HBO Sports: Joe Louis: America's Hero....Betrayed

AJ McKenzie

How the longest reigning, most defending heavyweight champion in boxing history was let down by his country IG: aj_mckenzie416 Twitter: AJMckenzie94847

Transcript

00:00:02No other place has held out so much hope to so many who spawns such mythic tales of heroism.

00:00:12No other...

00:00:13In the middle of the twentieth sense,

00:00:27with their country in crisis.

00:00:33It wasn't the middle.

00:00:35It was like the first third.

00:00:38Americans found that hero among their own.

00:00:41We're going to do our part and we will win

00:00:44because we are on God's side.

00:00:47His stage was so big that downtrodden Americans,

00:00:51regardless of their age or race,

00:00:53felt a glimmer of hope creep into their lives

00:00:55just by watching him.

00:01:00In the end, it was a common man

00:01:03who reached the top

00:01:04and brought an entire country with him.

00:01:15Shame.

00:01:18My father, Joseph Lewis Barrow,

00:01:21was born to a sharecropping family.

00:01:23It was Chambers County, Alabama.

00:01:25My grandmother was an extraordinary woman

00:01:27and really kept that family together

00:01:29because my grandfather had a mental problem

00:01:32and was put in an asylum very early on

00:01:34when my father was a baby.

00:01:36So he really didn't know who his father was.

00:01:38This is Joe Lewis.

00:01:40I mean, he's poor, he's black,

00:01:43he's one of eight children.

00:01:45The chances of this guy doing anything in his life is just absolutely remote.

00:01:51Back in those days,

00:01:54black didn't have a name.

00:01:55He was nigger.

00:01:56Hey, you nigger.

00:01:59Driven from the South by racial persecution,

00:02:0212-year-old Joe Barrow and his family joined the Great Migration North

00:02:07in search of social and economic opportunity.

00:02:10Well, Joe shows up in Detroit and he's a shy kid.

00:02:14He has virtually no education.

00:02:17He starts doing jobs.

00:02:18I mean, he's a laborer.

00:02:19He'll work in Ford for a while,

00:02:21but before that, he works at whatever manual job he can find.

00:02:25He delivers ice.

00:02:27They were making ends meet.

00:02:28In fact, my grandmother had enough extra change

00:02:31to eventually give my father monies for violin lessons.

00:02:37But Joe needed a manlier hobby.

00:02:40So said his friend, Thurston McKinney.

00:02:43So Thurston told him,

00:02:44man, you ain't a sister.

00:02:45Ain't nobody a sister to play with violin.

00:02:49So why don't you come down to the gym and learn how to box?

00:02:53He used a quarter that my grandmother was giving him for violin lessons

00:02:57week after week to rent this Locker Booster Gymnasium.

00:03:01Eventually, the violin instructor comes back to the house

00:03:04and says to my grandmother,

00:03:06where's my student, Joe?

00:03:07And she says, what do you mean, where's your student, Joe?

00:03:10And as I like to affectionately say,

00:03:11he had a little come to Jesus with him

00:03:13because he wanted to know where that quarter was going

00:03:16and he was wasting it.

00:03:18Eventually, she understood that he liked boxing

00:03:20and simply said, you know, if you're going to do this,

00:03:22be the very best that you can.

00:03:24He was the very best in the world.

00:03:26He was trying to learn.

00:03:27They'd tie his hands behind his back

00:03:29and all he had to do was use his left hand.

00:03:32So you got to learn.

00:03:33He was f***ing good.

00:03:35He's quickly matched in an amateur fight, his first fight,

00:03:38and Joe Lewis gets beaten up pretty badly.

00:03:40And he got knocked down seven times,

00:03:43but he kept getting up.

00:03:44So when Thurston had him in the dressing room,

00:03:47he says, Joe, you was going up like an elevator up and down.

00:03:52People don't realize how many times he fought as an amateur.

00:03:56He fought over 50 times, won a gold glove,

00:03:59and found that area of competence that all kids are looking for.

00:04:02And boxing was that for Joe Lewis.

00:04:06Dropping his last name, Barrow,

00:04:08the newly named Joe Lewis

00:04:10found a manager and Detroit numbers racketeer,

00:04:13John Roxborough.

00:04:14One look at Lewis's right fist

00:04:16convinced Roxborough he was a sound investment.

00:04:19He signed Lewis to a contract

00:04:22and partnered with Chicago numbers man Julian Black.

00:04:25They then hired boxing veteran Jack Blackburn

00:04:28to nurture their investment.

00:04:29Jack Blackburn, quite frankly,

00:04:32comes with some baggage.

00:04:34He's an alcoholic.

00:04:36He's a very bitter man.

00:04:38He had done some jail time.

00:04:40He was a boxer in his day.

00:04:43Good one.

00:04:44For a murder?

00:04:46But he knows boxing.

00:04:47This guy is as good as they get.

00:04:51Jack Blackburn says,

00:04:53sure, you bring that white boy around.

00:04:54I'll take a look at him.

00:04:55And they break the news to Jack.

00:04:57They want to train a black fight.

00:05:00And the reasoning being is

00:05:01there's nothing I can do with him

00:05:03that will be successful.

00:05:05After Jack Johnson,

00:05:06there is no white fighter

00:05:10is going to rise to the top.

00:05:12He can't become champion.

00:05:14Because he needed the money,

00:05:15it was steady income.

00:05:16Blackburn took the job.

00:05:19Show us, listen,

00:05:20you're going to have to be twice as good

00:05:21as the white fighter that you're fighting

00:05:23in order to succeed.

00:05:26Jack Johnson,

00:05:27America's first black heavyweight champion,

00:05:30inspired so much hatred in white America

00:05:32that in the 19 years since the end of his reign,

00:05:35no black fighter was given the opportunity

00:05:37to even challenge for the heavyweight crown.

00:05:41I think Jack Johnson saw his job in life

00:05:44as pissing off white America.

00:05:47He married white women.

00:05:49He flaunted his wealth.

00:05:51He gloated over fallen opponents.

00:05:54He had those gold teeth.

00:05:56And he flashed that smile.

00:06:03White Americans generally reacted

00:06:07to Johnson's heavyweight reign

00:06:09as this is proof of the danger

00:06:12in letting a black man

00:06:14have a real opportune opportunity.

