Joe Louis vs. Abe Simon (1st meeting)

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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 NR 13.09.1940 by 03.10.1940
3+ Mth. Old
NBA NR 10.09.1940 10.09.1940
Ring NR 13.08.1940 by 01.09.1940
Louis and Simon exchange lefts.
Louis finishes Simon in the thirteenth round.

Joe Louis 202 lbs beat Abe Simon 254 lbs by TKO at 1:20 in round 13 of 20

Notes

Timeline

  • On November 4, promoter Jimmy J. Johnston announced that Simon would face Roscoe Toles at Olympia Stadium in Detroit on November 22. The fight was promoted by Mike Jacobs.[1] It was later pushed to December 6.
  • On November 18, Jacobs confirmed that Simon would get a shot at Louis if he defeated Toles.[2][3]
  • Shortly after defeating Toles, on December 9-23, 1940, Simon was signed to face Louis.[4][5][6]

Ranking Movements

  • Toles unranked in the November 1940 issue of The Ring Magazine, went up to No. 9 in the December issue, then to No. 7 in the January 1941 issue.
    • November 1940 issue published by October 4, rankings as of September 13
    • December 1940 issue published by November 10, rankings as of October 12
    • January 1941 issue published by December 2, 1940, rankings as of November 11, 1940.
  • On December 24, Simon was elevated to the "honorable mentions" in the National Boxing Association quarterly rankings, with only three other heavyweights rated above him.
  • Simon had two more fights before facing Louis, including a surprising decision loss to Jim Thompson (16-11-2, 14 KOs) on February 3.
  • As a result, in the April 1941 issue of The Ring Magazine, Simon was not ranked among top 10 heavyweight contenders, while Thompson was moved to fifth.
    • April 1941 issue released by March 1, rankings as of February 11
  • In the first rankings released by Ring Magazine after the fight in the June issue, Simon was ranked seventh.
    • June 1941 issue released after April 4, rankings as of April 11.

The Fight

Joe Louis Stops Abe Simon in Thirteenth Round
Associated Press, March 22, 1941

The impossible didn't quite happen tonight but it came close enough to throw a substantial scare into Joe Louis and his fistic family before the Bomber was able to do his work.

With just a whale-sized heart and a dazzling left hand, the New York giant, Abe Simon—the big target who wasn't supposed to have one chance in a million of lasting more than three rounds—gave Louis a "helluva" fight of it for 12 full heats before running afoul of the Brown Bomber's big guns in the thirteenth.

With the greatest indoor crowd in Detroit's fistic history jamming the Olympia and gasping in amazement at Simon's sensational showing, Abe gave just about as good as he received until the thirteenth. Then, floored twice by heavy-duty right hand shells, he got up and staggered helplessly into the ropes near his own corner. There, Referee Sam Hennessey rushed in and halted the bout with Louis a tired technical knockout winner at 1 minute, 20 seconds of the thirteenth.

A total of 18,908 fans bulged this big arena at the seams and hung from the rafters to see the hometown champion, and Promoter Mike Jacobs said some 3,000 who couldn't even crowd into the packed standing room sections, were turned away. The gross gate was $56,605.10.

But, although he locked his world heavyweight championship in the safe successfully for the fifteenth time, the great Louis was slightly less than a ball of fire. After it was over, the "experts" agreed he was mighty lucky not to have had to face the speed and left hand of a Billy Conn tonight.

He finished up with a "mouse" under his left eye and the optic half closed and he left the definite impression behind that he is no longer at his peak, although at 202 pounds tonight his handlers insisted he was "in the pink."

Altogether, Louis floored Abe four times during the 13 rounds this scheduled 20-rounder lasted. In the first round—in fact the first punch he threw—Joe whistled a right off Abe's "wiskers" that dropped him near a neutral corner. He was up without a count, however. In the third, another of the same sat Abe down in another corner, and be stayed grinning on the seat of his pants until the referee reached nine.

Then, although Abe was hurt three times afterward, he didn't go down until the thirteenth. For several rounds before that Joe had been stalking the mountainous Manhattanite, obviously holding his fire until he had an open shot.

He got it in the thirteenth. A smashing right dropped Abe near his own corner for nine. He got up as Joe rushed in sensing the kill. Three more rights dropped Abe in almost the identical spot, and again he took nine before climbing to his feet. Joe raced across the ring once more, but this time "our Abe," as Manager Jimmy Johnston calls his gladiator, was helpless and through. He staggered blindly into the ropes and it was all over. [7]


Preceded by:
Louis vs. Dorazio 		NBA Heavyweight Title Fight
# 28 		Succeeded by:
Louis vs. Musto
Preceded by:
Louis vs. Dorazio 		NYSAC Heavyweight Title Fight
# 26 		Succeeded by:
Louis vs. Musto


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