Evening star. [volume], June 26, 1948, Page A-11, Image 11

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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bening f^fat3 Jspofis
Washington, D. C., Saturday, June 26, 1948—A—11 i
Scramble Is On for Vacant Heavyweight Crown
- - -
END OF “MY LAST FIGHT"—This is how the end came to
Jersey Joe Walcott last night at New York's Yankee Stadium
as Joe Louis defended his heavyweight title for the 25th time,
4
after which he announced his retirement. Left to right, top to
bottom: Walcott pokes a left, Louis winds up with a right,
Walcott goes down, rolls over, tries to rise and is led toward his
corner by Referee Frank Fullam. Louis says he’ll go into
politics; Walcott will continue fighting.
, —AP Wirephotos.
w in, Lose, or Draw
By FRANCIS STANN
Star Staff Correspondent
The Jig Was Up, Eventually
NEW YORK, June 26—When the panting, sweating mob of
photographers and cameramen-finally fought their way into Joe Louis'
dressing room, the first question asked of the champion was whether
he was retiring from the ring.
Francis Stann.
‘•This was my last fight, mumbled the old
Bomber.
‘Do you reserve the right to change your
mind?” queried another reporter.
‘ I'm not going to change my mind,” said
Louis. That's my last fight.”
j ‘It's just as well, methinks. If Jersey Joe
I Walcott was the No. I challenger, there isn't
sufficient opposition left in thfj heavyweight ranks
to justify a great, if somewhat' tattered champion.
Walcott—or rather Louis—proved that Walcott is
just another heavyweight. Except that he's pretty
old to be indulging in such violent exercise.
Louis himself wasn't looking any too hot until
the 11th and final round was nearly spent. He
looked more like a big brown cobra being charmed
by a double-shuffle artist left over from the early 1920s. For eignt
rounds he stood almost transfixed as Walcott did his blackface minstrel
steps. There were moments when it looked as if Louis might shake
his head grudginglv and say
"Man, I sure wish I could jig like you."
Just Four Seconds Before the Bell
The only resemblance to the Louis who was great was noted in
the final round, when Walcott apparently got careless in a spectacle
Which up to that point had been utterly devoid of carelessness, except
on the part of customers who bought $50 tickets. Jersey Joe had on
one or two occasions fought himself out of dole quarters, but this time
Louis was bent on the kill.
The champ crowded Walcott against the ropes and hit him with
■ right hand A good, hard right. Then he began to blast away with
both hand? as Walcott simply stood still crouching a little. It looked
as if Walcott might have intended to show off, making no attempt to
punch back or cover up. but this hardly seems reasonable. Not with
Louis volleying.
He murdered Walcott with lefts and rights to the body and head.
Tlie punches came too fast to count. Finally Walcott stumbled forward
and Louis rendered the coup de grace, three hard right hands to
the head.
Jersey Joe was flat on his back. When Referee Frank Fullam
counted "five.' Walcott's head came ofT the canvass. At "seven' he
was on one knee. At "nine" he attempted to stand, but stumbled
forward and Fullam grabbed him. The time wras 2.56 of the round
four seconds left before the bell.
Walcott Says Fullam Needled Him
Up to that point, there seemed to be some doubt as to who was
winning. Fullam had Louis ahead, five rounds to two for Walcott and
three even. Judge Harold Barnes had Walcott in front, six rounds to
three for Louis and one even. Judge Jack O’Sullivan also had Walcott
ahead, five to four with one even.
A decision would have been no way for this Louis-Walcott affair
to end. It only would have stirred up another rhubarb and possibly
brought about a third meeting, which is too horrible to contemplate,
because, as a fight. Louis' 25th successful defense of his title was an
undeniably dull piece of entertainment. Walcott didn’t want to fight
and Louis didn't know how until the late rounds.
In his dressing room, Walcott was inclined to blame Fullam for
some of his troubles. He kept saying. C'mon, Walcott, and fight,’”
said Walcott. "I was doing all right. I was winning on points. But he
kept needling me and so I made a mistake."
"What was the mistake. Joe?" asked a reporter,
■'I don't know. I don't pven know what hit me. I know 1 was on
the floor, but I couldn't hear the count."
It may be sheer fancy, but I think Louis possibly aided Fullam in
hastening Walcott's decision to gamble Starting in the eighth round
(Louis says the ninth', the Bomber began to reach Walcott with
his left jab
Louis' Jobs Made Walcott Gamble
These solid belts in the kisser weren't doing Walcott any good.
