When did boxing desert Joe Louis...

[Rory McCloskey]

Joe Louis was a great HOF champion... unfortunatley he fell into 1.2 million dollar debt to the IRS...Joe Louis was forced to come out of retirement, and was clearly not the same fighter. Louis then had to, however embarrased he may be, join the pro wrestling circuit. I would find it hard to beleive that the boxing community, the sport as a whole couldnt conjure up 1.2 million to bail out a man who represented their sport for so long and who dominated it while he was there...anyone know if he was given help? or why the boxing community didnt step up and help his debt...

[wlvrne]

Rory, maybe because the boxing community saw it as JOE'S debt. Much like Tyson today.
Did Joe squander his cash? Why did he not pay his taxes? Why did he not set up a savings account?

[wsbuf]

They did have "events" for him. I remember one in 1979 given by Frank Sinatra. Raised over one million dollars. Not for Joe personally but his charity I believe, I sure some made it's way to Joe.

[enrique]

He did not do as bad as some believe. Boxing people hooked him up with the cassino gig as a PR man. He was paid one thousand a week - which was very good bucks twenty years ago- and his job consited of playing golf and eating lunch with high rollers. He was married to a lawyer and she made a fair buck. Joe had a drug problem for a while -perhaps neighbor Sonny Liston" s influence- but he did straighten out.

[tonyevs]

Yes, I too watched a documentry on the great Joe Louis.
His son made it quite clear that his father was not embarrased in the slightest about the casino `job`.

He said his father had no intention of working and the casino greeting enabled Joe Louis to do what he wanted, to play golf all day, and live comfortably.

Most ex-boxers back then, and even today spend their money as they earn it, Joe Louis was no different.
Didn`t the tax bill get wiped out later on?[/i]

[BoxBuzz]

Was it Ceasars? Damn if I can get my old neurons to cough up the name of the casino. I once knew the answer like the back of my hand. May have been the same casino that Fats Domino was playing piano in the lounge for for the same reason. He too had been broke and the casino took him in to help him get straight financially and add prestige to the casino at the same time. Might have been the Flamingo or the Tropicana because Ceasars may not have been built then.

[Rory McCloskey]

Rory, maybe because the boxing community saw it as JOE'S debt. Much like Tyson today.
Did Joe squander his cash? Why did he not pay his taxes? Why did he not set up a savings account?

louis had his faults but he did so much for boxing, and i dont think u can compare him to tyson, they may share some problems, but boxing hates tyson, tyson has embarrased boxing, louis on the other hand was an idol, and a true champion. he should have received tax benefits and tax cuts for his 90 something exhibition fights during the war.

p.s.- last night i saw a pretty good movie on joe louis and max schmelling... its was called Joe and Max.. i liked it, the boxing parts were not the greatest but it was a good story.. i suggest it to anyone who is looking for a decent boxing movie..

[Ezzard]

I always thought that the US government (or whoever) could have looked more favourably on Joe. He lifted the allied world with his victory over Schmeling. He went into the army. He went some way to healing the racial rifts in society and was a true hero in every sense of the word. What would boxing give for another Joe Louis now?

[walshb]

I'd say a lot of people got rich off the back of Joe Louis....I'm sure Joe didn't see half his damn money with all the hangers on and advisors and trainers, promoters etc etc. People may very well say that he should have paid his taxes and so on, but back then a lot of peple were ignorant and uneducated in these areas, just like today. Joe I'm sure put his trust in his 'friends' and business managers to make sure all was in order. He then was more likely fleeced and he was then held responsible. This is just a view I have. It may not be the case, Joe may have known he wasn't paying tax and continued to evade the IRS. If so then he should be held responsible, though I seriously doubt it.....I'd say a lot of people were part of it, not just Louis....

[Grimm]

Rory, maybe because the boxing community saw it as JOE'S debt. Much like Tyson today.
Did Joe squander his cash? Why did he not pay his taxes? Why did he not set up a savings account?

I didn't read too far down so I don't know if someone already said this, but Joe gave lot's of his money to charity and also only got a small percentage of his money.

[wlvrne]

Rory, maybe because the boxing community saw it as JOE'S debt. Much like Tyson today.
Did Joe squander his cash? Why did he not pay his taxes? Why did he not set up a savings account?

I didn't read too far down so I don't know if someone already said this, but Joe gave lot's of his money to charity and also only got a small percentage of his money.

Well then he bloody well should have made sure he had enough for when he couldn't fight anymore. I like Louis as much as the next fan, but for someone to say someone else should have paid all his taxes for him, I disagree strongly.
Wouldn't everyone here like it if they could get someone else to pay their tax bill? Sure. But then, one might ask, "Wlvrne, what have you done to enhance anything?". My answer is I've been giving to various charities 15 years. Not always in the form of money, but helping out in other ways, toy drives, clothing drives, etc. So maybe I should think that based on Rory's logic, I should be able to have someone else pay MY tax bill.