why other blacks boxers couldn't success as joe louis at that time? did he have some privileges compared to other black boxers or he was just very talented ? how he got the title shot opportunity in a time of a lot of racism?
1. he was that good 2. he was purposely the opposite of Jack Johnson, helping his public image with whites at the time greatly
Pretty much what Barrf said, he was not just a good fighter, but a great fighter. I do not think anyone in that time period could of beaten Louis as champ until a little after post WW2. And 2 being the anti Jack Johnson. No white Women, no drink, he eats healthy and says his prayers at night ete. Good for the news and to sell, but that was pretty much how it was run.
This was a huge factor. Promoters like Tex Ricard knew from experience how chaotic a black title match could be and tried to avoid them like the plague. Johnson's troll tactics and prickly personality only made things worse. Louis' team wanted him to always present a perfect boy scout image so that even if he won, people would begrudgingly accept it due to Louis calm demeanor and letting his fists do the talking. In a way, Johnson opened up the door for black boxers and then ironically slammed it shut behind him when he retired due to his antics.
He had PLENTY of white women, including movie stars. They just did a better job of hiding the couplings.
I KNOW that lol. But if you were reading the papers of the time, you would think Louis was something else. It is more about the "image" and not what is going on in close doors.
Key word is "hiding". Jack Johnson did not hide it. He flaunted it, purposely, right in the faces of the people who hated him.
A bit later than the 'title shot' (1937) period, but Elmer Ray and Jimmy Bivins were black boxers who had some bad luck in that their best cases as challengers (to Louis) came during the WWII title freezes. Louis did make a 1939 defense against black Lt. Hvwt. champ John Henry Lewis, who was at the point of retirement due to an eye injury.
The main factor or behind Louis's breakthrough, was simply that he was by far the biggest draw in the sport. People attribute it to his god given talent, and the way he carried himself, but the bottom line is that money talked in the end.
So you think Joe Louis would of gotten a title shot if he was STILL the biggest draw in boxing at the time, and was the new "Jack Johnson" in how he carried himself outside the ring???
Sort of a trick question. He wouldn't have been a big draw if he had acted like Jack. Any draw Johnson had was as a heel -- people showed up hoping to see him get his posterior kicked. Louis had draw as the guy they were rooting for.
No he wouldn't of. Joe was taking one for the team in a sense. So the African American boxers, athletes, people in general wouldn't be denied an opportunity in the future. He couldnt say the things he wanted to say. Could never be seen smiling over a fallen white opponent. Had he gone the route of Johnson might have been another 20 years.
Not sure on that, Louis was a big draw because of the same reason that Dempsey before him and Marciano after him were. People love punchers. I think had Jack Johnson been scoring Dempsey like knockouts in crowd pleasing fashion, the search for the great white hope may not of been as big.