Louis, as he admitted later, took charge in the ninth. Walcott must
have sensed it, deep down. Anyway, he was trying to land a good right
to Louis' head when he got into trouble.
He'd dropped Joe. unhurt, in the third. He nearly dropped him
again in the fifth without even realizing it.
He hit Joe in a clinch and never noticed the champion's knees
jag until too late. No doubt about it, Joe's always been easy to knock
down and probably is easier to drop now. This fact may have some
thing to do with Louis' determination to retire.
If this fight was Louis’ last, it ends the longest reign by a heavy
weight champion in history—11 years and three days. If he retires,
hell be the third to quit undefeated—Louis. Gene Tunney and Jim
Jeffries. Only Tunney made it stick. Jeffries was lured out of retire
ment five years later, in 1910, and was stopped by Jack Johnson.
Louis last night didn't sound like a man who wanted to fight
again. And why should he? It took him nearly 26 rounds, counting
last December's battle, to finish a semiclown boxer he probably could
have blown over eight or 10 years ago.
For an old gaffer, Waleott does all right. But he adds little to
the prestige of the heavyweight division. The only time last night he
tf^n't hear the boos of the crowd was when he couldn't hear the count. I
Nats' Alertness Wins
4th Straight Game
As Indians Topple
By Burton Hawkins
Star Staff Correspondent
CLEVELAND. June 26 —The Nats,
who have encountered their share
i of ill fortune, now are getting good
luck in big batches. Washington’s
four-game wifining streak has been
accomplished by timely insertion of
opposition errors, but the Nats cal
culate it’s about time they were
getting the breaks.
The Nats’ 2-1 victory over Detroit
on Wednesday stemmed from a
brace of errors and last night when
Washington nipped Cleveland, 3-2.
here before a crowd of 21.408 it was
a case of being more fortunate than
ferocious.
Early Wynn, who notched his sev
enth win with a six-hit perform
ance, twice saw the Nats come from
behind and figured prominently In
the seventh-inning two-run rallv
which assured the triumph, but
Wynn could have been a 2-1 loser
except, for an errant throw by Piteh
I er Bob Lemon.
Nats Triumph in Seventh.
Cleveland had spurted into a 1-0
had in the third inning on Jim
Hegans single and Lemon's double,
bui, the Nats locked the score in the
fourth after Ed Stewart doubled
and shifted to third when Mickey
Vernon beat out an infield tap.
In that situation Earl Wooten
lifted a meek pop fly back of second
base which Joe Gordon snared, but
the alert Stewart sensed Gordon
would be out of position to throw
and brok“ for the plate. He scored
before Gordon's off-balance throw
bounded to Catcher Hegan.
Gordon's 11th homer boosted the
Indians into a 2-1 lead in the fifth,
but. with one out in the seventh, A1
Kozar looped a single to center and
Johnny Sullivan tapped a routine
grounder to Lemon. It Should have
been converted into an easy double
play, but, Lemon's throw to second
was high and both runners were
safe.
Sullivan's Speed Tells.
Manager Joe Kuhel ordered a hit
and-run play just as A1 Evans;
smacked a grounder at Lemon, and
Kozar thus moved to third and Sul -,
livan to second. Wynn then hit a
bounder over Lemon's head and be
fore the ball descended to Gorden
Kozar had crossed the plate.
Wynn barely heat Gordon's throw
to first and Sullivan kept sprinting
as First-Baseman Eddie Robinson
held the ball and enabled Johnny
to score with what developed to be
the winning run.
Sid Hudson was to oppose Bob
Muncrief on the mound here today,
with Ray Scarborough and Mickey
Haefner slated to face the Indians'
Gene Bearden and Sam Zoldak in
tomorrow's double-header.
