Joe Louis vs. Gus Dorazio

Challenger rankings

Org.	Pos.	As of	Published
1+ Mth. Old
NBA	NR	10.09.1940	10.09.1940
Ring	NR	12.10.1940	by 11.11.1940
2+ Mth. Old
NBA	NR	10.09.1940	10.09.1940
Ring	N/A	N/A	N/A
3+ Mth. Old
NBA	NR	10.09.1940	10.09.1940
Ring	N/A	N/A	N/A

Joe Louis 203 lbs beat Gus Dorazio 194 lbs by KO at 1:30 in round 2 of 15

• Date: 1941-02-17
• Location: Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• Referee: Irving Kutcher

• World Heavyweight Championship (14th defense by Louis)
• Photo #2

Notes

Timeline

• On November 11, it was announced that Dorazio had signed to face Red Burman.[1]
• On November 14, 1940 promoter Herman Taylor announced that Louis signed the contract to face the winner of the bout between Dorazio and Red Burman that was scheduled to take place on November 18, 1940.[2][3][4] However, that fight was called off on November 16 as Dorazio was reportedly down with flu[5] and Burman received a title shot without any bouts in the interim. Instead, Dorazio was scheduled to face Herbie Katz in a rematch, with the winner "possibly" receiving a shot at the heavyweight title.
• On November 24, columnist Jack Hurley revealed that Louis was being lined up to face Dorazio on January 20 in Philadelphia.[6]
• On November 30, Associated Press reported that Mike Jacobs was laying up a plan to have Louis defend the title every month in the winter of 1941, with Dorazio facing Louis in March in Philadelphia.[7]
• On December 9, after deating Katz, Dorazio said in a post-fight interview about the Louis showdown: "Maybe I won't win, but I'll be in there fighting all the time, and when it's all over, the champion will know he had nothing like a cinch".[8]
• On December 10, Associated Press reported that Taylor had tentatively lined up Dorazio with Louis for February at the Convention Hall in Philadelphia.[9]
• On December 16-17, Louis' manager Julian Black talked with the press about Louis' plans before facing Billy Conn in June: "We are set to fight Red Burman in the New York Garden in January and Gus Dorazio in Philadelphia in February".[10]
• New contract between Louis and Dorazio was signed by December 23.[11]

Ranking Movements

• Dorazio unranked by The Ring Magazine and the National Boxing Association going into the fight.

The Fight

• There was a crowd of 15,902.
• The gross gate was $57,552.62.
• The Associated Press reported: "He [Louis] took one short step forward and let fly his lethal right. The punch didn't travel more than six inches, but that was enough. It landed right on Dorazio's chin and everyone knew the fight was over. Dorazio fell flat on his face completely senseless. The challenger was 'out' so completely that in his dressing room later he kept mumbling 'they shouldn't have stopped it.' He thought Referee Irving Kutcher had intervened." [12]

Pre-Fight Comments

• Gus Dorazio: "I'll beat Louis by bobbing and weaving."
• Joe Louis: "I'll be ready for him. He won't be the first one who tried to bob and weave me out of my title."

Preceded by: Louis vs. Burman	NBA Heavyweight Title Fight # 27	Succeeded by: Louis vs. Simon I
Preceded by: Louis vs. Burman	NYSAC Heavyweight Title Fight # 25	Succeeded by: Louis vs. Simon I