Evening star., 1949-03-01
|ChorIes-WoIcott Title Bout
Set for Chicago in June
By james F. Fowler
Assoeioted Press Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports Writer
MIAMI BEACH, Fla, Mar. l.
Joe Louis today formally resigned
as heavyweight boxing champion
of the world.
He requested and received per-
mission from the National Boxing
Association to sponsor fight be-
tween Ezzard Charles and jersey
Joe Walcott to determine the new
world champion.
The new champion will be
crowned at a 15-round fight to be
held in Chicago in June.
Louis submitted his formal resig-
nation by letter to MIA Commis-
sioner Abe j. Greene and Flamen
B. Adae, president of NBA.
The letter Of resignation was
presented by Harry Mendel, the
Brown Bomber's publicity agent.
Louis himself was not present.
Resigns in Letter to NBA.
Louis notified the NBA that he,
Arthur M. Wirtz and James D.
Norris had formed the 1nterna-
tional Boxing Club which will
maintain Offices in New York and
Chicago. 1t will stage the fight
to determine the new heavyweight
champ.
Louis said he had obtained the
signatures of Walcott and Charles
for the heavyweight crown match
and that both boxers had agreed
to defend their title within 90
days after the June match with
either Lee Sayold or Gus Lesne-
vich.
Louis told the NBA that each
contestant also agreed in the
event he won the title to defend
it at least twice a year.
MY associates and I have TAX
en- every step to see that all COM
petent challengers get an oppor-
tunity to compete for the title and
to see thereafter, that the title
holder is active" Louis wrote to
NBA.
Louis Plan o. X, Greene Says.
Greene said the proposal had
been discussed by him, Adae and
Col. Harvey A. Miller of Wash
ington, NBA executive secretary.
He declared the NBA would go
along with these plans"
mo attempt has been made to
put the crown on any one man in
the plan submitted by Louis, y
Greene said. with the assurance
that the winner of the first match
has signed an agreement which
will give the other two contenders
speedy opportunity to box for the
title. the NBA has agreed to this
plan.
Louis, as in all his boxing
career, has approached this climax
in his ring activity in the same
honorable and fair approach which
marked his brilliant and outstand-
ing tenure as champion
Louis wrote two letters. both
addressed to Greene. One was
his resignation, the other his
plans.
His first letter stated in part:
IT am certain you know how
sorry I must be to let the cham
pionship 60 this way. I've held it
for a long time and 1 won it in
the ring. I expected to lose it
the same way. This is the way
champions should be made.
Exhibitions Still Slated.
However. things have developed
so that I think I ought to stick
to the decision to retire that I
announced some time ago."
1t was signed: With best wishes,
Joe Louis
The resignation came as Louis
continued plans for a series of
exhibitions. He already has ap-
peared in several Florida cities and
Jamaica, and next will appear in
Nassau, capital of the British Ba-
hamas. and in Cuba. Later ap-
pearances in Texas are slated.
The National Boxing Associa-
ton controls boxing in every i'm
portant boxing State in the Union
except New York. which is under
mission. It's commissioner, Eddie
Eagan, said he had no direct word
from Louis on his retirement.
i Louis announcement brought
an apparent halt to plans of Mike
Jacobs Twentieth Century Sport
ing Club to sponsor an outdoor
championship fight in Yankee Sta
dium, New York, this summer. It
also appeared to mark a rupture