00:06:16When Joe Louis came along,

00:06:18the people in the fight world

00:06:20were mindful of the fact

00:06:21that they didn't want

00:06:22a repetition of Jack Johnson.

00:06:25They made up a set of rules

00:06:27and they handed him to Louis

00:06:28and said,

00:06:28you need to follow these rules

00:06:29at all times.

00:06:30And these rules were set up

00:06:31to make him appear

00:06:33to be the complete opposite

00:06:35of Jack Johnson.

00:06:36For example,

00:06:37Louis was never to have his picture

00:06:38taken alone with a white woman.

00:06:40We want you to be humble

00:06:41at all times.

00:06:42If you knock a white man out

00:06:44and you raise your hand,

00:06:46it could start a ride.

00:06:47He was never to be seen

00:06:48smiling or gloating

00:06:50over opponents.

00:06:51Joe Louis then,

00:06:52in every way,

00:06:54was being trained

00:06:54to act white.

00:06:57My name is Joe Louis.

00:06:5820 years old.

00:07:006 feet 1.

00:07:02We're 109 by counter

00:07:03to win 10 to some of this defense.

00:07:05Louis turned pro in night.

00:07:09What did you just say?

00:07:12I didn't comprehend anything

00:07:14after you said

00:07:15he's 195 pounds.

00:07:201934.

00:07:20He won his first 12 fights.

00:07:2310 by knockout.

00:07:26It was a welcome sight

00:07:27and a symbol of hope

00:07:28to blacks suffering

00:07:29through the Depression.

00:07:31There is nobody like him

00:07:33on the scene.

00:07:34If you go to the average

00:07:35black newspaper

00:07:36from about 1935 on,

00:07:38there is not an issue

00:07:39that goes by

00:07:40that Joe Louis

00:07:41isn't in there.

00:07:42Joe Louis is eating a meal.

00:07:44Joe Louis is training.

00:07:45Joe Louis is out on a date.

00:07:46Joe Louis is in there

00:07:46for something,

00:07:47but Joe Louis is in there

00:07:48because Joe Louis' picture

00:07:49sells papers

00:07:50to black people.

00:07:53By the middle of 35,

00:07:55Louis had won 22 fights

00:07:56without a loss.

00:07:57But given the realities

00:07:59of a black fighter,

00:08:00even one as promising

00:08:02as Louis,

00:08:02had little chance

00:08:03of going anywhere.

00:08:05Now can his management

00:08:06get him into the big time?

00:08:09The big time's New York.

00:08:13Jimmy Johnston

00:08:15is running Madison Square Garden

00:08:16at this time.

00:08:18Roxborough calls him up.

00:08:19Do you want Louis?

00:08:20Johnston says,

00:08:21we don't need him.

00:08:23But Roxborough and Black

00:08:24found an ambitious promoter

00:08:26that wasn't about to let race

00:08:28keep him from a possible fortune.

00:08:30Mike Jacobs grew up poor

00:08:32in New York City

00:08:33and Jacobs wanted to break

00:08:35Madison Square Garden's

00:08:36monopoly on title boxing.

00:08:39And he wasn't afraid

00:08:40of signing a black fighter.

00:08:421935, Jacobs signs Louis up.

00:08:46He's bringing him to New York.

00:08:48Louis gets off at the train station.

00:08:50Porter's carrying Louis

00:08:52off on his shoulder.

00:08:53Louis is a hero.

00:08:54A savior for them

00:08:56and as far as Mike Jacobs

00:08:58is concerned,

00:08:59a savior for boxing.

00:09:01His scheme was to match

00:09:03Joe Louis up

00:09:04with a string of ex-champions.

00:09:07We all heard about

00:09:09Primo Carneiro.

00:09:10They thought he was so good.

00:09:14But Joe thought he can't be good.

00:09:16Six feet,

00:09:17six and a half,

00:09:19265 pounds.

00:09:21He was a giant.

00:09:22Primo Carneiro

00:09:24was one of those

00:09:25sideshow attractions

00:09:27that made it in boxing.

00:09:29This guy is big

00:09:30and strong

00:09:31and scary looking.

00:09:34Louis is faster.

00:09:35Louis hits harder.

00:09:38It's perfect condition

00:09:39for Primo Carneiro

00:09:40and I win from here

00:09:41because he is big

00:09:42and easy to hit.

00:09:44Then Joe walked up

00:09:45Canary?

00:09:46And mountain

00:09:48finally killed his hand.

00:09:50Then Joe backed up

00:09:53for stuff was due

00:09:55Knockin' me in the promised land

00:09:57So knock it Joe

00:09:59Here's this black man

00:10:01who's coming out

00:10:02and ascending

00:10:03and it just gave tremendous,

00:10:05tremendous energy

00:10:07to black America.

00:10:08I didn't know

00:10:09any blacks that

00:10:12I could be proud of

00:10:14because of what

00:10:15they had accomplished

00:10:17except the school teachers,

00:10:19the undertaker,

00:10:21the reverends.

00:10:22But as a kid,

00:10:25Joe Louis

00:10:26was everything.

00:10:28He just was the

00:10:30epitome

00:10:31of racial pride.

00:10:34Racial pride.

00:10:36But the affection

00:10:38that Louis engendered

00:10:39in the black community

00:10:39didn't spread much beyond

00:10:41When Joe Louis

00:10:43knocked out Primo Carneiro,

00:10:45big article entitled

00:10:47Joe Louis

00:10:48Must Never Be Champion.

00:10:50Mainly it was

00:10:51all kind of riots.

00:10:52It would disturb

00:10:54the structure

00:10:55in the United States.

00:10:56Can you imagine that?

00:10:58Why Joe Louis

00:10:59must never be champion.

00:11:02Well Joe,

00:11:02I see you're back

00:11:03at your old camp

00:11:05and you're going

00:11:06to train in private.

00:11:07What's the idea in that?

00:11:08Well I feel much better

00:11:09training in private.

00:11:12Some in the white

00:11:13sporting press

00:11:14began to take note

00:11:15of Louis' accomplishments

00:11:16but they still viewed him

00:11:17first as a black man

00:11:18then as a boxer.

00:11:23Virtually every sentence

00:11:24written about Joe Louis

00:11:25would refer to

00:11:26the color of his skin.

