Who is Joe Louis? The ‘Brown Bomber’ is one of boxing’s most influential champions

How old is Joe Louis?

Joe Louis was born on May 13, 1914, in LaFayette, Alabama. He was born into a family of former slaves, with his parents being children of former slaves.

The “Brown Bomber” died in 1981 and was 66 at the time of his death. If he were still alive today, Louis would be 111 years old.

How did Joe Louis die?

Louis died from a cardiac arrest on April 12, 1981, after suffering from a number of issues in his later life. Complications from his past drug use, as well as a stroke, contributed to Louis’s death.

Who was Joe Louis’s wife?

Louis was married twice, both times to the same woman! He wed Marva Trotta first in 1935 and then again in 1945 after divorcing in between.

The couple had two children together but divorced for good a second time in 1949.

What happened to the Joe Louis Arena?

In 1979, the Joe Louis Arena was built in Downtown Detroit as the home of the Detroit Red Wings NHL team. However, they hosted their final game at the arena in 2017, and the Joe Louis Arena was demolished in 2020.

Joe Louis’s last fight

Louis’ final fight in his career was a brutal knockout defeat against undefeated fighter Rocky Marciano. Marciano put away Louis in the 8th round of their marquee fight at Madison Square Garden. After the fight, the 37-year-old Louis retired from boxing.

Joe Louis’s boxing record

Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling

The two-fight program between Louis and his German rival Max Schmeling was two of his biggest, charged by the increasingly changing political climate between the two fighters’ countries.

Schmeling was a German national, fighting under the flag of the Nazi Party after they took control of Germany. This made him a sworn enemy to the United States, but none more so than the grandson of former slaves in Louis.

With all the makings of a Hollywood story of the good guy beating the evil villain, the world was stunned in 1936 when Schmeling knocked out Louis in the 12th round of their first fight in Yankee Stadium.

Recovering from such a damaging defeat, Louis returned to knock Schmeling out in the first round of their 1938 rematch, demolishing the German in a dynamic two-minute display.

In the process, Louis became a symbol of anti-Nazi resistance and American pride, despite being a black man in America during the time of segregation.

Joe Louis vs Rocky Marciano

One of the biggest fights of Louis’s career came at the end of it when he faced off against a rising star in the undefeated Marciano.

Marciano was 37-0 walking into the fight in October 1951. He was a sprightly 28-year-old, nearly a decade younger than his 37-year-old opponent.

While Louis hadn’t lost since his defeat to Ezzard Charles in September 1950, he was not the fighter he once was. The bout was a passing of the torch moment, when one great champion left the sport to make way for a future star.

Despite Louis having the height and weight advantage, Marciano unleashed a barrage of huge punches at Louis, knocking him down twice and even sending him flying through the ring ropes before the referee called for the bell and ended the fight.

Joe Louis movie

A number of movies have been made based on the life of Louis. These include: