Dempsey was given a formal draft dispensation by the Army for being the sole provider of his family. He wasn't a draft Dodger, although there was some dispute about where some of his earnings went, but his avoidance was legal. Louis of course didn't go into battle but served in other capacities.
Ever since the Ken Burns documentary im fascinated by the experience of draftees....what a tremendous psychological burden....ive seen an online draft calculator. ...it said I'd be called up in 1970 but if I was born 2 days earlier I'd not be called up.....wtf
Yes, the 1971 draft lottery was the only lottery I ever won. I got number 251 and they grabbed the guys from 1 to around 85. I quit college which I was just screwing around anyway and went to visit relatives in Europe.
\ Yes, one time Ali was spouting off to a crowd about being The Greatest. Then he saw Joe Louis, called him up, put his arm around him & bellowed "We is the Greatest"!
Wouldn't lose one iota of respect for Dempsey if he exagerrated how much he supported his family in order to escape the draft. That war was a glorified slaughter house.
To be fair to Ali, Joe was literally at every fight in the 60's and 70's being introduced in the ring and soaking up the applause. I mean, like every fight. This was Ali's moment and it had nothing to do with Joe. Why should he share his stage with him? Joe picked him to get knocked out in the fight
WW1 IMO was really a war about a bunch of Kings and Princes using the common man to fight there own battles/arguments. What happen to Ferdinand was a tragedy. But was it worth setting the whole world in a war that cost millions of lives? I know the War was not the assassination of Ferdinand alone, War clouds and arguments between the nations were growing ete. It was the spark that set off the fire. I understand why say WW2 was fought, but WW1?
The respect between the two was real, for sure. I remember in the old VHS video 'The Joe Louis Story' Billy Conn related a story where Conn and Louis were sitting eating at a restaurant together and Ali walks in and notices them. (Conn called Ali 'Clay', by the way) Anyway, Ali walks over, leans over the table and says to Joe "Joe, you know I woulda whupped you in your prime." Joe looks up with a somewhat disinterested look and says "Son, if you even dream about it, you should apologize." Conn adds to Ali "Stick that in your ear." Ali laughs, and says "Both you are crazy!" and walks out. I can't guarantee that I remember the exchange word for word exactly, but it's close enough. It seemed like it was a light-hearted exchange between the three all said in fun. That's the way Conn told it.
The key point in Louis's commentary of the fight occurs after the first round, when he said words to the effect that "we haven't seen a round by a heavyweight like that in a long time...". He definitely knew what he was witnessing that evening.
