Evening star., 1948-06-26
BY the Asseeiatsd Press

NEW YORK, June 26.-Joe Louis
proud reign as heavyweight boxing
champion of the world is ended-by
the only man who could end 1t, Joe
Louis himself.
Flashing for IS seconds all the
savagery that brought him 81 knock
outs in 81 fights, Louis stretched
out Jersey Joe Walcott on the hot
canvas of Yankee Stadium in the
l1th round last night.
His revenge secured. his pride
soothed, he said he was quitting
This created confusion as great as
when Gene Tunney retired unde-
feated in 1928.
Against Louis, Walcott side
stepped and danced through 10
rounds lust as successfully as he did
last December when Louis man
aged to win disputed, split 10
round decision.
Then Jersey Joe made the mis-
take in the 18th of trying to mix 1t
at the ropes. He had been told not
to do it. The champions crunching
blows flashed as Of old, right and
left, against Walcott's head and
body.
Walcott went down fiat, strug-
pled to his knees, almost rose at
nine, fell again, and was up soon
after the count Of 10. But it was
over, with only four seconds more
to 20 In the round. There was a
great surge to the ringside, and an
exultant roar from the crowd.
For my mother-this Is for her
tonight was my last fight,' said
Louis. Later he said he would enter
politics.
Held Title IL Years.
So he went out at "a years OF
age as one Of the greatest OF cham
pions. He had held the title longer
than any one else-l1 years and 8
days. He defended it more often
Is times. He earned more money IN
the ring-S3 1865 900. That does not
even count movie, radio, and tele-
vision rights.
Half affectionately, half fearfully
people called him the Brown
Bomber" the Dark Destroyer"
Last nights fight was twice post
poned because of rain. Louis
weighed in at 213ls pounds on We'd
nesday and probably added three or
four pounds since then. Off1cially
it was the heaviest he ever weighed.
Walcott weighed 194A. The crowd
Of 42,667 paid $841,739, OF which
Louis received approximately $780,
600 and Walcott s125 900
There were boos for the slow,
cautious way things went. Referee
Frank Fullam kept urging Walcott
to get in and fight. and afterwards
Jersey Joe said "his bounding both
cred me. 1t caused me to change
my plans" o.,
Actually Walcott kept his left
flicking so steadily at Louis head
that it raised welt under the
champions left eye. In the third
round Walcott even f1oored Louis
for a count of one. If this had been
10-round fight, instead OF the
scheduled Is, and the decision had
gone strictly by the off1cial CARDS,
Walcott would have won the cham
pionship.
Walcott Ahead at Time.
For at the end of 10 rounds. Full
lam scored five for Louis, two for
Walcott and three even. Judge Jack
O'Sullivan scored five for Walcott,
four for Louis and one even. Judge
Harold Barnes gave six to Walcott,
three to Louis, with one even. That
would have been two-to-one vote
in favor of Walcott. The Asso-
ciated Press card had each winning
five rounds.
But there was no appeal from
Louis fists. So mighty have they
been, so willingly has Louis fought
any and all who came along that
now there is no one on the horizon
who can step up boldly and lay
claim to the throne.
Louis retirement had been prom
ised by the champion right along,
but there were many who believed