00:11:27People are familiar

00:11:28with the alliterative

00:11:29nickname the Brown Bomber.

00:11:31That was only one

00:11:31out of a hundred

00:11:32alliterative nicknames

00:11:33that incorporated

00:11:34the color of his skin.

00:11:36The sepia slugger,

00:11:37the coffee colored clowder,

00:11:39the dark destroyer.

00:11:40It just went on

00:11:42and on and on.

00:11:43At first

00:11:44he was this freak.

00:11:46They tell me

00:11:47that Brown

00:11:48was good in training.

00:11:50That's good

00:11:51for nothing unlike

00:11:51Bellum

00:11:52than give the band

00:11:53a good fight.

00:11:54I hope to knock him out.

00:11:56He'd freeze up

00:11:57even in his dressing room

00:11:59with the fuse

00:11:59but after the fight

00:12:01the reporters

00:12:01would come swarming around

00:12:02you know

00:12:03and he just

00:12:04couldn't handle that.

00:12:05I started to describe him

00:12:06as a stereotypical darky.

00:12:08Lazy,

00:12:09liking watermelon

00:12:10and chicken,

00:12:11sleeps a lot.

00:12:11The reality is

00:12:12that he was one

00:12:13of the hardest

00:12:14working fighters

00:12:14of his day.

00:12:15He ran six miles a day.

00:12:17He sparred

00:12:17five times a week.

00:12:19He was remarkably strong.

00:12:22In September 1935

00:12:24Lewis faced

00:12:25the biggest test

00:12:26of his young career.

00:12:27A match against

00:12:28former champ

00:12:29Max Baer.

00:12:30Max Baer

00:12:31stands in my way

00:12:32for a chance

00:12:33for the tower

00:12:33so I'm going to

00:12:34shoot the wrecks

00:12:35to beat him.

00:12:36Max Baer

00:12:36could punch good.

00:12:38That was it.

00:12:38He couldn't box at all.

00:12:40He had a hell

00:12:40of a right hand.

00:12:41I mean

00:12:42he had killed

00:12:42a person in the ring.

00:12:43Max Baer

00:12:44proved he could be a killer

00:12:46but he had rather

00:12:47be a clown.

00:12:48Hey Max

00:12:49how do you figure

00:12:50that improves

00:12:50your condition?

00:12:52Thanks to my wrist

00:12:53you know

00:12:53my hands.

00:12:54Uh huh

00:12:54well so long champ

00:12:55don't overwork.

00:12:56In many black

00:12:57communities across America

00:12:59few events

00:13:00were bigger

00:13:00than a Joe Lewis fight.

00:13:02I lived in St. Louis

00:13:03and you heard

00:13:04through the black

00:13:04community

00:13:05that Joe Lewis

00:13:06is fighting

00:13:06on such and such

00:13:07a night

00:13:08and

00:13:09it was better

00:13:10than Christmas.

00:13:12I don't guarantee

00:13:13he was going

00:13:14to get anything.

00:13:15The town

00:13:15of Stamps

00:13:16Arkansas

00:13:17my grandmother

00:13:18owned

00:13:18the only

00:13:19black owned

00:13:20store

00:13:21in the town

00:13:22and we had

00:13:23a radio

00:13:25all the black

00:13:26people

00:13:26in the town

00:13:27would come

00:13:27around the store

00:13:28to listen

00:13:29when Joe Lewis

00:13:30was fighting.

00:13:32Everybody in Harlem

00:13:33was for Joe Lewis

00:13:35are you going to

00:13:35listen to the fight

00:13:36tonight?

00:13:37Are you going to

00:13:38listen to the fight

00:13:39tonight?

00:13:40And when you

00:13:41opened up your

00:13:42window

00:13:43or sat on

00:13:44the fire

00:13:44escape

00:13:45you had

00:13:47roundabout

00:13:47sound

00:13:49all over

00:13:50the neighborhood

00:13:51that was

00:13:52our

00:13:53day.

00:13:54Good evening

00:13:55ladies and gentlemen

00:13:56we are about

00:13:56to present

00:13:57a ringside

00:13:58blow by blow

00:13:58description

00:13:59of the Bear

00:13:59Lewis fight

00:14:00in

00:14:03eight o'clock

00:14:04at a time

00:14:06when the sport

00:14:06of boxing

00:14:07as well as

00:14:08the country

00:14:08itself

00:14:09was mired

00:14:09in a depression

00:14:10Lewis was

00:14:11a savior

00:14:13such a clamor

00:14:14to see him

00:14:15take on

00:14:15Max Bear

00:14:16that 95,000

00:14:17fans

00:14:18crowded into

00:14:19Yankee Stadium

00:14:19was boxing's

00:14:21first million dollar

00:14:22gate in nearly

00:14:23a decade.

