[1948 RING] Louis' 2nd Time Hex Threatens Walcott

This is the first page from an article in the July 1948 RING (one of my oldest magazines). Covers some of Walcott's trash talking and also notes that he was regarded as just a "second-rater" before the Louis fight.

Louis’ 2nd Time “Hex” Threatens Walcott
By Daniel M. Daniel

Joe Walcott is confident he will whip Joe Louis in the Yankee Stadium on the night of June 24. There are quite a few who support this contention. In fact, as this issue of the Ring Magazine goes to press, Jersey Joe is the favorite over the heavyweight champion of the world.

“I beat Louis last December and I will do it a second time,” Walcott declared, in a recent analysis of his June task.

“I have the Indian sign on Louis. I beat him when I was his sparring partner. You see, Louis has a one-track mind. He is not equal to emergencies. Once you solve his style, he cannot change it. I know what he is likely to do in every emergency.”

This sounds much too much like the speech Max Schmeling made as he was about to tackle Louis for the second time. It sounds much too much like the thesis Billy Conn propounded before his second engagement with the title holder. In fact, that stuff about Louis’ one track mind is not supported too lustily by boxing history.

You see, meeting Louis a second time never has done anybody any good. Louis has had some encounters in which, tacking a man for the first time, he did not look too good. Schmeling, for one, knocked him out. The German belted Joe out in a dozen heats. But when Max tried to repeat, after Joe had become the champion n June 22, 1938, the Uhlan came very near being killed. Louis stopped him in the first round and the fight came close to a fatal climax.

Before the first fight, Schmeling said, “I have made an interesting study of Louis’ style through analyzing motion pictures of a few of his contests. “I know just how he fights, I know just what he will do in certain situations. I will beat him.”

Schmeling certainly made good his boast. And he certainly knew what Joe would do against certain blows and certain types of attack. Came their second match, and the German announced, “Before my first meeting with Louis, I studied motion pictures. Now I have a better guide—actual experience.

“Knowing what I do from actual combat with the champion I am confident it will take me about half that time.”

However, Louis knew that in his first fight with Max he had waited too long. He decided to rush at Schmeling at the bell, and get it over with as fast as he could. He achieved his purpose in 2 minutes 4 seconds.

This piece is not intended to spread the philosophy that Walcott cannot beat Louis. There are too many ring-wise thinkers who believe that Father Time has taken his full toll of the champion, that Louis’ stands as a title holder have run out, and he will lose the laurels to a man who, before he encountered Louis last December, was regarded as no better than a second rater.

 

No reactions to Walcott's trash talking?

“I beat Louis last December and I will do it a second time,” Walcott declared, in a recent analysis of his June task.

“I have the Indian sign on Louis. I beat him when I was his sparring partner. You see, Louis has a one-track mind. He is not equal to emergencies. Once you solve his style, he cannot change it. I know what he is likely to do in every emergency.”