Nats, 3; Indians, 2
Wash AB H. O A. Cl»vp. AB H O A
Yost.3b 4 0 3 ! M'chell.If 4 1 i o
Coan.lf 4 0 4 0 Doby.cf 4 110
Stetvart.rf 4 2 10 B'dreau.ss 4 0 15
V'non.lb 4 12 2 Roson.lb 4 0 14 0
Wooten.cf 4 0 3 0 EdWds.rf 3 0 2 0
Kozar.2b 4 113 G don.2b 4 15 4
Sul van ,ss 3 0 13 K tner 3b 3 112
Early.c 2 0 12 Hesar r 3 12 1
Evans.c 1 0 4 0 Lemon.o 3 10 4
Wynn.p. 3 3 2 0
Totals 33 ~2 27 11 Totals 32 6 22 16
Washington - . _ ono loo 200—3
Cleveland 001 010 000—2
Runs—Stewart. Kozar. Sullivan. Gor
don. Hegan. Error—Lemon. Runs batted
in—Lemon. Wooten. Gordon, Wynn (3>.j
Two-base hits—Lemon. Sttwart. Three
oase hit—Doby Home run—Gordon
Stolen base—Keltner. Double plays—
Boudreau, Gordon and Robinson: Kozar
Sullivan and Vernon. Left on bases—
Washington, 4: Cleveland. 4. Bases on
balls—OS Wynn. 1: ofl Lemon. 1. Strike
outs—By Wynn. 4: by Lemon. 2. Um
pires—Messrs Boyer, Passarella and Rom
mel. Time—2:14. Attendance—21,408.
Ruth in Hospital Again
NEW YORK. June 26 Babej
Ruth is hospitalized again. He was
admitted to Memorial Hospital yes
terday. but officials would give no
information about his condition or
the reason for his visit.
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION.
Atlanta, 2; Nashville. 3. '
Mobile. 3: Birmingham. 1.
Only games scheduled,
SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE.
Columbus. 3: Greenville. 1.
Savannah. 11; Charleston. ].
Macon. 16; Augusta. 14
Columbia 5; Jacksonville, n.
WESTERN LEAGUE.
Des Moines. 15 Omaha. 6
Lincoln. 3: Pueblo 2.
Sioux City. 12; Denver. T.
t
. ' . • .:v:
LOUIS DOWN—Louis drops to one knee for a count of one
after a third-round knockdown. —AP Wirephoto.
Wimbledon Tourney
Now Wide Open Race
. »y the Associated Press
LONDON, June 26—Frankie Park
er's elimination from the Wimbledon
tennis singles championships yester
day left a wide-open race with Bob
Falkenburg of Hollywood. Calif., a
better than average bet to succeed
to Jack Kramer's title.
But don’t rush to the bookmaker
with the rent money just yet. Thir
teen players remain in the chase and
every one knows it is risky to bet on
that number.
Three players—Tom Brown of San
Francisco. Gardner Mulloy of Miami
and Lennart Bergelin of Sweden—
have reached the quarterfinals. Five
fourth-round matches will be played
today.
KO Round Predicted
Only by Coast Writer
By the Associated Press
NEW YORK. June 26.—Of the 282
sports writers wh<? made a guess on
the outcome of the Joe Louis-Jersev
Joe Walcott fight in an Associated
Press poll last month, only one was
able to hit the exa<ct round.
He ivas Russ Newland of the San
Francisco Bureau of the Associated
Press,
While a large majority of those
voting favored Louis—it was 230 to
52—most of them thought the cham
pion would end It in earlier rounds.
—
i
Admiring Fans
Strip Louis Car
Of Hood, Tires
By th« JUsociated Press
NEW YORK, June 26—Joe
Louis' admirers became so ex
cited over their idol's knockout
victory over Joe Walcott last
night that they almost took it
out on the world heavyweight
champion.
When Louis arrived at the
Theresa Hotel a little after mid
night for some much-needed rest
he was almost mobbed by a crowd
of 10,000 faithful followers.
Louis was accompanied by his
manager and three detectives.
The fans climbed all over his
car, tore off the hood and all
four tires, then ripped off the
license plates. It took 30 police
men a half hour to get Joe safely
up in his suite.
The crowd milled around out
side the hotel and threatened to
break down the doors. Louis had
to step out on the balcony and
appeal to the people to go home.
"This was my last fight and I
don’t blame my friends for
having some fun,'1 he said after
ward. "They’ve always been
great to me. I owed it to them
to mingle with them.”__
Baseball Standings and Schedules
SATURDAY. JUNE 26. 1948.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Results Yesterday.
Wash.. 3: Cleve., 2 <n>.
Detroit. 4; N. Y„ 2 <n>?
Phila., 4; Chicago. 1 <n>.
St. L„ 9; Boston. 6 in).
Gaines Today.
Wash, at Cleveland. 2:00.
New York at Detroit.
Phila. at Chicago.