00:14:25We tell you

00:14:25blow by blow

00:14:26they're on

00:14:26and there's the

00:14:27bell

00:14:27and the bell

00:14:28is on

00:14:28they come out

00:14:29maxi very cautious

00:14:30you could feel

00:14:32our hearts

00:14:34thumping

00:14:36because

00:14:37if Joe loses

00:14:39our whole race

00:14:41will be down

00:14:44each time

00:14:45a round was

00:14:46open

00:14:46the explosion

00:14:48of sound

00:14:49when one

00:14:50man would ask

00:14:51did you see

00:14:52that

00:14:52and it was

00:14:52never here

00:14:53it was always

00:14:54did you see

00:14:55Joe Lewis

00:14:55so then

00:14:56the radio

00:14:58would be turned

00:14:59up

00:15:01knock out

00:15:03and then after

00:15:10it was

00:15:11over

00:15:13the doors

00:15:14open

00:15:15and everybody

00:15:16rushed to the streets

00:15:17and what I heard

00:15:18was an explosion

00:15:21when these doors

00:15:22flew open

00:15:23and black people

00:15:26just ran

00:15:27out

00:15:27into the area

00:15:28little babies

00:15:30not knowing

00:15:31why their

00:15:31mother

00:15:32was jumping

00:15:33up and down

00:15:34and hugging

00:15:35I mean

00:15:35they had

00:15:36this release

00:15:37what he represented

00:15:38was

00:15:39if you give us

00:15:40an equal playing field

00:15:41and if you allow us

00:15:42to compete

00:15:42we can compete

00:15:43just give us

00:15:44the chance

00:15:45don't hold us down

00:15:46just give us

00:15:47the chance

00:15:48on that same

00:15:49September day

00:15:50Lewis made

00:15:51not only the back page

00:15:52but the front page

00:15:53as well

00:15:54do you intend

00:15:55to be the boss

00:15:56at home too

00:15:56Joe

00:15:59it broke the hearts

00:16:01of half

00:16:01of the women

00:16:02in the United States

00:16:03of America

00:16:04of color

00:16:06because they

00:16:07everyone wanted

00:16:08to marry

00:16:08Joe Lewis

00:16:09he fell in love

00:16:11with Marva Trotta

00:16:12a young woman

00:16:13who worked

00:16:13at the Chicago

00:16:14Defender

00:16:14an African American

00:16:15newspaper

00:16:16she was marrying

00:16:17the most important

00:16:18black man in America

00:16:19and so this image

00:16:20of African American

00:16:22domestic bliss

00:16:23was part of

00:16:24selling Joe Lewis

00:16:25to white America

00:16:25I'll buy a nice

00:16:27big kiss

00:16:27and finish it

00:16:28that won't happen

00:16:31by the mid 30's

00:16:32Lewis was not only

00:16:34famous

00:16:34but rich

00:16:35beyond anyone's dreams

00:16:36in 35 alone

00:16:38when the average

00:16:39American was making

00:16:40less than

00:16:41$1400 a year

00:16:42the 21 year old

00:16:44Lewis

00:16:44earned $400,000

00:16:46in purses

00:16:46money meant

00:16:48nothing to Joe

00:16:49he hit the number

00:16:50in New York

00:16:51it was like

00:16:52$6,000

00:16:53$8,000

00:16:54and they paid him

00:16:56off

00:16:56in mid afternoon

00:16:59when Joe

00:16:59got back

00:17:00to the Teresa

00:17:01hotel

00:17:02he didn't have

00:17:03$100

00:17:04he'd be giving

00:17:05this guy

00:17:06$5

00:17:06this guy

00:17:07$10

00:17:08this guy

00:17:09$100

00:17:09like that

00:17:10he was giving

00:17:11$100

00:17:12just like

00:17:13him

00:17:15remember

00:17:16he came

00:17:17from a family

00:17:17that had to

00:17:18share

00:17:19to survive

00:17:19so when he had

00:17:20money

00:17:21he shared

00:17:21his money

00:17:21many people

00:17:22criticized him

00:17:23and probably

00:17:24said he was

00:17:27there was your

00:17:28public Joe

00:17:28Lewis

00:17:29and there was

00:17:29your private

00:17:29Joe

00:17:29Lewis

00:17:30the public

00:17:31Joe

00:17:31Lewis

00:17:31was the opposite

00:17:32of Jack

00:17:32Johnson

00:17:33privately

00:17:33however

00:17:34there were

00:17:35some things

00:17:35there

00:17:35that were

00:17:35very similar

00:17:36to Jack

00:17:36Johnson

00:17:37it's amazing

00:17:38how many women

00:17:39he was able

00:17:40to have

00:17:42relationships

00:17:42with

00:17:43chorus girls

00:17:45were like

00:17:46leeches

00:17:46Jill walked

00:17:47in the room

00:17:48and they

00:17:48were just

00:17:49hanging

00:17:49clinging

00:17:49to him

00:17:50he was

00:17:50colorblind

00:17:52with women

00:17:53Sonja

00:17:53had a lot

00:17:55of turn

00:17:55Lena Horne

00:17:56was another

00:17:57that he had

00:17:57a relationship

00:17:58with

00:17:59and that was

00:18:00tough for my

00:18:01mother

00:18:01God

00:18:02that was

00:18:02put up

00:18:02with so much

00:18:03some of the

00:18:04women were

00:18:05they would

00:18:06walk right

00:18:06past her

00:18:07to get to

00:18:08Joe

00:18:08ignore her

00:18:09completely

00:18:10show her

00:18:10no respect

00:18:11but I remember

00:18:12one time

00:18:12my mother

00:18:13asked my

00:18:13father to

00:18:14go out

00:18:14to get

00:18:14a loaf

00:18:15of bread

00:18:15and he

00:18:16went out

00:18:16to the

00:18:16store

00:18:17and he

00:18:17didn't

00:18:18come back

00:18:18for two

00:18:18weeks

00:18:19or so

00:18:20well my

00:18:20father did

00:18:21return

00:18:21with the

00:18:22loaf

00:18:22of bread

00:18:22and ring

00:18:24I remember

00:18:24seeing that

00:18:25ring

00:18:25I said

00:18:25how'd you

00:18:26get that

00:18:26ring

00:18:26your father

00:18:27gave it

00:18:28to me

00:18:28and that

00:18:29was it

00:18:30hmm

00:18:32after spending

00:18:33three months

00:18:34away from

00:18:34the ring

00:18:34a refreshed

00:18:35Lewis aimed

00:18:36his sights

00:18:37at the

00:18:37heavyweight

00:18:37crown

00:18:38then held

00:18:39by James

00:18:39Braddock

