LOUIS’S REVENGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1938, Page 8

LOUIS’S REVENGE

SCHAIELING KNOCKED OUT TERRIFIC BARRAGE OF BLOWS. RECORD CROWD PRESENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association, Copyright. CHICAGO. June 22. Joe Louis, holder. beat Max Schmeling, the German challenger, by a technical knock-out in the first round of the bout for the heavyweight championship of the world at the Yankee Stadium here tonight. Louis weighed in at 14st. 2.jlb. and Schmeling at 13st. 111 b. A record crowd of 84,000 saw the champion score an amazing revenge when, racing into the centre of the ring at the opening of the fight, he administered a steady stream of rights and lofts to the face, literally smothering his opponent, who finally went down under the barrage of the twohanded attack. He rose without a count, but thereafter succumbed, falling three times until the towel was thrown in by his trainer, and the referee stopped the fight 2 minutes 4 seconds after it had begun. It was a battered and semi-conscious Schmeling who rose from his third fall. He was in terrible shape, but instinct kept him on his feet while Louis tore him to pieces on the ropes like a panther. His trainer apparently saw that the challenger was in extreme danger of permanent injury after the second fall, and thereupon threw in the towel, but Schmeling took another fall and rose to receive a measure of further demonaic punishment before the referee could wave the champion aside and give him the victory on a technical knock-out. Schmeling apparently never’ had a chance injiis futile attempt to recapture the heavyweight crown. The confidence with which the negro shuffled to the centre of the ring with his eyes blazing and landed three straight lefts to Schmeling’s head immediately connoted supremacy. They were trip-hammer blows which reddened Schmeling’s swarthy countenance, but he weathered them and gamely shot a right to Louis’s face reminiscent of the 1936 fight, but the expressionless negro shook off the blow and pressed in on Schmeling like a hurricane, with a left hook and right uppercut to the chin. Schmeling swayed backwards, raising both arms as if attempting to gain equilibrium. This was only a few seconds before the end, and Schmeling never regained his equilibrium. He fell toward the ropes and Louis smashed him full in the mouth. The challenger’s head snapped back and he slumped against the ropes while Louis rained blows on his practically unprotected head and face. The referee compelled Louis to back away and technically counted one over Schmeling, although he was not yet actually downed. Then Schmeling fell listlessly to the canvas, but was up again at the count of two. Louis thereupon floored him again with pelting rights and lefts for a count of three. As the referee counted over the semi-paralysed challenger, who was trying to rise with the blood streaming from his mouth, his trainer' threw in the towel and began to climb through the ropes apparently to pick up Schmeling from, the floor. The referee threw the towel from the ring and waved the trainer away. Schmeling was now up again and Louis began raining rights and lefts to the German’s blood-smeared chin. Schmeling sprawled sideways and fell to the floor. When the count reached

five, the referee waved his hands, ending the fight. Louis was unmarked. Schmeling afterward claimed a foul, despite the fact that, under the New York rules, a foul is impossible. He declared that a kidney punch paralysed him. The referee admitted that one of the first punches with which Louis hit the German was a terrific right to the kidneys, but it was a fair punch. The weather was unfavourable for the fight. The day began with the sky heavily overcast and fog shrouding the city Joe Louis, who is twenty-four years of age, had a meteoric rise to world heavyweight championship class, and won the title in his thirty-sixth professional bout, from James J. Braddock, on June 22, 1937. This bout was the subject of considerable controversy owing to the fact that Max Schmeling was considered by many to be the logical contender for the title. Louis and Schmeling met on Juno ’ 19, 1936, to decide who would meet i Braddock for the title, and Louis suf- < fered the first defeat of his profession- ■ al career by being knocked out in the ; eighth round. On June 21, 1932, Sharkey beat Schmeling in six rounds, at New York, , to take the title. Following Sharkey. . Camera, Max Baer, Braddock and t Louis held the title. Since winning from Braddock, Louis ; has defended his title several times. ; He beat Tommy Farr, of Great Britain, on points, and the negro’s recent wins have been over Nathan Mann by ■ a knock-cut in the third round, and Harry Thomas, by a knock-out in the fourth round. Schmeling has also beaten Thomas recently, as well as ’ Steve Dundas, an American. t SCHMELING IN HOSPITAL PAINFUL BUT NOT SERIOUS INJURIES r (Recd This Day. 9.25 a.m.) v NEW YORK, June 23. J. Schmeling was taken to hospital, af- t;| ter suffering pains in his back throughjut the night. An X-ray examination showed a

I . fracture of muscle attachments in his back and a haemorrhage of the lumbar muscles, which, though painful, are not serious. He will remain in hospital perhaps for a week. $ NEGROES CELEBRATE. RIOTING IN CLEVELAND. CLEVELAND. June 23. Three thousand rioting negroes, celebrating Joe Louis’s victory in the world heavyweight title fight over Max Schmelling, interfered with trams, staged parades in the streets and fought the police. Seven, including three police, were injured, one negro and a boy being in a critical condition. INJURIIES DIAGNOSED. DIVISION OF THE FIGHT RECEIPTS. (Recd This Day, 1.10 p.m.) NEW YORK. June 23. X-rays of Schmeling in hospital revealed two broken transverse processes on the left side of the spinal column, under the kidneys. The transverse processes are protruding segments of bone from the vertebrae. The fighter has been strapped to his bed and he is remaining there until July 2, after which he will be taken in an ambulance and placed aboard the Bremen to recuperate in Germany. The fight receipts totalled 1,015.000 dollars, of which Louis will receive 321.000 dollars and Schmeling 160.000 dollars.