Full name : Joseph Louis Barrow
Nickname : The Brown Bomber
Date of birth : 13th May, 1914
Place of birth : Lafayette, AL
Height : 6ft. 2 inches
Turned pro : 1934
Pro record : 68W 3L 0D 0NC (54KO)


Louis was the first black heavyweight to ever be embraced by the predominantly white public, & was the model of a true heavyweight champion throughout his reign of utter domination.

His ability was such that he would fight on a very regular basis, against all-comers, in what was coined "bum of the month". Indeed, prior to an ill-advised comeback, Louis suffered only 1 defeat, a 10th round KO delivered by Max Schmeling in 1936. Of course, true champion that he was, Louis soon revenged this defeat when, having reached his prime, they met again in 1938 (Schmeling now unwittingly embroiled into the nazi publicity machine). Louis dealt his opponent a savage beating, pulverising him to the canvas in just 2 minutes & four seconds - such was the humiliation of Schmeling's defeat, it is claimed that the Nazi's insisted on the dubbing of all sound from video footage of the contest, so as to disguise Schmeling's yelps & screams!

Joe Louis unfortunately succumbed to the age-old boxing mantra in later life, hooked on cocaine & forced to etch out a living as a Las Vegas casino celebrity greeter after being disgracefully hounded by the US IRS for unpaid taxes (despite the fact that he was known to have donated entire purses to the US government during WWII). Boxing fans, though, will never forget the 12 year reign of dominance this fine champion enjoyed, & his grace, dignity, & power - both in & out of the ring.