00:18:40but to get

00:18:41a shot

00:18:41at Braddock

00:18:42he'd have

00:18:42to stay

00:18:44unbeaten

00:18:52early summer

00:18:53of 1936

00:18:54Lewis matched

00:18:55against

00:18:56another

00:18:56ex-champion

00:18:57Max Schmelin

00:18:58from Germany

00:19:00Adolf Hitler

00:19:01came to

00:19:02power

00:19:02January

00:19:031933

00:19:04for

00:19:05most of

00:19:06America

00:19:06Hitler's

00:19:07an eccentric

00:19:10but is he

00:19:10a real threat

00:19:11he's more

00:19:12of a

00:19:13comedic

00:19:14figure

00:19:14he's more

00:19:15of a great

00:19:15dictator

00:19:16Charlie Chaplin

00:19:17figure

00:19:17hey

00:19:18what do you

00:19:19think of

00:19:20this fellow

00:19:20smelling

00:19:20well Jack

00:19:22you know

00:19:22he's a tough

00:19:23man

00:19:23but you

00:19:24can bet

00:19:25I think

00:19:25he won't

00:19:25go over

00:19:2615 rounds

00:19:27Joe

00:19:27Lewis

00:19:28had

00:19:28what

00:19:28this

00:19:28says

00:19:29he started

00:19:30to believe

00:19:30his own

00:19:30press

00:19:30clippings

00:19:31wasn't

00:19:32training

00:19:32he was

00:19:32doing

00:19:32a little

00:19:33more

00:19:33golfing

00:19:34Ed Sullivan

00:19:34introduced

00:19:35my father

00:19:35to golf

00:19:38how did that

00:19:39turn out

00:19:40well in 36

00:19:41instead of

00:19:42preparing for

00:19:42Max Schmelin

00:19:43he was

00:19:43spending

00:19:43more time

00:19:44on the

00:19:45golf course

00:19:49not only

00:19:49not only did

00:19:50the

00:19:50overconfident

00:19:50Lewis

00:19:51under

00:19:51train

00:19:51but he

00:19:52violated

00:19:53the

00:19:53sports

00:19:53unwritten

00:19:54rule

00:19:54about

00:19:55abstinence

00:19:55he was

00:19:57in the

00:19:58Norwood

00:19:59hotel

00:20:01a chorus

00:20:02girl

00:20:02had a

00:20:02room

00:20:04and I

00:20:05heard

00:20:06that he

00:20:06was there

00:20:06I said

00:20:07but he's

00:20:08in training

00:20:09he can't

00:20:09be there

00:20:11I went

00:20:11up

00:20:12went up

00:20:12to fire

00:20:13escape

00:20:14and looked

00:20:15and I

00:20:16saw him

00:20:18there he

00:20:19sat on the

00:20:20bed and

00:20:20they were

00:20:20laughing

00:20:21and I

00:20:22went through

00:20:22the door

00:20:23and I

00:20:23knocked

00:20:23down the

00:20:24door

00:20:25he jumped

00:20:26out

00:20:26and I

00:20:27chased him

00:20:27out of

00:20:28the hotel

00:20:28and he

00:20:29got in

00:20:29the car

00:20:30and they

00:20:30went back

00:20:30to camp

00:20:31there was

00:20:32a period

00:20:32when he

00:20:33was out

00:20:33of control

00:20:33hey Max

00:20:34from watching

00:20:36Joe Lewis

00:20:36in action

00:20:37and in

00:20:37pictures

00:20:37have you

00:20:38detected

00:20:39any particular

00:20:39weakness

00:20:40in the

00:20:40brown

00:20:41bomber

00:20:41yes I

00:20:42did

00:20:42but I

00:20:43won't

00:20:43tell

00:20:43whenever

00:20:44somebody

00:20:45asked him

00:20:47what

00:20:47gives you

00:20:48the belief

00:20:48that you

00:20:49can beat

00:20:50Joe Lewis

00:20:50the answer

00:20:52was

00:20:52always the

00:20:54same

00:20:54he told

00:20:55everybody

00:20:56I saw

00:20:57something

00:20:57what he

00:20:58saw

00:20:58was that

00:21:00when

00:21:00Lewis

00:21:01threw

00:21:01his jab

00:21:01he

00:21:02brought

00:21:03it back

00:21:03low

00:21:03so what

00:21:05Schmeling felt

00:21:05is

00:21:06if I can

00:21:07get close

00:21:08enough

00:21:08if I can

00:21:09time

00:21:09if I

00:21:10can

00:21:10withstand

00:21:11jabs

00:21:12to my

00:21:12face

00:21:13I'm

00:21:13going

00:21:13to get

00:21:14my

00:21:14shot

00:21:27his mom

00:21:28couldn't

00:21:29take

00:21:29the beating

00:21:32and my

00:21:33husband

00:21:33Fred had

00:21:34to take

00:21:34her home

00:21:35because she

00:21:36was just

00:21:36getting all

00:21:37hysterical

00:21:38he was just

00:21:39getting a good

00:21:39whipping

00:21:41yeah

00:21:47you could

00:21:48you could see

00:21:48strange look

00:21:50on people's

00:21:50face

00:21:54sadness

00:21:55and made

00:21:56and made

00:21:56give

00:21:56ground

00:21:57and their

00:21:57smelling

00:21:58straightened

00:21:59up Lewis

00:21:59with

00:21:59right and

00:22:00left

00:22:01of the

00:22:01jab

00:22:01there's

00:22:02our whole

00:22:02race

00:22:02going

00:22:03down

00:22:04he has

00:22:05stepped up

00:22:05Lewis

00:22:06the

00:22:06feet

00:22:07to

00:22:07stand

00:22:08Lewis is

00:22:09down

00:22:10turning to

00:22:11the rest

00:22:11turning

00:22:12bad

00:22:12he is a

00:22:13very

00:22:14tired

00:22:14oh god

00:22:15let him

00:22:16hit up

00:22:16oh god

00:22:17please

00:22:18don't

00:22:19hit him

00:22:19hurt him

00:22:3672 right

00:22:37hands

00:22:3872

00:22:40right

00:22:41hands

00:22:42he went

00:22:43for 12

00:22:43rounds

00:22:44he couldn't

00:22:44take it

00:22:44no longer

00:22:45he let

00:22:46us all

00:22:47down

00:22:48there was

00:22:48no doubt

00:22:49about it

00:22:50here was

00:22:51the guy

00:22:52who was

00:22:52the race

00:22:52hero

00:22:53here was

00:22:53the guy

00:22:54who represented

00:22:55the best

00:22:55hopes

00:22:56and aspirations

00:22:57and virtues

00:22:58of the race

00:22:59and he

00:22:59lost

00:23:03he went

00:23:04home to

00:23:04Germany

00:23:05the idol

00:23:05of a nation

00:23:06after

00:23:08the first

00:23:09fight

00:23:09he was

00:23:10a hero

00:23:11for sure

00:23:11because nobody

00:23:12especially

00:23:13in Germany

00:23:15really believes

00:23:16that he can

00:23:17beat

00:23:18Joe

00:23:19Lewis

00:23:19he was

