"The Brown Bomber" as he was to become known was born Joseph Louis Barrow in the year 1914, the son of an Alabama sharecropper "Mun Barrow". In 1924 Mun Barrow moved his family to the industrial northern city of Detroit, where there were reportedly high paying jobs for able bodied men and women. There the Barrows prospered in a relative sense, enough so that young Joe was signed up for violin lessons, Joe found boxing instruction instead, and that is where his real story began. While in school in Detroit Joe took "placement" tests to determine his aptitude, the testing system informed Joe's parents that he should plan to "use his hands" to make a living, of course the Detroit school system had no idea how prophetic that phrase "use his hands" would become.

Ten years after his arrival in Detroit the now Joe Louis won the amateur Golden Gloves as a light heavy weight. Following this win Joe turned professional and started his trek up the ladder of the heavy weight division that he would soon come to dominate like no one had or would ever again. It began on American Independence Day July 4,1934 in Chicago with a first round KO of Jack Kracken, he continued his career in Chicago throughout 1934 by winning 11 more fights most by early round KO's. In 1935 he had and of course won 14 fights the names of some of his "victims" included former heavy weight champions Primo Carnera and Max Baer.Louis at this point was well on his way to becoming heavy weight champion. He started 1936 with a 1st round KO of one Charlie Retzlaff, then after a respite of 5 months he took the first step towards his "defining" fight when in New York he was KO'd in the 12th round by the former heavy weight champion Max Schmeling. This was a bitter pill for Joe to swallow, but like the champion that he was to become, he picked himself up returned to the ring, and almost one year later having won his next seven fights , in Chicago again, he KO's Jimmy Braddock to gain the heavy weight championship of the world. Joe was reported to have said "do not call me champ until I beat Schmeling". Two months later Louis defended his title for the first time against a surprisingly tough Welsh fighter named Tommy Farr, it required going the full 15 rounds and to win by decision.

Throughout the following years of 39,40,41,42 Joe Louis defended his title a total of 19 times some of the names he left in his wake were Arturo Godoy, Bob Pastor, Buddy Baer, Lou Nova, "Two Ton" Tony Galento, Gus Dorazio, Johnny Paycheck, Abe Simon, and in June of 1941 he won another epic battle over then Light Heavy weight champion Billy Conn in New York. It was the classic boxer versus puncher battle, and required 13 rounds before Louis caught up to the outstanding boxer that Conn was. In 1942 Louis joined the US Army as a physical education instructor, as our nation was locked in a life and death struggle with the Axis powers.

In 1946 he returned to the ring KO'd Billy Conn in the 8th round in New York, then won a razor close decision over Jersey Joe Walcott in 1947. There were those who thought that Joe got a gift by this decision ,so to prove it was no fluke Louis KO'd Walcott in the 11th round in 1948. The writer was a little boy living in Florida at the time and listened to the radio broadcast of this fight, and it was at this time that he became a life time boxing and Joe Louis fan. Louis then went into retirement. Ezzard Charles won the vacant title with a decision over Walcott in 1949. During Joe Louis reign his finances had been frittered away, his taxes unpaid and Louis found himself broke and in debt, so in an attempt to alleviate this predicament Louis (a shadow of his former self) challenged the new champion gave a surprisingly good account of himself but was out-pointed by the younger, quicker Charles.

Louis was to go on fighting throughout 1950 and 51 against much lesser fighters winning 8 more fights, prior to getting yet another title shot, this time against Rocky Marciano, Louis was knocked thru the ropes in the 8th round the fight stopped. During Louis career he defended his title more times than any other heavy weight in history. His style in the ring by today's standards seems slow and ponderous, however the suddenness with which he could deliver the lethal blow, (with either hand) was most formidable. Louis over all record was 68-3, 54 KO's, of all the greats in boxing's history it would be difficult to find a fighter who dominated his era as completely as Joe Louis did from 1937-1949.After Louis's boxing career ended he was forced by financial difficulties to work as a host in a Las Vegas gambling casino. Joe Louis will always be remembered as one of the great figures of the sport of boxing, and
a true sportsman.


Photos Courtesy of Antiquities of the Prize Ring