Joe Louis vs. Jersey Joe Walcott (1st meeting)

From BoxRec
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Challenger rankings
Org. Pos. As of Published
1+ Mth. Old
NBA 1 10.04.1947 10.04.1947
Ring N/A N/A N/A
2+ Mth. Old
NBA 1 10.04.1947 10.04.1947
Ring N/A N/A N/A
3+ Mth. Old
NBA 1 10.04.1947 10.04.1947
Ring N/A N/A N/A

Joe Louis 211 lbs beat Jersey Joe Walcott 194 lbs by SD in round 15 of 15

Notes

Walcott floors Louis in round four.

Timeline

  • It was reported that Louis visited the Twentieth Century Club headquarters in April and told the executives that he would not defend his title in June and if they wanted to stage a fight in September, it had to be against either Walcott, Joey Maxim or Melio Bettina.[1]
  • On April 18, Frank Sinatra announced that Walcott had been signed to face Joey Maxim at Hollywood in June, with the winner possibly facing Louis.[2] However, Walcott later denied that the deal had been signed.[3]
  • On April 20, National Boxing Association formally approved of the Louis-Walcott matchup.[4]
  • On April 24, Louis and Twentieth Century Club director Sol Strauss publicly announced that the Walcott-Maxim fight, allegedly all set to be scheduled for June 16 at Hollywood Gilmore Stadium, would be a title eliminator.[5][6][7]
  • Manager Jack Kearns visited Walcott on April 30 for negotiations for the Maxim fight.[8]
  • On May 13, Walcott's manager Joe Webster accepted proposed terms: the fight would be scheduled for June 23, and Walcott was guaranteed $35,000.[9]
  • On June 16, Louis signed to appear on the Walcott-Maxim card in a four-round exhibition against Francisco de la Cruz.[10]
  • On June 23, Walcott defeated Maxim by majority decision. California Eagle wrote that the bout "did more to eliminate both parties from a possible show with the champ".[11]
  • On July 7, Sol Strauss announced that the September slot would be given to the winner of Ezzard Charles vs. Elmer Ray, scheduled for July 25 at Madison Square Garden.[12] Walcott attended the fight, which Ray won by split decision.[13]
  • On July 14, Louis implied that he would not defend his title in 1947. In response, National Newspaper Publishers Association published an opinion piece on July 19 in which it criticized Louis for avoiding Walcott, who was the highest ranked contender by the National Boxing Association.[14][15]
  • On July 25, Elmer Ray narrowly beat Charles. The result upset Louis' team, as Louis didn't like Ray and Charles was seen as "smart money".[16]
  • Contract for Louis-Walcott signed on July 31. The deal guaranteed Louis a rematch within seven months in case he lost.[17]
  • Originally scheduled as a non-title 10-round fight and was supposed to take place on November 18[18]; however, on September 16 the fight was changed to a title bout after Joe Louis had been struggling to find a suitable opponent for his next title defense.[19]

Ranking Movements

  • Walcott promoted to No. 1 contender by the National Boxing Association on April 10 following victory over previous first-ranked Elmer Ray on March 4.

The Fight

  • Louis was a 10 to 1 betting favorite.
  • A crowd of 18,194 produced a gate of $216,477.
  • Louis was down in rounds one and four.
  • Louis was so disgusted by his performance that he attempted to leave the ring as soon as the fight ended, but he was restrained by his handlers.
  • A ringside poll of 32 boxing writers had 21 scoring the bout for Walcott, ten scoring it for Louis and one calling it a draw.