Boston at St. Louis.
Gaines Tomorrow.
Wash, at Cleveland <2).
Phila. at Chicago (2).
Boston at St. Louis (2).
New York at Detroit.
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Results Yesterday.
New York, 7; Cine.. 0.
Brooklyn, 3; St. L.. 2 mi.
Phila.. 2: Chicago, 1 <n).
Boston. 12: Pitts., 3 <n>.
Games Today.
Cine, at New York.
St. Louis at Brooklyn.
Chicago at Phila.
Pitts, at Boston <n>.
Games Tomorrow.
Pittsburgh at Boston.
St. Louis at Brooklyn.
Cine, at New York <2).
Chicago at Phila. (2).
i 1.2 I j lei •
xz\ e cr
Standing jg>:.sl«, £ "S
of Clubs I I *;!.! «'-S 3 g « § jif
■-g.f J'^iSlSiaig * 1 £ 3*
Cleveland I—i 8| 5| 6j 3j 4| 3j 6| 35!22! .614 __
Philadelphia! 3—' 5; 4 5 M0_5 37| 26 .587 1
Hew York ! 6! 3—I 3; 4| 4j 9j 6 35 25 .583 1!4
Boston : 5 3! 3—1 6 '3: 4! 5 29! ^T.S<t9 6
Detroit I TT 4 3— 7 3 4 29 30 .492! 7
Washinaton 13 3 3 4 3-j 5 ~i 27! 32; .467 8«
StTLouTs Til 4 6 4—13 23 351 .397(12*4 i
Chicago i 2 lj 2! 4, 3| 5| 1;-! 18i 36| .33315H
Lost ,22,26 25 28 30 32 35:361 | | ]
«> !
Standing
ot Clubs
Boston — 5 4 2 4 3 8
St. Louis ! 5—! 3| 4! 6| 9\ 3| 3 33 261 JSl! U4
Pittsburgh ! 5 3l—i 4| 6 5| 4| 5 32! 27 .542 2!4
New York 5 6 5 - 2 4 6 3 31 27| .534! 3
Brooklyn Hi 3 5i 4-| 4 7! 2 27 29 .482 6
Philadelphia i 4i 2 5; 3| 3 — | 5| 7 29 32! .4751 614
Cincinnati 3 4 3 4 2 4 - 6 26; 36! .41919
Chicago i 1| 3 2f"6 6 3, 3—i 24j 35 .4071101*
Lost ;25 26 27.27 29.32 36;35| fl j '
A 4
First 10 Rounds Worst
Ever Fought in Title
Match, Rice Says
By Grantlond Rice
NEW YORK, June 26.—A once
rickety planet is back on a solid
basis again. Joe Louis still is the
heavyweight champion of the world. I
The leaning Tower of Pisa still |
stands. The Hanging Gardens of,
Babylon have their wild flowers and'
the Taj Mahal is open for busi
ness.
After 10 of the worst rounds ever
known in a heavyweight champion
ship fight Louis knocked out Jersey
Joe Walcott in the 11th round, with
only 4 seconds left as Jersey Joe
was counted out.
Through*the first 10 rounds nci-1
ther made,any pretense of putting
up a fight beyond one or two rare
flurries. Louis looked like a man
in a dream. Walcott gave the idea
he didn't want the title and wouldn't
take it.
The first two rounds were (t series
of feeble left-hand flicks that
wouldn’t have jarred a humming
bird. In the third round, Walcott
threw his first right and knocked
Louis down again.
Few Real Punches Thrown.
This was Walcott’s third Louis
knockdown, proving again how wide
open Louis is for a right-hand punch
thrown by anybody who happens'
to be in the same neighborhood.
In the fifth round, Walcott:
threw another right-hand wallop
and this time Louis buckled to both
knees.
These were two of the very few
real punches thrown. Most of the
fight consisted of feather-duster
antics that might have been ex
hibited by two children, aged 6.
Round after round went by minus
any form of action. The 42.000
spectators who had spent over $800,
000 began to realize they were look
ing at a $5 show. It was apparent
after the first two or three rounds
that Walcott was not going to try
for a knockout or a win. All Jersey
Joe wanted was to go the limit
again. It also was apparent that
Louis had slipped at least 50 per
cent from his better days.
He was only a faint shadow of the
Louis that was. Louis did most of
the stalking, but after catching up
with Walcott he was content with a
weak jab or with nothing at all. It
was all different in the 11th round.
