Evening star., 1947-12-06
Louis Holds Tarnished
Crown After Amazing
|15.Round Battering
By Burton Howkins
Stor Stoff Correspondent

NEW YORK, Dec. 6.-The Brown
Bomber, dispatched on a routine
mission, unexpectedly encountered
a barrage of ack-ack, but, badly !
battered and bleeding. limped home
again as heavyweight champion OF
the world, although a hotly dis
puted one.
Joe Louis, boxing's Golden Boy,
the former marvellous machine who
risked his title against every con-
ceivable challenger, today is wear
ing a tarnished crown which be-
longs on the fuzzy, semibald head
of Jersey Joe Walcott, 34-year-old
journeyman heavyweight and eb-
ony-hued father of six children.
Walcott, who twice sent the now
slowed, sluggish Louis crashing to
the canvas here last night at Madi-
son Square Garden, won the ever
lasting esteem of some 1884 Gus
toners, but lost a bitter, mystify-
ing split decision by the grace of
astigmatic Judging by Frank Forbes
and Marty Monroe, who overrode
Referee Ruby Goldstein's vote for
Walcott.
It was a Justify booed Louis, his
right fist damaged. his nose sliced
and a sizable puff under his re-
peatedly hammered left eye, who
left the ring at the end OF Is elec-
trifying rounds. It also was Louis
who had tobogganed from his peak
and who admitted 1t later in the
dressing room.
Louis Outclassed by Walcott.
With his refreshing honesty, Louis
said, I'm not the fighter I was
when I was 49, He was outclassed
| by the astounding Walcott, who
made Louis fight according to Jer-
sey Joe's pattern. Walcott came
up with the fight of his life and
was rewarded by brutally inept
decision.
Sports writer's, who, virtually to a
man, had picked Louis to dispose Of
Walcott easily and early, were al
most unanimous in declaring Wal
colt the winner. Gamblers, who
had said it was 6 to 5 Walcott
wouldn't survive the fourth round.
couldn't fathom the decision. The
crowd expressed it's disapproval
heartily and loud. But the Messrs.
Forbes and Monroe said Louis was
the winner and that makes 1t off,
,cial.
| Ringside comment was vicious.
Now it's safe to rob the Chase Ma
tional Bank. If was sitting
in the State Legislature I'd intro
duce bill to outlaw boxing. {.
This ought to be the stab in the
back that kills boxing. :. The dis
trict attorney really has something
to investigate now"
So it went, but that coveted, but
cheapened, title still is Louis. He
is no part the fighter he once was
and should quit, but he's under
cloud now and so they'll be re-
matched and the same people who
condemned the decision so emphati-
cally will swarm to Yankee Stadium
with other thousands to witness it.
Champion Is Dropped Twice.
The crowd that poured into the
Garden came in tribute to Louis, to
see a great champion ram those
marvelously accurate blows of the
chin of a supposedly mediocre fight
er. who astounded the crowd by
blasting Louis to the floor for a
count of two in the first round with
a murderous right cross.
| Again in the fourth, Walcott lev
eled Louis, this time for count of
seven, when they exchanged rights.
Walcott, following the style set by
Max Schmeling in his first meeting
with Louis, was making Joe lead,
smashing neatly timed rights over
Louis left jabs.
Walcott, working always to the
outside of Louis right hand, in
serted a herky-jerky sort Of foot
work which confused Louis. The
champion seemingly sensed his
plight in the fifth round and waited
for Walcott to lead, playing it care
fully and attempting to counter
punch.
Louis was missing badly with his
jabs and was getting the worst of 1t
in exchanges with Walcott in most
rounds. 1t was in the ninth round,
though, that Louis must have sensed
the old steam had vanished. In
that, one of the great rounds in
boxing history, Louis drove Walcott
to the ropes, cut him under the left
eye and seemingly was set to deliver
the long-awaited chilling blow.
Joe Is Given Boxing Lesson.
It never came, for Walcott, back
to the ropes near his own corner,
stood up to Louis and smashed home
blow for blow with the champ. 1t
was a devastating furry which
brought the crowd roaring to its
feet and when the bell ended it,
Louis must have known Walcott
could absorb everything he could
throw at him.
| Walcott gave Louis boxing les
son, although Joe retained enough
of his former cunning to flick home
punches to snatch a few rounds
The Stars score sheet showed seven
rounds for Walcott, six for Louis
and two rounds even.
Forbes gave eight rounds to Louis
six to Walcott and called one even
l Monroe awarded nine rounds tC
Louis and six to Walcott, while
Goldstein called seven for Walcott
six for Louis and two even.
It was a confident, still remark.
ably fresh Walcott who answered
the bell for the 18th round, content
in the knowledge he had merely tt
retreat to capture the heavyweight