout? Louis asked. Six rounds, said Cannon. No, said Louis. Joe Louis held up one finger and said it goes in one. On the night of 22nd of June 1938, Joe Louis, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion knocked out Max Schmeling in two minutes, four seconds of the first round. Less than one Round. The great white hope of Hitler's Germany was deflated in the ring. The knockout by Louis was as if the Americans had defeated the whole of Nazi Germany and destroyed Adolf Hitler all at once. |
Rocky Marciano Retired From Boxing UndefeatedBorn Rocco Francis Marciano 1st September 1923 died 31st August 1969 aged 45. He was better known as Rocky Marciano, who holds the distinction of being one of only two Heavyweight Champions to retire undefeated. The first boxer to retire undefeated was Gene Tunney. Rocky Marciano was a chubby kid with strongly built arms, Rocky benefited from living next to a park. He regularly visited the James Edgar Playground to play baseball every day his way. Rocky's game was to hit ball after ball, then he would go and pick up the balls. After that, he'd go home to lift some homemade weightlifting equipment. Rocky was guy who really took his training seriously as he sets his sights upon becoming the next Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. | |
