Evening star., 1941-02-01
Strikes Hardest
Blow of Career
To End Battle
Crowd Thrills as Red
FeroeiousIy Charges
And Never Retreats
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW YORK, Feb. Three ter
rife blows to the body left Red
Burman draped over the bottom
rope, gasping for breath through
contorted lips and helpless to move,
but before he went out last night
the Baltimore battler put up fight
that thrilled the crowd and won a
genuine compliment from Champion
Joe Louis.
Hes the only fighter besides Ca
lento who tried to take my title away
from me-" volunteered the big Negro.
He really came after me. I had 10
hit him the hardest I ever hit a
man"
The big crowd In Madison Square
Garden saw Burman light into Louis
like he never had heard of him, and
continue to fight with everything he
had until final sickening right un-
der the heart sent him down in 2:49
of the fifth round.
That was about the round that
generally had been picked for the
redhead's exit, but no one had FORE
seen the excitement he was to gem
crate before it happened to him.
He went across to throw himself at
Louis before the sound of the open-
ing bell died away. and from there
until the finish he never took a
backward step.
Louis Cool Against FerOcity.
Apparently surprised by the feroc-
1ty and tenacity of Burmans at
tack. Louis fought coolly and cauti-
ously, taking many a good wallop
about the head and body as he meas
ured his man and prepared him for
the kill. AS usual, there was no ad-
vance warning in the fifth round
that the champion was ready to
break Red in two.
Burman. though bleeding from A
cut over the left eye. still appeared
fresh as he bulled Louis across the
ring for about the goth time and the
throng of more than 1900 was
sending up an awful uproar. Red
had won the previous round cleanlv,
and it had appeared anything might
happen.
Suddenly, the champion whirled.
put Burman against the ropes and
almost buried his right glove out of
sight in Reds stomach. Burman
started to double. but managed to
slip loose and slide past neutral
corner to another side OF the ring,
with Louis right on top Of him.
There was another right to the
pit of the stomach. Then Joe
fetched the right which he said later
was the hardest punch he ever
struck. 1t landed over Burman's
heart, and Red crumpled like he had
been shot. In the dressing room. he
had no recollection of lying across
the ropes as Referee frankie
Pullman leaned over and counted TO
10 in his ear.
Champ Forced to Be Quick.
For all Burma's brave showing,
Louis never seemed more like a
great champion than he did last
night. At 202la pounds his muscles
rippled under the ring lights and
he was fast and sharp With Bur-
man sticking to him like burr, Joe
had to hit quick and short and never
was able to wind up and bring one
from the floor But the collective
effect of the short ones got Burman
in time.
Louis only mark of his 18th title
defense was a small cut under the
left eye, caused he said by Burmans
head In the opening round. For all
his pleasure at the way Red opened
up and fought. however, the cham
pion was forced to admit the red
head never hurt him.
He fought all he had" said Joe.
That's all you can ask a man to
do. amt it?"
Burman. still half sick from the
blows that dropped him. said he
might have done better if he had
been fighting more regularly. The
result probably would have been the
same in any case, though. Red still
Is a good, game club fighter.
Louis will rest only about a week
before resuming training for nis
next bout with Gus Dorazio in Phil
adelphia February II.