00:23:20the best

00:23:21ambassador

00:23:21for this

00:23:24horrible

00:23:24government

00:23:26he really

00:23:27was

00:23:27Lewis on

00:23:28the other

00:23:28hand

00:23:28now had

00:23:29to face

00:23:29his public

00:23:30failure

00:23:30Joe was

00:23:32devastated

00:23:32he was

00:23:33devastated

00:23:35and my

00:23:36mother tells

00:23:36me stories

00:23:37of how

00:23:37literally

00:23:38he would

00:23:38walk

00:23:39in Harlem

00:23:39with a

00:23:41very down

00:23:41head

00:23:42and little

00:23:43black boys

00:23:44would walk

00:23:44up to him

00:23:45and whisper

00:23:46in his

00:23:46ear

00:23:46Max Schmeling

00:23:48maddling

00:23:50the loss

00:23:50was a major

00:23:51setback to

00:23:52Lewis's challenge

00:23:53for the title

00:23:53it was now

00:23:54Schmeling

00:23:55and not

00:23:55Lewis

00:23:56who got a

00:23:56shot at

00:23:57Braddock

00:23:58but I'm

00:23:58very happy

00:23:59to fight

00:24:00for the

00:24:00heavyweight

00:24:00championship

00:24:00again

00:24:01and special

00:24:02special

00:24:04and Braddock

00:24:06ducked him

00:24:08because

00:24:09they didn't want

00:24:10a Nazi

00:24:11to hold the title

00:24:12he should have

00:24:13been the first

00:24:13two-time

00:24:14champion

00:24:16Braddock

00:24:17in front

00:24:17Joe

00:24:18Lewis's

00:24:19managers

00:24:19pulled some

00:24:20strings

00:24:20and got

00:24:21Braddock

00:24:21to fight

00:24:21Lewis

00:24:21instead

00:24:22in 37

00:24:28I'm glad

00:24:29to fight

00:24:29to me

00:24:29battle

00:24:36but capitalizing

00:24:38on growing

00:24:38anti-German

00:24:39sentiment

00:24:40in America

00:24:40Lewis's

00:24:41promoter

00:24:42Mike Jacobs

00:24:42induced Braddock

00:24:44to call off

00:24:44the fight

00:24:44with Schmeling

00:24:45and give the

00:24:46match to

00:24:46Lewis instead

00:24:47Jacob starts

00:24:48to work

00:24:49his fight

00:24:50and he's

00:24:51going to

00:24:51Braddock

00:24:52look

00:24:53you're going

00:24:54to get

00:24:54a piece

00:24:54of Lewis

00:24:56the back

00:24:57room

00:24:57beat

00:24:58Braddock

00:24:58handsomely

00:24:59over the next

00:25:0010 years

00:25:01he received

00:25:0210% of

00:25:02Jacobs's net

00:25:03profits

00:25:04from all

00:25:04of Lewis's

00:25:05title fights

00:25:06no one knows

00:25:07how much

00:25:07of Lewis's

00:25:08cut was

00:25:08sacrificed

00:25:09in the

00:25:09process

00:25:10but whatever

00:25:11the cost

00:25:11Lewis was

00:25:12now in

00:25:13line for

00:25:13the title

00:25:13war is

00:25:15formally declared

00:25:15in Chicago

00:25:16between

00:25:16Jimmy Braddock

00:25:17on the

00:25:17left

00:25:17world

00:25:17heavyweight

00:25:18champion

00:25:18and

00:25:18Joe Louis

00:25:19the brown

00:25:19bomber

00:25:19with the

00:25:20tacit approval

00:25:21of much

00:25:22of white

00:25:22America

00:25:22a black

00:25:23man

00:25:24for the

00:25:24first time

00:25:25in 29

00:25:26years

00:25:26was challenging

00:25:27for the heavyweight

00:25:28crown

00:25:29for black

00:25:30America

00:25:30it was a

00:25:31milestone

00:25:31moment

00:25:32and Joe

00:25:33Lewis was

00:25:34at the center

00:25:35and now

00:25:36here in

00:25:36Chicago

00:25:36the heavyweight

00:25:37boxing title

00:25:38is at

00:25:38state

00:25:38will Joe

00:25:39Lewis walk

00:25:40out of the

00:25:40ring as

00:25:40heavyweight

00:25:41champion

00:25:41of the

00:25:41world

00:25:42we'll soon

00:25:43know

00:25:43the excitement

00:25:44raced through

00:25:45the 60,000 fans

00:25:46at Comiskey Park

00:25:48no one could wait

00:25:49to see

00:25:49who would land

00:25:54so he comes out

00:26:00early in the fight

00:26:00and he drops

00:26:01Lewis

00:26:01and Lewis

00:26:02wasn't hurt

00:26:02you know

00:26:03in fact

00:26:03he popped

00:26:03right back up

00:26:04Jack Blackburn

00:26:05quipped

00:26:05you know

00:26:06you're not

00:26:06going to fool

00:26:07the whole stadium

00:26:08into thinking

00:26:08you didn't just

00:26:09get knocked down

00:26:09stay down

00:26:10take your aid

00:26:11count

00:26:16slowly the fight

00:26:17turned

00:26:17and literally

00:26:18like most guys

00:26:19he just

00:26:20battered

00:26:21Braddock down

00:26:37he was your champion

00:26:40and papers came out

00:26:42an hour

00:26:43after Joe

00:26:43Lewis' fight

00:26:44to mom on

00:26:45his paper

00:26:46extra

00:26:47extra

00:26:47you know

00:26:48well black

00:26:49Americans celebrated

00:26:50and they just

00:26:51loved the fact

00:26:52that all of a sudden

00:26:53their champion

00:26:53was there

00:26:54to see the picture

00:26:56of this gorgeous

00:26:57black man

00:26:59and this white boy

00:27:00down

00:27:02it was vindication

00:27:05that we were

00:27:07the strongest

00:27:07people

00:27:09some black

00:27:10mother's son

00:27:10some black

00:27:11father's son

00:27:12was the strongest

00:27:13man in the world

00:27:19but the unfortunate

00:27:20consequence is

00:27:21that my father

00:27:21had to share

00:27:22that title

00:27:24with him

00:27:24financially

00:27:25for the rest

00:27:26of his life

00:27:26well Joe

00:27:27how does it feel

00:27:28to wake up

00:27:28this morning

00:27:29the heavyweight

00:27:29champion

00:27:30of the world

00:27:30oh Joe

00:27:31I felt fine

00:27:32I felt like

00:27:33I can defend

00:27:33the next week

00:27:33sometime

00:27:35even though

00:27:35Lewis owned

00:27:36what was then

00:27:37the most coveted

00:27:37prize in sports

00:27:38he couldn't

00:27:39completely revel in it

00:27:41when I spoke

00:27:42with my father

00:27:42about that

