Editor’s note: This story was originally published on June 22, 2024.
A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
The buildup was epic.
Mid-June, 1937. Joe Louis would meet titleholder Jim Braddock for the world heavyweight boxing title. The fight would be in Chicago, one of the best locales for these big events. The heavyweight division, which also included Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney and others, was packed with talent. And the sports public ate it up.
On June 22, 1937, coverage in the Deseret News included these headlines:
“60,000 will see mixed title fight tonight”
“Louis is favored to whip champ”
“Fight is likely to be a slam-banger”
“Braddock’s courage isn’t enough, says Rice”
And those were just the headlines. The cover of the sports section also included breakdowns of the two fighters and other details, as well as a humorous story of how Dempsey and Tunney, rivals in the ring, had to sit side-by-side in the airplane while traveling to the fight.
The headline the next day read:
“Bomber blasts Braddock off fistic throne: Louis wears down Old Jim for 7 rounds then lets him have it”
Louis began his reign as world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out “Gentleman Jim” Braddock in the eighth round of their fight.
It is important to note that while sports in general were a great unifier in the U.S. when it came to racial issues, there was still plenty of subtle language in the headlines of the day.
The “Brown Bomber” won 25 straight title fights — winning one in 4 seconds — before retiring in 1949. He died in 1981 in Las Vegas.
Louis has been regarded as the first African American to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States. He later played lots of golf and from reports was quite talented in that sport as well.
Here some stories about Joe Louis courtesy of Deseret News archives:
“Warts and wonders of Joe Louis”