This content is protected Another one-rounder. So no scoring. Just observation. Btw, this if the earliest title match I have seen where the challenger is introduced before the champion. Here we go: This fight is one of the most critical in proving that Louis is one of the ATGs, but you have to watch both the fights. One would not be able to see it otherwise. Louis had lost to Schmeling two years earlier, and he corrected his mistakes here. That's one of the things that made Louis one of the best. Here he takes command of the fight from the very beginning. He wouldn't be succored into Schmeling's countering games. Louis established his jab, and went to work right away. Louis involved Schmeling on the inside where he knew he was the better man, landing body shots in the process. Schmeling covered his body pretty well though. And when back out of the clinches, Louis parried and knocked down Schmeling's own jabs, with his elbows actually. After neutralizing Schmeling's own jabs, Louis jumped in, and landed a clean, hard right hand, then got out of there. It's almost like Louis is doing a Machen/ Holyfield here. Then Louis leaps in again, lands two good left jabs, and a hard right hand, then shoves him off. Now Louis is starting to put on his George Foreman. Once Schmeling was on the ropes, Joe landed that left hook/ uppercut, whatever you call it, that thing he does, then a right hook, and Armstrong staggered back, his body entirely open. Schmeling was holding onto the ropes with his right hand. Rather unusual for any boxer, Louis actually focused downstairs here. He landed four really good body blows, then scored with a hard right on the back of the head as Schmeling started to sag out of the ropes, and then a left hook to straighten Schmeling up and bring him back in the ring. Two more punishing rights by Louis and the ref stepped in, but not to stop it. Action resumed promptly, and I mean promptly. Louis threw the first punch, a huge right hand that spun Schmeling's chin, and he tumbled to the canvas. He rolled over and got up, the ref not giving him a count or anything. Louis quickly landed a left hook, and another one of those awful right hands that sent Schmeling down on all fours. Schmeling was right up. Curiously, Louis measured with his left, to Schmeling's body and used his right to hold back the left of Schmeling. He did this twice before ramming the right hand into Schmeling, dropping him a third time. Schmeling tried to rise, but he was KO'd. Verdict: EPIC, EPIC performance. One of Louis' best. Maybe his best. Idk yet. One would think that within that short time frame that basic things like Louis' power and aggression is what won him the fight so early, but an in-depth watch like I gave it, and you'll see what a complex performance Louis delivered. That's why he's ranked so highly in boxing. WATCH this great KO!
Good description. A wonderful performance by Louis. Nothing to add to what you said. The best way to handle Schmeling was to press him and not get into a tactical battle.
That right to the kidney just before Schmeling went down looked excruciating. The first cross immediately after the first knockdown was amazing as well. He found that cross so easily, and as soon as he smelt blood he put everything into each one. I think you can clearly see Louis changing his speed on the punches as soon as he knew he had Max hurt. I think Louis beat better fighters than this verison of Schmeling like Conn and Walcott, but given the sociopolitical undertones of this one and the metaphor for the Allies vs the Nazis which was enforced on it, the way he blew away the only man who'd beaten and that it was on one of the largest stages of all-time makes this Louis' best win IMO. Arguably the greatest performance in heavyweight history. Maybe all of boxing history.
Max looked a little timid from the get go, fighting off his back foot . I think Louis coming out and going at him seemed to affect him . He tried a counter right early after a Louis jab but there was no commitment on that punch whatsoever. This or his destruction of Baer may have been Joe's greatest peak performance . I was wondering though what other's thoughts are about the way Max looked or didn't look
Max automatically fell back on his crouch, in a defensive manner. I always liked it when he did that in other fights, but I think going into a defensive shell against Louis, and from the very beginning, is such a bad idea.
In hindsight this fight was a set up from the get go. Schelling was trotted out as a sacrificial lamb and quite possibly given spiked water for all we know. I would think given that Schelling was victorious the first time he would at least get a venue on a neutral sight, if not full on home court advantage all together. Props to Louis though for representing his country when called upon and not hiding behind religion and politics. Knowing everything I know now though about how the world works I still don't think was on the up and up. Funny how we bash people today for being nationalistic but hold this fight in such high regard for its nationalistic appeal
Yes. That or mess with his head with crazy punches coming from unheard of angles. (Baer - Schmeling comes to mind.) It was also smart of Joe not to let Schmeling get warmed up this time. I always thought it would have been a great idea to have Schmeling box a couple rounds in the dressing room before going out. To me, he often seemed to start off slow.
My best friend’s father said you could hear Schmeling scream over the radio when Louis hit him with that right to the kidney.