00:27:44there is no question

00:27:45that he did not

00:27:46feel internally

00:27:47that he was the

00:27:49heavyweight champion

00:27:50of the world

00:27:50when he defeated

00:27:51Braddock

00:27:52in 1937

00:27:53because he still

00:27:55had this

00:27:56cloud

00:27:56that he could not

00:27:58defeat a year

00:27:59earlier

00:27:59over him

00:28:03in May 1938

00:28:05when Schmeling arrived

00:28:06in New York

00:28:07Lewis had gotten

00:28:08his wish

00:28:09with Mike Jacobs

00:28:10backing the deal

00:28:11the two fighters

00:28:12signed a contract

00:28:13for their June rematch

00:28:14Joe Lewis defends

00:28:16his world heavyweight

00:28:17championship

00:28:17against former title

00:28:19holder Max Schmeling

00:28:20the only man

00:28:21who has ever

00:28:22defeated the champion

00:28:23Lewis' take

00:28:24would be

00:28:24$350,000

00:28:27Schmeling's

00:28:27would be half that

00:28:28almost immediately

00:28:29after the contracts

00:28:31were signed

00:28:31this fight

00:28:31really turns

00:28:32into something

00:28:33political

00:28:34US recognition

00:28:36of the evils

00:28:37of Nazi Germany

00:28:38was very slow

00:28:39in coming

00:28:39but Hitler's

00:28:41ambitions

00:28:42were becoming

00:28:43more noticeable

00:28:44so the symbolism

00:28:46of Joe Lewis

00:28:48fighting a representative

00:28:50was not lost

00:28:51on the American

00:28:52public in 1938

00:28:53it was probably

00:28:54the first time

00:28:55and the only time

00:28:56in the history

00:28:56of America

00:28:57that a black man

00:28:58would end up

00:28:58being a white oaker

00:29:00he'd become

00:29:01a great white oaker

00:29:02why should I go

00:29:04to the rank gun shop

00:29:05when Schmeling's

00:29:06two years older

00:29:07and I'm two years

00:29:09smarter in boxing

00:29:10certainly we

00:29:12as a race of people

00:29:14needed someone

00:29:16to say that

00:29:18we could

00:29:19do something

00:29:20that white people

00:29:22held on a pedestal

00:29:24white Americans

00:29:25accepted Joe Lewis

00:29:27as this sort of

00:29:28emblem of the United

00:29:29States

00:29:29an emblem of

00:29:30American democracy

00:29:31Joe Lewis

00:29:33was the man

00:29:35but in 1938

00:29:37Americans still

00:29:38did not speak

00:29:39with a single voice

00:29:40I hate to say it

00:29:42but many of the

00:29:43white people

00:29:43in the south

00:29:44didn't want to see

00:29:45Joe Lewis win

00:29:47well Brooklyn

00:29:48the neighborhood

00:29:49that I lived in

00:29:50was practically

00:29:51all Jewish

00:29:52and we were all

00:29:53hoping and praying

00:29:54that Joe Lewis

00:29:56would kick the shit

00:29:57out of them

00:30:024,000 miles away

00:30:04Hitler's growing empire

00:30:05a 16 year old boy

00:30:08had similar sentiments

00:30:09as a witness

00:30:10to the Nazi invasion

00:30:12of Austria

00:30:13I recall of course

00:30:14very vividly

00:30:16the old city

00:30:17decorated with

00:30:18Nazi flags

00:30:19Nazis marching

00:30:20through the streets

00:30:21to us

00:30:23Schmeling

00:30:24the representative

00:30:25of this Nazi

00:30:26Germany

00:30:27was the Goliath

00:30:29Joe Lewis

00:30:30was the David

00:30:31it was the biggest

00:30:33pre-fight build-up

00:30:35you ever heard

00:30:36thousands of people

00:30:37would come

00:30:37just to watch him

00:30:38spar

00:30:39it was an

00:30:40international event

00:30:42all of the

00:30:42hikes

00:30:43trained harder

00:30:45and focused more

00:30:49somebody asked him

00:30:50before the fight

00:30:50Joe how do you feel

00:30:51Joe said

00:30:52man I'm scared

00:30:54that's not what

00:30:54you want a boxer

00:30:55to say

00:30:56what

00:30:56I'm scared

00:30:57I'm going to kill

00:30:58he had more pressure

00:30:59than any fighter

00:31:01ever had in his life

00:31:03because he was

00:31:04carrying the country

00:31:06ordinarily

00:31:07a summer night

00:31:08in Harlem

00:31:08would have brought

00:31:09residents out

00:31:10on their stoops

00:31:11hoping for a cool breeze

00:31:12but on June 22nd

00:31:141938

00:31:15every stoop

00:31:16in Harlem

00:31:17was empty

00:31:18the streets

00:31:19were eerily quiet

00:31:20no cars

00:31:21it was like a scene

00:31:22after the atom bomb

00:31:24you know

00:31:25and this was duplicated

00:31:27in every large city

00:31:28by the way

00:31:29there's that one

00:31:30great cartoon

00:31:31the globe

00:31:33sitting on a ring

00:31:34looking at the fight

00:31:35and the entire world's

00:31:37focus was on this fight

00:31:38that's true

00:31:38this fight

00:31:39was the biggest fight

00:31:41in the history

00:31:42of the world

00:31:44there was a crackling

00:31:46atmosphere that night

00:31:47that's unlike anything

00:31:48you know

00:31:49the known world series

00:31:50the 7th day

00:31:51of the world series

00:31:51nothing compared to that

00:31:53the electricity

00:31:54in the air

00:31:55this is the feature attraction

00:31:5915 rows

00:32:00on the world's

00:32:03heavyweight championship

00:32:0460 or 70 million

00:32:06people listen to it

00:32:07on the radio

00:32:08in America

00:32:08over 100 million

00:32:10worldwide

00:32:11we were crowded around

00:32:12the radio

00:32:13it was like a

00:32:16magical something

00:32:17that was happening

00:32:18in our house

00:32:19and I still feel it today

00:32:33there was a difference

00:32:34in the announcer's voice

00:32:37that night

00:32:37it sounded like

00:32:38they loved him

00:32:39sounded like

00:32:39he wasn't a nigger to them

00:32:42Joe had become an American

00:32:46inside Yankee Stadium

