How fitting that Joe Louis, one of America’s greatest heroes, made his professional boxing debut on July 4, during one of the biggest holiday celebrations in the US, and it is such an significant date. Once upon a time, July 4 was also the day when the substantial fight would take place – think Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, Jess Willard and others. And so it was on that great day in 1934 that 20-year-old Joseph Louis Barrow boxed for pay for the first time. The fight took place in Chicago, like many of Louis’ substantial fights.
Louis, trained by Jack Blackburn and mentored by John Roxborough and Julian Black, had established an amateur record of 50-4 (43) and was now ready to begin his march to the top. Usually, especially nowadays, a future star is quite poorly suited to make his professional debut (there are exceptions, of course: see Vasily Lomachenko and one or two other contemporary players). But Louis met a guy who had boxed about 48 times, winning 27 of those fights by KO.
But as it turned out, Jack Kracken, who was from Norway and fought in Washington, D.C., was smeared by the 181-pound “Brown Bomber.” Louis fired shots into the veteran’s body, forcing Kracken to lower his guard. Once he did, Louis unleashed a sweet left hook to the jaw that sent Kracken straight through the ropes and into the journalist. Bravely, perhaps on pure instinct, Kracken got up and returned to the ring with a 14 count (20 count). However, the referee saw enough and stopped the fight.
Louis’ debut lasted all of 2 minutes and he was indeed on his way to not only a world title, but true greatness. Over time, Louis became an almost undefeated champion, as well as a true fighting hero in every sense of the word. Legendary battles in the ring with Jimmy Braddock, Max Schmeling, Billy Conn, “Two Ton” Tony Galento, Jersey Joe Walcott and at the very end Rocky Marciano – all this awaited Louis. And for the whole world. Like a record (probably never broken) 25 world title defenses.
Louis may be the most beloved of all heavyweight world champions. How could we possibly cope with a man who today wore his crown with such grace and dignity.
Ecstatic independence day!