By Owais tabassum: The year was 1938. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party just annexed Austria. Humanity was holding his breath when the world shakes on the edge of the most destructive conflict in history – World War II.
Among this approaching catastrophe, the next battle occupied a central place in the Staw in Novel York. The air was dense with the smog of the great crisis, when the seventy thousand viewers packed the Yankee stadium, and the estimated one hundred million listeners tuned on the radio around the world as a ponderous weight master Boxing, Joe Louis, met with Max Schmeling in Germany.
Adolf Hitler and the “main propagandist of the Nazi party” Joseph Goebbels supported Schmeling as their advertising Stooge in the world of boxing and in a good thing.
Schmeling was a skillful boxer, quick on the legs and a technician of the ring, which kept knockout power in both fists. He proved his abilities in Louis’s detention in their first meeting two years earlier, asking him his first defeat. He was a powerful pugilist, and Hitler knew it too well.
Public sentiment depends on Louis’s victory; In anticipation, millions crumbled around the crackling radios. This was the gravity of the event in which President Franklin D. Roosevelt personally told Louis: “These are the muscles we need to defeat the Germans.” The situation was ready with tension, and Louis’s arms were ponderous.
“FDR” did not have to worry, Louis understood the task. The march towards the middle ring in an elegant, squatting attitude, using his destructive power, provided crushing blows to Schmeling’s head and body. He knocked him down three times, stopping the competition with a definitely knockout in the first round.
The image of fascism was almost decimated in 124 seconds.
Irate Joseph Goebbels signaled transmitting engineers frantically to pull the plug on the gearbox when Schmeling was lying on the ropes, succumbing to Louis’ blows.
When the word about Louis’s triumph spread quickly, the streets in every state broke out with joy. People sang and danced on the occasion of their hero’s victory. Louis’s victory helped pave the path to racing relations throughout the country. Louis, an African American born in Alabama in the Sharecroping family, literally fought the earth and defeated the concept of Aryan suppreation Adolf Hitler. The victory was sweet.
Then Louis joined the war efforts in 1942, becoming the original inspiration for the exhibitions of “Captain America” by Marvel in the army camps, entertainment of soldiers and supporting unity among different breeds fighting side by side in the bloodiest conflicts.
Schmeling on his part never joined the Nazi party; His relationship with the Führer was intricate. He took his life and reputation to facilitate Jewish children to escape persecution. He was also a hero.
After returning to the ring, Louis reigned as a heavyweight master for almost 12 years – a stunning achievement that remains unparalleled to this day. Only in 1950
Louis’s later life was destroyed by financial problems, his guides put most of their earnings, leaving him only a fraction of his winnings. Louis was also extremely generous, helping his family and friends leave the poverty hole. Unfortunately, many Louis business projects did not succeed.
Perhaps Louis’s most destructive career blow appeared not in the ring, but from IRS, who claimed that he had to owe over USD 500,000 backward taxes. With interest and fines, this number increased to over USD 1,000,000 – $ 13 million equivalent today. When Louis’s mother died, she left him savings of life, a modest $ 500. Tragically IRS immediately took over this sum. While my examination of time tax regulations confirmed that the government was acting under his rights, I did not find a justification for the moral indecent confiscation of a personal gift from her deceased mother to her son.
The issue of debt, slowing down the reflexes and wearing a bald patch, Louis, with an excellent career of 66 wins, 52 knockout and only 2 paralysis, he was last back in the ring for the last time.
This time his enemy was no one other than Future Hall of Famer, an invincible record, a destructive artist with a knockout; “Brocton Blockbuster” Rocky Marciano.
Although Rocky expressed regret because of the fight with the hero whose victory against Schmeling himself celebrated as newborn people. The way he dismantled Louis would think differently. Marciano threw Louis in the 8th round with his right hand, sending him through the ropes and cleaned him from the ring. When Louis helped his feet hopelessly, the feeling of sadness has passed the boxing world. Louis’s boxing career has ended
Louis’s heritage lives in up-to-date media.
It is fascinating to think that just a few dozen years later we can see these historical meetings in a stunning color and high resolution. The technology has been promoted to such an extent that we can now enter the ring as an almost perfect graphic interpretation of Joe Louis in the newly published simulation game “Undisputed”. Could fans of this era ever imagine such a jump? “
Louis and Schmeling made friends for the rest of their lives, Schmeling provided Louis with financial assistance during the most desperate years. This bond was proof that reconciliation is possible even among enemies at the opposite ends of an ideological spectrum.
Other characters of boxing and a wider world of celebrities, namely Jack Dempsey, the Baseball Jackie Robinson icon and the musical legends of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, helped Louis financially in recent years
Muhammad Ali’s boxing icon later took care of Louis’s funeral, when he died on April 12, 1981. On the 69th anniversary of the titanic drowning, the boxing world mourned the loss of one of the most titanic characters.
Joe Louis survived the era defined by deep segregation, racial hatred, World War II and a great crisis. However, having only a few boxing gloves, he broke racial barriers, built bridges, united a divided nation and knocked out fascism.
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