Joe Louis----American

Joe Louis Barrow was the greatest Heavyweight Boxing Champion in history. He was a CHAMPION----not just a "title holder"-----but a CHAMPION, both OUTSIDE of the ring as well as INSIDE.

Joe came along at a time when the KKK was in full swing......when former black champ Jack Johnson had alienated a lot of fight fans, when America was still recovering from the Great Depression and the Nazi's were on the March in Europe.

But Joe Louis was someone very special. His skills spoke for themselves in the ring, and he was an example for ALL, OUTSIDE of the ring.

He suffered his first defeat in 1936, when he didn't train properly for Germany's Max Schmeling, but never UNDER-trained again. He won the title in 1937, but still needed to avenge his only loss. The re-match with Schmeling would be in 1938. But it would be more than just a prize fight...........much more.

Adolph Hitler considered all those of pure Germanic genetics to be the "Master Race", and sent Schmeling (who had beaten Joe once already) back over here to America, to not only beat him AGAIN, but take the title, and "prove" NAZI superiority.

It quickly became much more than a heavyweight title fight. In the minds & hearts of EVERYONE, he'd be fighting for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Scheling would be fighting for Hitler. As Joe trained harder than he'd ever trained before, there was a "mystic" sort of happening in this country. Although Louis was already popular, he was acquiring a growing "caucasian" fan-base, even if only in the ring.

Did racial prejudice stop in 1938? Of course not, unfortunately, but I remember my dad telling me about Joe Louis, and his eyes would light up as he spoke......even YEARS after Joe's death.........

Joe was "carrying our flag" into this fight. The NAZI's were EVIL and HAD to be beaten.......Joe Louis, who wasn't allowed to eat in most restaurants, was expected to "whip the NAZI's for "God & Country." You talk about carrying the weight of the world into that ring with him!

He demolished Max Scheling somewhere around 2 minutes in the FIRST round. Throughout his career and a record 25 straight title defenses (which I think still stands today), he dropped his opponents with such authority, that he was nicknamed the "Brown Bomber."

And when he did....he never stood over his victims and taunted them.....he never went around bragging to the press about "how GREAT he was." He never bad-mouthed any opponent for "pre-fight hype", he just went in there, took care of business and graciously accepted the cheers and accolades of the crowds.

Then came World War II. Joe Louis Barrow didn't wait to be drafted. He ENLISTED to try to do whatever HE could......even for a country that at the time, did not fully accept him as an equal. The Army said HIS job would be entertaining the troops for the most part, putting on boxing exhibitions and keeping morale up. He could still defend his title, but would have to be in uniform most of the rest of the time. (in 1967, they DRAFTED Ali and made HIM that SAME OFFER, but he STILL refused, so they stripped his title from him----the REST of us HAD to go, or go to jail!). I've never felt a BIT sorry that HE was stripped.

Now.........during World War II, while Joe Louis was out boxing exhibitions, suiting up to promote War Bonds and such, he did the UNTHINKABLE among the "champions" of today............he fought two consecutive title defenses, donating his ENTIRE PURSE to CHARITY! (picture Mike Tyson doing that!). One entire purse to the Navy Relief Fund, and the next one to the Army Relief Fund.

TWO in a row......all of his winnings went toward the war effort to help the widows and their families. A few years later, as Joe was approaching the twilight of his career, here comes the IRS.

They were as dirty THEN as they are NOW. Joe hadn't filed any taxes on his "winnings " for those two fights because he'd given it all to charity. Internal Revenue couldn't care LESS.....as far as THEY were concerned, Joe had technically been PAID for those two fights. "If he wanted to give his money away, that was HIS business, but he still owed "Uncle Sam."

They had waited several years to HIT him with this (a stunt they still do TODAY), and by now, his "tax-debt" was nearly a million dollars, which he could NEVER pay back. He even had to come OUT OF RETIREMENT to try to win enough money to pay it off, and he paid a fearful price to his over-aged body, having to fight the younger "warriors" like Walcott, Charles and Marciano.

He had no choice. His back was to the wall and the IRS was pursuing this "living American legend" MERCILESSLY. His last fight was against Rocky Marciano. Joe was WAY "over the hill", but had trained as hard as he still could. Marciano hadn't even reached his prime yet and was still on the way up. To make things even "stickier", Joe Louis had always been Marciano's idol, and Rocky didn't want to fight him. He practically WORSHIPPED the old "Brown Bomber." But Joe needed the money so bad, the story goes that he practically had to BEG Rocky to take the fight. MARCIANO had to take the fight to get a shot at the title, held then by Jersey Joe Walcott.

