REMARKABLE CAREER OF JOE LOUIS

Chronicle (Levin), 10 July 1946, Page 2

REMARKABLE CAREER OF JOE LOUIS

Juc Louis has liad a reniarkable career in ihe boxiug ring. In all lie has had 06 liglits, won oi) by knockouts, seven on poiuts and lias sulTered only oue del'eat, being knocked out by Max Schmeliug in the 12th round of their bout in New York 011 June 1!), 1936. Iiis real luuue is Joe Louis Barrow. A son of a cotton picker, he was born on i\lay 13, 1911, in Lexington, Alabania. On the death of Iiis I'allier lie had to work as a shoo-black and newspaper boy at the ago of five years. fteveu years later he becaine an ice porler at a dollar a week and at the age of 11 he was appreuticed to a carpenter. lluring Iiis apprenticeship he liecame acquaiuted with the amateur boxer, Thurston IMackinney, who eventually engaged liiin as sparring partner. For a long timo Louis was badly hammered un til oue day he knocked out his einpioyer. After that he trained in earnest. Millionaire's Interest The Negru niillionaire, Koxborough, then urged Louis to become a i»roJ'essinual. I.11 his first bout he knocked out Jack Kracken, 111 Chicugo, in the first round. From this stage he had a nieteoric rise to fame. lie becamo heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out James J. Braddock in the eightli round of a bout fonght in (,'hicago on June 22, 1937. Louis has defended ' his title oii far moro occasions thaii any other champion. Ile lias had 23 title iights and has never beeu defeated, all but two of his wins being bv knock-outs. The onlv cli'allengers to go the full distance with liiin were Touuny Farr and Arturo (lodoy. lie did not meet Farr again but subsequently knocked out Godoy in oight rounds, Tommy Burns and Jack Johnson each had ten successful title bouts and James J. Jcffries and Jack Dempsey six each.