Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling (2nd meeting)

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Challenger rankings
Org. Pos. As of Published
1+ Mth. Old
NBA 1 23.07.1937 23.07.1937
Ring N/A N/A N/A
2+ Mth. Old
NBA 1 26.03.1937 26.03.1937
Ring N/A N/A N/A
3+ Mth. Old
NBA 1 26.03.1937 26.03.1937
Ring N/A N/A N/A

Joe Louis 199 lbs beat Max Schmeling 193 lbs by KO at 2:04 in round 1 of 15

Notes

Louis puts Schmeling down for the third and final time.

Timeline

  • On June 23, 1937, the next day after Louis knocked out Jim Braddock and won the undisputed championship, sports commentator George Daley wrote for The New York Herald Tribune: "He [Louis] must redeem himself against Max Schmeling to hold his title clear but that I for one believe he can do if the opportunity comes".[1]
  • On July 1, it was reported Jack Kearns had offered Louis $400,000 to fight Schmeling in the fall at the Motor City Stadium in Detroit. That same day, Louis' promoter Mike Jacobs said that Schmeling must fight Braddock first before getting a shot at Louis.[2][3]
  • On July 9, Chairman of the Illinois Boxing Commission Joe Triner stated that promoters in Chicago were working on staging the Louis-Schmeling fight there in September.[4] On July 17, Mike Jacobs specified the date to be September 23.[5]
  • On July 22, Jacobs said that Schmeling declined a $300,000 guarantee and instead asked for $600,000 and have the fight take place in New York.[6]
  • It was reported on August 7 that Schmeling was slated to attend the Louis-Farr fight on August 26, after which he would meet with Mike Jacobs and sign the deal. Philadelphia was picked as the site after New York was off the table due to potential anti-Nazi boycott.[7]
  • On August 19, Schmeling visited Louis' training camp, where the champion prepared for his first title defense against Tommy Farr.[8]
  • On August 20, Jacobs told the press that plans to schedule the fight in the fall were off, citing lateness of the season and Louis' desire to have a long rest as reasons.[9]
  • On August 31, Schmeling publicly vented his frustrations over trying to secure a bout with Louis: "The can't keep fooling the public. They gave me the run around for awhile but I don't think the public will stand for it any longer. The American public will demand that Louis give me the return bout".[10]
  • Contract signed on September 3, 1937. Under the terms, Schmeling was allowed to have fights in the interim against anyone except Jim Braddock, Tommy Farr, Bob Pastor, Max Baer and Buddy Baer.[11][12]

Ranking Movements

  • Schmeling ranked No. 1 contender by the National Boxing Association since September 22, 1936.

The Fight

  • Louis floored Schmeling three times.
  • Schmeling was hospitalized after the fight. A doctor who treated him said, "Schmeling suffered fractures of the transverse processes of the third and fourth lumbar vertebra with a hemorrhage of the lumbar muscles."
  • Louis was a 3-to-1 favorite.
  • Gross attendance was 72,000, and paid attendance was 66,227.
  • Total gross receipts were $1,015,096.17. Gross ticket sales totaled $940,096.17, and the net gate was $803,113.
  • Louis received 40 percent of the net gate, and Schmeling got 20 percent.
  • The fight was named "Fight of the Decade" by The Ring magazine.


From the New York Times, June 23, 1938:

As far as the length of the battle was concerned, the investment in seats, which ran to $30 each, was a poor one. But for excitement, for drama, for pulse-throbs, those who came from near and far felt themselves well repaid because they saw a fight that, though it was one of the shortest heavyweight championships on record, was surpassed by few for thrills.

With the right hand that Schmeling held in contempt Louis knocked out his foe. Three times under its impact the German fighter hit the ring floor. The first time Schmeling regained his feet laboriously at the count of three. From the second knockdown Schmeling, dazed but game, bounced up instinctively before the count had gone beyond one.

On the third knockdown Schmeling's trainer and closet friend, Max Machon, hurled a towel into the ring, European fashion, admitting defeat for his man. The towel sailed through the air when the count on the prostrate Max had reached three.

The signal has been ignored in American boxing, has been for years, and Referee Arthur Donovan, before he had a chance to pick up the count in unison with knockdown timekeeper Eddie Joseph, who was outside the ring, gathered the white emblem in a ball and threw it through the ropes.

Returning to Schmeling's crumpled figure, Donovan took one look and signaled an end of the battle. The count at that time was five on the third knockdown. Further counting was useless. Donovan could have counted off a century and Max would not have regained his feet. The German was thoroughly "out."

Newspaper Articles


Preceded by:
Louis vs. Thomas 		NBA Heavyweight Title Fight
# 17 		Succeeded by:
Louis vs. Lewis
Preceded by:
Louis vs. Mann 		NYSAC Heavyweight Title Fight
# 16 		Succeeded by:
Louis vs. Lewis


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