Joe Louis (1914-1981). His Comeback Victory in 1938.
In 1936, former World Heavyweight Champion and “Nazi Hope” Max Schmeling knocked out the heavily-favored Louis in the 12th round at Yankee Stadium, dealing Louis his first professional loss. Adolf Hitler hailed Schmeling’s victory as proof of Aryan superiority. In a 1938 rematch, the “Brown Bomber” stunned Schmeling with a one-round knockout avenging his previous defeat, turning Joe Louis into an American icon, and as World Champion from 1937 until 1949, one of Boxing’s all-time greats.
Serving with Jackie Robinson during WWII, Louis stood up for blacks denied officer training by his refusing to participate in exhibition bouts or to speak favorably of the military. In a post-war Life Magazine article, he recalled that due to his stance, “Jackie Robinson and 17 other Negro boys got into officers training and they all came out lieutenants.”
At left, Sports World Pub. Co. Souvenir World’s Championship Edition centerfold Program, New York, NY, n.d. At right, Boston’s Daily Record hails the previous evening’s victor, June 23, 1938.