Joe Louis vrs Tami Mauriello/Sept.-18-1946

[Caractacus]

September-18-1946
Yankee Stadium

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUzJaokX_N8

[Neil Gee]

Mauriello was beaten with the first serious punch Louis landed. He didn't look too keen to get up from that and was never in the fight after it.

[Caractacus]

Mauriello just didnt really seem to have had the same firepower in his right hand then say
Max Schmeling or Max Baer.
The punch looked like it had surprised Louis more then anything.
(although he did grab ahold of Mauriello for a couple of seconds )
However in his 1978 autobiography ,Louis had said that that was the last fight
were he had actually felt like his old self as far as a Boxer ,and was planning and probably should have retired from boxing after it.

[Caractacus]

here is some trivia for you ,
Tami Mauriello was Frank Sinatra's favorite fighter.

I still larf whenever I watch the film ON THE WATERFRONT,
where Marlon Brando grabs him (Mauriello)and slaps him around and he looks like he's about to cry.
The other goons of Lee J. Cobb in that film were also played by other professional boxers
"Two Ton " Tony Galento
Abe Simon
and I think they had also wanted Heavyweight champion Primo Carnera as a goon,but he wasnt available
so they got actor Fred Gwynne (ht 6 ft. 5") but who had never boxed (as far as I know)
But it would have been great to have seen "Da Preem" as a goon in it with his accent if you were to ask me.

[jaclem3]

i remember listening to this on the radio. The announcer was caught by surprise as much as louis was.....he sounded like he'd come right through the radio. (i think tami was surprised too.) i r've read for years there was no film of the fight, but i had a super8 silent one, and it was good...showed it from different angles.

in the post-fight interview as Tame came out of the ring, the announcer asked him what happened and Tami said ,"I got too goddam careless." This was in the era when the words damn or hell were never allowed to be spoken on the air, and it raised a big ruckus and condemnation.

re:Sinatra - Tami was his friend and Sinatra owned a piece of him. Sinatra also virtually idolized Joe Louis, and the guys with Frank laughed because he'd say "Come on Tami...you've got him" and "That's it Joe...just keep punchin" and back and forth with him yelling for each guy.
I had an illustrated small bio of the bomber, and there's a picture of him taken at ringside and Joe really looks dazed. You can't see it on the film, but if you did you'd be amazed by his instant recuperative powers.

Tami was really a blown up light heavy. He got the number one rating because Bruce Woodcock came over from England to make his American debut. They matched him with Tami and he was winning the match going away....fighting in the classic British style...jab jab jab and his chin tucked under his shoulder. Alas, he let his chin come up for just a second and Tami knocked him cold with just one punch.

Tami had a slight physical flaw. On one of his feet his heel was short and he had a hard time backing up, so he seldom did.

I really appreciate this being posted here. My films are put away and i haven't looked at them for years.

[Caractacus]

Mauriello was beaten with the first serious punch Louis landed. He didn't look too keen to get up from that and was never in the fight after it.

yeah,but that first serious punch was a "Lulu".

[Caractacus]

Incidently if you read Joe Louis's 1978 autobigraphy MY LIFE.
He seems to allude to this fight (without actually saying it)
that some'people" had approached him thru Harry Mendel,
and wanted to discuss it (at the top of the Empire State Building,on the Staten Island Ferry etc)
for Joe Louis to throw this fight and the rematch would be for real.
The Brown Bomber refused of course.

[Caractacus]

here was another of Joe Lousi's short but sweet title fights.
Joe Louis vrs Jack Roper 1939.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_2CcnYfBg