The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1948-06-09
JOE LOUIS
LAST FIGHT

BY Sport Editor, Seattle Times
When Joseph Louis Barrow
meets Arnold Raymond Cream for
the heavyweight championship of
the world, it will be the champ
s last fight Whether the
champion abdicates by retiring I'M
deafeted or is dethroned and a
me- champion is crowned we must
wait until the night of June %.
but the bout definitely will be the
adieu of the title-holder to fistiana.
All of which means that Joe Louis,
top distributing man of the world
the past II years, will quit, win
or lose. with his battle against
Jersey Joe Walcott.
While the sports world hasn't
become steamed up yet over the
Ifight-but 1t will within the next
few weeks--the second Louis
Walcott bout should answer a lot
of questions about the first Louis
Walcott bout, which certainly had
everybody agog and the 2-to-l
decision for Louis caused no end
of discussion and argument.
First OF all. what are Walcott's
chances in the return engagement?
The question of age can hardly
enter into It. as both are old men,
as far as ring-fighting is concern
ed What about their physical con-
dition? Here Walcott apparently
has the edge. He appears in better
shape than the champion, Louis
has been adding poundage rapidly.
On his return from his recent trip
| to Europe Louis was bullying.
Only tough, hard work takes off
that excess poundage, and Louis
hasn't the incentive to undergo a
strenuous training grind. He'll take
take some of it off, but it is doubt
full he'll succeed in getting back
in his old fighting trim.
Let's look at the record of the
Second fights" engaged in by
Louis. There were six battlers who
took second shot at Louis. Not
i one lasted out the bout.
Matte Brown stayed 10 rounds
with Louis in 1885, but was knock
ed out in four in their second
flight in 1887. Max Schmeling, who
knocked out Louis before Joe be-
came champion, failed TO last one
round his second bout with the
champion. Bob Pastor ran away
from Joe for 10 rounds in 1887,
to stay the limit, also before Louis
was champion. But Pastor went
down for good in II rounds in
1889.
Arturo Godoy, bobbing and weav-
ing, went the 15-round distance
with Louis in 1910, but five months
later gave up the ghost in the
18th round of the return bout with
Joe. Buddy Baer, in 1871, gave Joe
trouble until Baer lost in the
seventh round by disqualification.
Eight months later Buddy was fool
hardy enough to try Joe again and
Baer went out like a light in one
round.
Billy Conn threw a scare into
Joe and was on his way to win
ming when Conn's carelessness
gave Louis the chance to end it
| in the 18th round. Conn was fool
ish enough to try a second fight,
this one Louis ending with a
knockout in the eighth.
The odds seem all against guy
in a second try at Louis. Things
certainly look none too bright for
Jersey Joe next month.
Louis will be defending his
championship the 25th time when
he faces Walcott June 23. He has
reigned as heavyweight champion
longer than any other fighter.
Louis won the title June %, 1897,
knocking out Jim Braddock in the
eighth round in Chicago. His ii
years on the throne exceeds the
record set by John L. Sullivan,
10 years, PIP days. Sullivan be-
came champion February Z, 1882,
stapping Paddy Ryan, and lost
the crown to Jim Corbett Septem-
Der IL, 1892, in 81 rounds. Third
longest reign was that of Jack
Dempsey, seven years, Jack John
son was champion six years.
Tommy Burns, champion less
than two years, is credited with
defending his title 16 times, Sec
ond to Louis in title fights. John
son defended the crown 10 times
and Dempsey six.
If Louis retires indicated =
and we think he Willie will be
the third to give up the heavy
weight title, the other two being
Jim Jeffries and Gene Tunney.
Jeffries. however. returned to bat
tie johnson, the champion, and
was knocked out in the 18th