The slow-thinking Louis suddenly
realized the fight was coming to a
close with nothing happening.
Then Louis Got Mad.
Louis for the first time came out
on his toes, ready for action. He
reminded you of a sound sleeper
wno had suddenly been awakened.
The two met and began swinging.
Walcott nailed Louis with another
right. The blow had its jarring
effects. Louis suddenly was sore.
He began a savage assault with both
hands. It was slam-bang until he
finally got Walcott against the ropes.
Walcott tried to get away, but
Louis hit him with a terrific upper
cut that started most of the trouble.
He followed this wrecking punch
with a flurry of rights and lefts as
Jersey Joe finally whirled in the
air and fell flat across the canvas.
He made a feeble attempt to get up
at 8 and 9, but finally decided the
canvas was the safest spot.
f North American Newspaper Alliance >
pam-mutum.
daily oouau
_ i jdtx
• HARNESS
RAMS
Evtry Ntf* &15
UUIIl RACIWAT
i mi nomi m u— an to.mw ew
HILLSIDE
Driving Range
V2 mile beyond District line on
Marlboro Pike S. E. Open 7
A.M. till 2 A.M.
AL TREDAR, PRO.
Series of Fights Planned
To Pick Louis' Successor
ty th» Associated Prm
NEW YORK, June 28.—The scram
ble la on for the vacant heavyweight
championship. Right now Jersey
Joe Walcott, lightheavyweight cham
pion Gus Lesnevich and 175-pound
contender Ezzard Charles seem to
have the edge on the pack in the
chase for boxing’s most prized crown.
Joe Louis created the vacancy last
night with his explosive righthand
which flattened Walcott In the
Eleventh round at Yankee Stadium.
Shortly after 10 had been counted
over the fallen challenger, the
heavyweight champion announced
he had fought his last fight. Thus
ended the Brown Bomber’s record
reign of 11 years and three days.
Elimination Tournament.
And it wasn’t long after the king
had announced his retirement that
Sol Strauss, acting promoter of the
Twentieth Century Sporting Club,
declared his outfit would seek to
bring together the leading heavies
in an elimination tourney to deter
mine the Brown Bomber’s successor.
Eddie Eagan, chairman of the
New York Athletic Commission, said
the commission couldn't do anything
until bouts were brought to it for
official action. But there wasn’t
much doubt that Eagan and his two
fellow commissioners would approve
a series of fights that would bring
in Walcott, Lesnevich and Charles.
Walcott, incidentally, is 34 years old,
Lesnevich, 33. and Charles will be
25 next month.
The National Boxing Association
Facts, Figures
On Title Fight
By the Associated Press
Attendance -. 42.667
Gross gate.*841,739
•Taxes ..210.434
•Net gate ..........-673,391
•Louis’ share ...— 252.523
•Walcott's share .. 126,261
Received for radio and tele
vision rights -— 100,000
Louis’ share, radio-television 40,000
Walcott’s share, radio-tele
vision _ 20,000
t Receipts from movies- 300,000
•Louis’ share of movies- 120,000
•Walcott's share of movies .. 67,500
•Totaf Louis purse-412,522
•Total Walcott purse.313,761
• Approximate,
t Conservative estimate.
probably would fall In line, too. with
any tourney that would bring in
the three, although NBA President
Abe J. Greene said before last
night's light, "There are no logical
contenders.”
Greene said. “We expect to get
out our ratings in the next 10 days.
Now for the first time there are no
logical contenders. It's the worst
dearth of heavyweights in history.
The best heavyweights are light
heavyweights, Gus Lesnevich and
Ezzard Charles. I may have to move
them up.”
Louis Gets Revenge, Soothes His Pride
With llth-Round Knockout of Walcott
By the Associated 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 it, Joe
Louis himself.
Flashing for 15 seconds all the
savagery that brought him 52 knock
outs in 61 fights, Louis stretched
out Jersey Joe Walcott on the hot
canvas of Yankee Stadium in the
11th 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 just as successfully as he did
last December when Louis man
aged to win a disputed, split 15
round decision.
Then Jersey Joe made the mis
take in the 11th of trying to mix it
at the ropes. He had been told not
to do it. The champion's crunching
blows flashed as of old, right and
left, against Walcott's head and
body. •
Walcott went down flat, strug
gled 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 go 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 11 Years.