Newspaper Votes

  • Jim Schlemmer, sporting editor, Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, OH) - Walcott
  • Jesse A. Linthicum, sporting editor, The Sun (Baltimore, MD) - 8-5-2 Walcott (score provided by Associated Press)
  • Jean Rouchard. The Evening Sun (Baltimore, MD) - 8-6-1 Walcott
  • Joe Lee, Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) - 8-7 Louis (score provided by United Press)
  • Tommy Holmes, Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) - Walcott
  • Ralph Frost, Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) - Walcott
  • Tom Ryan, sporting editor, Evening Courier (Camden, NJ) - 12-2-1 Walcott
  • Wilfrid Smith, Chicago Daily Tribube (Chicago, IL) - 8-6-1 Louis (score provided by United Press)
  • James E. Doyle, Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) - 10-4-1 Walcott
  • Gordon Cobbledick, sporting editor, Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) - 7-6-2 Walcott (score provided by Associated Press and United Press)
  • Jack Sharkey, International News Service - Walcott
  • Frank Eck, Associated Press - 9-6 Walcott
  • Elliott Cushing, Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY) - 8-6-1 Walcott
  • Jack Cuddy, United Press - 7-6-2 Walcott
  • Ray Grody, Milwaukee Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI) - 7-6-2 Walcott (score provided by United Press)
  • George A. Barton, Minneapolis Morning Tribune (Minneapolis, MI) - 8-6-1 Walcott
  • Alan Harvey, Canadian Press - 6-5-4 Walcott
  • Gene Ward, Daily News (New York, NY) - 7-6-2 Walcott
  • Joe Trimble, Daily News (New York, NY) - 7-6-2 Louis (score provided by Associated Press and United Press)
  • Al Buck, New York Post (New York, NY) - 8-5-2 Louis.
  • Leonard Cohen, New York Post (New York, NY) - 8-6-1 Walcott
  • Jimmy Cannon, New York Post (New York, NY) - 8 rounds for Walcott
  • Anthony Marenghi, Newark Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ) - 7-6-2 Louis
  • Joe Gootter, Paterson Evening News (Paterson, NJ) - 9-6 Louis
  • Al Abrams, sporting editor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA) - 8-6-1 Walcott
  • W. J. McGoogan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, MO) - 7-7-1
  • John M. Flynn, sporting editor, The Berkshire Evening Eagle (Pittsfield, MA) - Walcott
  • Clif Keane, The Boston Daily Globe (Boston, MA) - 8-5-2 Louis
  • Bill Cunningham, The Boston Herald (Boston, MA) - 7-6-2 Walcott (score provided by United Press)
  • Sec Taylor, sporting editor, The Des Moines Register (Des Moines, IA) - 8-6-1 Walcott
  • Burton Hawkins, The Evening Star (Washington, DC) - 7-6-2 Walcott
  • Bill Lee, sporting editor, The Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT) - 7-4-4 Walcott
  • Charlie Tiang, sporting editor, The Kingston Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY) - 9-4-2 Walcott
  • Wendell Smith, sporting editor, The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, PA) - 7-6-2 Louis
  • James P. Dawson, The New York Times (New York, NY) - 8-7 Louis
  • Joseph C. Nichols, New York Times - 8-7 Louis (score provided by Associated Press and United Press)
  • John Webster, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Public Ledger (Philadelphia, PA) - 11-3-1 Walcott
  • Lawton Carver, sporting editor, International News Service - 7-5-3 Louis
  • Harold W. Heinz, The Springfield Union (Springfield, MA) - 8-5-2 Walcott
  • John McNulty, PM Daily (New York, NY) - 7-6-2 Walcott
  • Tom Meany, sporting editor, PM Daily (New York, NY) - 9-6 Louis (score provided by Associated Press)
  • Nat Fleischer, The Ring (New York, NY) - 8-6-1 Louis
  • Wilbur Wood, sporting editor, New York Sun - 11-4 Walcott
  • Grantland Rice, New York Sun - 11-4 Walcott
  • Lester Bromberg, New York World Telegram - 10-5 Walcott
  • Joe Williams, New York World Telegram - Walcott
  • Max Case, New York Journal-American - Walcott
  • Frank Graham, New York Journal-American - Walcott
  • Lewis Burton, New York Journal-American - Walcott
  • Bill Corum, New York Journal-American - 8-7 Louis
  • Dan Parker, New York Daily Mirror - 9-6 Louis (according to AP) or 8-7 Louis (according to UP)
  • Jim Jennings, New York Daily Mirror - 7-6-2 Louis
  • Jesse Abramson, New York Herald Tribune - 8-7 Louis
  • Red Smith, New York Herald Tribune - 8-7 Louis
  • Ted Meier, Associated Press - 11-3-1 Walcott
  • Hugh S. Fullerton, Associated Press - Walcott. "He scored the harder punches."
  • Murray Rose, Associated Press - 9-5-1 Walcott
  • Ted Smits, Associated Press - Walcott
  • Gayle Talbot, Associated Press - 10-4-1 Walcott
  • Leo H. Peterson, sporting editor, United Press - 7-5-3 Walcott
  • Oscar Fraley, United Press - 7-6-2 Walcott
  • Bob Considine, International News Service - 8-7 Walcott
  • Davis J. Walsh, International News Service - 8-3-4 Walcott
  • Harry Grayson, Newspaper Enterprise Association - 8-4-3 Walcott
  • John Lardner, North American Newspaper Alliance - Louis
  • John Carmichael, sporting editor, Chicago Daily News - 11-4 Walcott (according to AP) or 8-4-3 Walcott (according to UP)
  • Gene Kessler, Chicago Times - 7-6-2 Walcott
  • Clair Kelley, Chicago Herald-American - 9-3-3 Walcott
  • Jack Conway, Boston American - Louis
  • Gerry Hern, Boston Post - 7-7-1 (according to AP and Al Buck of NY Post) or 7-6-2 Walcott (according to UP)
  • Ed Delaney, Philadelphia Daily News - Walcott
  • Matt Ring, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin - 8-7 Walcott
  • Whitey Lewis, Cleveland News - 8-7 Walcott
  • Franklin Lewis, Cleveland Press - Walcott
  • Shirley Povich, Washington Post - Walcott
  • Bob Addie, Washinton Times-Herald - 9-3-3 Walcott
  • Hank O'Donnell, Waterbury Republican - 12-2-1 Walcott
  • George Edmond, St. Paul Pioneer Press - 8-5-2 Louis
  • Bill Demuth, Wheeling Intelligencer - 8-5-2 Walcott
  • Robert Bre, La Presse (Paris, France) - 7-5-3 Louis
  • Jean Kroutchtain, AFP (French News Agency) - 7-5-3 Walcott
  • Bob Murphy, Detroit Evening Times, 8-5-2 Walcott

Total: Walcott 60, Louis 25.

Newspaper Articles

  • [20] "Louis Retains Tottering Title" Associated Press, December 6, 1947
  • [21] "Blow-by-Blow Description of Joe Louis Vs. Walcott Heavyweight Fight" Associated Press, December 6, 1947


Preceded by:
Louis vs. Mauriello 		NBA Heavyweight Title Fight
# 37 		Succeeded by:
Louis vs. Walcott II
Preceded by:
Louis vs. Mauriello 		NYSAC Heavyweight Title Fight
# 36 		Succeeded by:
Louis vs. Walcott II


Retrieved from "https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php?title=Joe_Louis_vs._Jersey_Joe_Walcott_(1st_meeting)&oldid=1155197"