Rocky knocked Joe through the ropes in the 8th round and it was all over. Fans who were there, reported seeing Marciano actually CRYING as he returned to his corner and was BOOED by the crowd for what he had done to Joe Louis. So many fans loved the old Brown Bomber, it was like Rocky had knocked out a piece of America. It was a no-win situation for Marciano. He won, but was disdained for it.

Joe announced his retirement, then tried several different business ventures to try to stave off the IRS, even went into "professional wrestling" to try to make a buck. When Joe's mother died, she left him $667.00 that the IRS immediately grabbed. Joe's last wife was working and making money, so she just made JOE QUIT trying to work at all.....because the Feds couldn't touch HER.

He worked as a greeter for one of the Las Vegas casino's while the IRS still went after him. Finally, Frank Sinatra (an oldtime fight fan himself) "snapped his fingers" and everybody who was ANYBODY swarmed into Vegas, put on a big benefit, and cleared Joe with the the Federal's own "organized crime syndicate"-----the "Internal Robbing Service" as they're often called.

It has often been suggested that the IRS intentionally used Louis as an "example" to ALL taxpayers..........ie......."If we would get JOE LOUIS........we will get YOU TOO, little man!"

It was shameful. In the middle of a WORLD WAR......here's the Heavyweight Champion of the World, making GOOD money and giving it to Navy Relief & Army Relief, doing whatever he could for "Uncle Sam".........and THIS is what he got in return!

But Joe Louis, ever the old Brown Bomber still led the rest of his life in quiet dignity, meeting people, signing autographs on the golf course and anywhere else somebody would want one. People of all ages and racial backgrounds LOVED Joe. No other Champion in history has ever been that revered or so warmly thought of.

The only time he ever spoke OUT in digust was when Muhammad Ali refused the draft, even after being given the same opportunity to NOT HAVE TO SEE COMBAT, that Louis received. He criticized Ali for it.

When Ali publicly responded by calling Louis an "UNCLE TOM" Joe was surprised and deeply hurt by that remark, and when Ali started telling the press that even in his PRIME, he could have beaten the "Brown Bomber", Joe reportedly just said what he said before the Billy Conn fight in 1941..........."He can run, but he can't hide."

I've got a lot of oldtime fight footage on DVD, and from everything I'VE seen, MY prediction is that "prime-to-prime"-------from "John L. Sullivan" to Mike Tyson...............

..................Marciano would have beaten Ali.....and Joe Louis would have beaten them ALL.

Joe Louis never got to fight the "40-million dollar fights".....live in the mansions, drive the Rolls-Royces, but neither did he get caught up in scandals, do prison time for rape, etc........

He never despised or put down our country, although our country certainly had let HIM down.

He died poor.

Army Technical Sergeant Joe Louis Barrow is buried in Arlington National Cemetary, up on a hill, overlooking most of it. I made a POINT to find and photgraph his grave when I was back there last year. Arlington was one of the 4 places I wanted to see back there, but I only wanted to see two graves there........that of Joe Louis, and the other.....Ira Hayes (A Pima Indian kid who was one of the 6 flag raisers on Iwo Jima).

Joe Louis' site was first.

(I walked past the path that led to JFK's grave, but never went down there to see it). THAT shows the importance and respect I have for Joe Louis. I put JFK on "disregard".....I was there to see JOE!

I DID photgraph a third grave......that of actor Lee Marvin, who is buried BESIDE Joe! (I didn't know that prior to my visit).(Marvin was a Marine PFC in World War II).

Joe Louis has a VERY proper headstone, which ironically, Frank Sinatra and friends ALSO had made especially for him......you'd think UNCLE SAM would have at least done THAT MUCH---considering all they TOOK from him.

Make no mistake though........Joe Louis was not only the greatest heavyweight champion of all time, but one of the greatest Americans as well.

He was MORE of an AMERICAN than ANY of those who would deny his right to BE one! And what an inspiration of sportsmanship and fairplay to the youth back then!

Some sportswriter, whose name I can't remember now, once said that "Joe Louis was a credit to his race..........the HUMAN race."

And he was right.