So he went out at 34 years 01
age as one of the greatest of cham
pions. He had held the title longer
than any one else—11 years and 3
days. He defended it more often—
25 times. He earned more money in
the ring—$3,365,000. 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 night's fight was twice post
poned because of rain. Louis
weighed in at 213H pounds on Wed
nesday and probably added three or
four pounds since then. Officially
it was the heaviest he ever weighed.
Walcott weighed 194 V The crowd
of 42,667 paid $841,739, of which
Louis received approximately $250,
000 and Walcott $125,000
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 hounding both
ered me. It caused me to change
mv plans."
Actually Walcott kept his left
flicking so steadily at Louis’ head
that it raised a welt under the
champion’s left eye. In the third
round Walcott even floored Louis
for a count of one. If this had been
a 10-round fight, instead of the
scheduled 15, and the decision had
gone strictly by the official cards.
Walcott would have won the cham
pionship.
Walcott Ahead at Time.
For at the end of 10 rounds, Ful
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 a 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
| if he finished off Walcott In a man
; ner that satisfied his own high
standards he would fight Lesnevtch
' in the fall.
But no, said Louis, perspiring in
i the 80-degree heat afterward.
“IH be active in this year's Presi
i dential campaign,” he declared—but
not in the ring.
r If he sticks to his word, and h#
is the kind of man who seems likely
| to do it, he will be' the first heavy
| weight king to quit unbeaten sine#
‘ Tunney. Jim Jeffries did it, too,
, in 1905, but came back in 1910 and
jwas knocked out by Jack Johnson.
| Only those three have stepped down
since modern records began in 1882.
‘‘Five years ago I would have come
out in the first round and got it
over with in a hurry," he said.
"But I’m not the fighter I was five
years ago.”
That was apparent throughout
the fight. Time and again he would
press Walcott toward a corner, with
that coldly furious look on his face
that always in the past signaled he
was ready to lower the bars and
'knock his opponent unconscious.
Always a sensation.
Then nothing Would happen. Wal
cott would dance away, with neat
sidesteps, a bobbing and weaving,
and his long left reaching out for
Louis' head.
There was this big difference be
; tween this fight and the first, be
tween the two men in Madison
Square Garden last December. The
first tim Walcott's tactics so baffled
the champion that Jersey Joe man
aged to land jolting blows by strik
ing suddenly as he was retreating.
This time Louis was not so easily
fooled. Thus he managed to make
j Walcott’s name the 10th on the
list of men he has stopped the sec
ond time around.
Louis won the heavyweight title
from James Braddock June 32, 1937,
by knocking him out in eight rounds.
His ring earnings of *3,365.000 com
pare with approximately *2,000.000
j for Gene Tqnney, and *2,280,000 for
Jack Dempsey.
He has always been a sensation.
He started out as a Golden Gloves
champion. As a professional he won
his first fight by a knockout in the
first round, finishing Jack Kracken
of Chicago on July 4, 1934.
Only one blemish is on his record.
Max Schmeling knocked him out in
12 rounds on June 19, 1936. The
, next time they fought Louis knocked
i out Schmeling in one, round, on
June 22. 1938.
The defeat was a bitter blow to
Walcott. The quiet Negro, who had
been a ditch digger and garbage
collector to support his family of
six children, was convinced he beat
Louis last December.
“We told him not to go over the
line and attack Louis too close." said
his trainer. Dan Floria. afterwards.
"Louis is like Rogers Hornsby. At
40 he could still bat like the devil,
even if his legs were gone.”
"I thought I had him licked until
I made a mistake,” said Walcott
sadly. “I don’t know what it was,
but he caught me with a powerful
punch. I don't know what hap
pened after that.”
AUTO REPAIRING
and REPAINTING
BODY AND TENDER WORK
McMahon Chevrolet, Inc.
123S-46 Upshur St. N.W GE. 0100
IMMEDIATE SERVICE
AUTO GLASS
THE BEST FOB LESS
tmtalUd WhiU You Wait
STANDARD AUTO GLASS
624 N SI. N.W. RE. 5877
NO FINER
.SWIMMING POOL
THAN
THE BIG ONE
OPEN DAILY 10 AM.
10:30 PM.
ADMISSION INCLUDES
LOCKER-FREE CHECKING
USE OF SAND BEACH
ADULTS C Ec
46c tax
CHILDREN UNDER 12
17c tax 3c
20c