00:32:47a cloud of expectation

00:32:49hung over the crowd

00:32:50of 80,000

00:33:04I'm in the second row

00:33:06I could see their facial expressions

00:33:09and Schmetter was in fear

00:33:10right from the beginning

00:33:12he realized that

00:33:13this is something else

00:33:14a different kind of cat

00:33:15than I had two years ago

00:33:27and Schmetter let out

00:33:28a piercing scream

00:33:29no one had ever heard

00:33:30that from a ring

00:33:32it was reported

00:33:33like the scream of a woman

00:33:34which isn't very nice

00:33:35about women

00:33:36we could see that

00:33:37he was about to fall

00:33:39you know

00:33:39the crowd is just

00:33:40jumping up

00:33:41pushing

00:33:41Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe

00:33:49Smelling's head

00:33:49looked like he had been

00:33:50hit with a pen

00:33:52in a Looney Tunes

00:33:54film

00:33:57if that's how hard

00:33:58he was hit

00:33:58and he got up from it

00:34:01how hard was he hit

00:34:02when he didn't get up from it

00:34:19oof

00:34:30the house just went crazy

00:34:32you couldn't hear nothing

00:34:34Joe stood there like

00:34:36what the hell happened

00:34:37actually meaning

00:34:38he never thought

00:34:39that the fight

00:34:40will ending in this way

00:34:41and so fast

00:34:42absolutely no

00:34:44he was the loneliest man

00:34:46on earth

00:34:48that was the happiest moment

00:34:50in America

00:34:51when Smelling

00:34:53could not

00:34:53get on his feet

00:34:57the time

00:34:59two minutes

00:35:00four seconds

00:35:02by Smelling

00:35:04referee stops it

00:35:06the winner

00:35:07and still champion

00:35:09Sharon Lewis

00:35:11I was 14 years old

00:35:12and our family

00:35:15had the only radio

00:35:16in the area

00:35:17some of our

00:35:18African American

00:35:19neighbors came

00:35:20and asked my father

00:35:22if they could come

00:35:23and listen to the

00:35:24fight

00:35:26so daddy thought

00:35:28there would be

00:35:28three or four of them

00:35:29but when the time

00:35:30for the fight came

00:35:32I would guess

00:35:33there were 40

00:35:33showed up

00:35:34it was very interesting

00:35:36because the customs

00:35:37of the south

00:35:38then prevailed

00:35:40and there was not

00:35:41a sound

00:35:42out of the black

00:35:43listeners

00:35:45nothing

00:35:46it was absolute

00:35:47quiet

00:35:47went to Lewis 1

00:35:49and then they walked

00:35:51across the railroad

00:35:51a couple hundred yards

00:35:53away

00:35:54and all hell

00:35:55broke loose

00:35:55they celebrated

00:35:58all night long

00:35:59until early

00:36:00almost daylight

00:36:02it was phenomenal

00:36:04to be black

00:36:05because Joe Lewis

00:36:06was a hero

00:36:07of all the people

00:36:08but he was black

00:36:10like me

00:36:10that was a

00:36:12defining moment

00:36:13in black history

00:36:15it made us feel

00:36:16that as the

00:36:17super hero

00:36:18of the Nazis

00:36:19was overcome

00:36:21so in time

00:36:23the brutal regime

00:36:24of the Nazis

00:36:25would also

00:36:25be overcome

00:36:26he sent a signal

00:36:28to the world

00:36:29that there's no such

00:36:30thing as his white

00:36:31warian race

00:36:32and all of a sudden

00:36:33Joe Lewis transcended

00:36:35from a heavyweight champion

00:36:36to a true American hero

00:36:42tell the nation

00:36:44let's talk about

00:36:46the brown bum

00:36:46and at the end

00:36:47in this

00:36:49horrible scene

00:36:50people were hugging

00:36:51each other

00:36:52all around the state

00:36:53and some people

00:36:55again would shout

00:36:56back to Hitler

00:36:57it was just wild

00:36:59I've never seen

00:37:00anything like it

00:37:01before or since

00:37:03people happy

00:37:05and joyous

00:37:07because you have

00:37:07one common denominator

00:37:08he won

00:37:09he won

00:37:10and when he won

00:37:11you won

00:37:12he's a farm

00:37:13in Detroit

00:37:14in his hometown

00:37:16he was theirs

00:37:17he got rolls of toilet paper

00:37:20and went through the neighborhood

00:37:22throwing the toilet paper out

00:37:24screaming

00:37:25he won

00:37:27he won

00:37:28just

00:37:29he

00:37:29enjoyed

00:37:31black people

00:37:33were crazy

00:37:34all those people I love

00:37:35crying

00:37:36laughing

00:37:36hollering

00:37:37screaming

00:37:37running

00:37:38jumping

00:37:38he was the most

00:37:39uniting force

00:37:41I've ever seen in my life

00:37:42there's something here

00:37:44there's some magic here

00:37:45what is that magic

00:37:46and how can I get it

00:37:49when we left Yankee Stadium

00:37:52you had to walk so far

00:37:54because of traffic

00:37:55for people

00:37:55it was a party

00:37:57and it started

00:37:58in Harlem

00:37:59under 25th and 7th Avenue

00:38:03I was in the car

00:38:05inadvertently

00:38:05I got up

00:38:06at the wrong road

00:38:07and got into Harlem

00:38:10people were dancing

00:38:11and singing

00:38:11and of course

00:38:12they were drinking too

00:38:13and I had to stop

00:38:15at a light

00:38:16and a big black guy

00:38:17stuck his hand

00:38:18through the window

00:38:19grabbed me at the throat

00:38:21and said to me

00:38:21are you a schmiller man?

00:38:23I said

00:38:24no I'm all the way

00:38:25for Joe Lewis

00:38:26okay go ahead

00:38:28I've interviewed people

00:38:29and they've told me

00:38:30you know

00:38:32white Americans

00:38:32saying

00:38:33you know

00:38:33Joe Lewis

00:38:34was the first black American

00:38:35that I found something for

00:38:36that gave me a warm feeling

00:38:38that I cared about

00:38:39and that's the role

00:38:40Joe Lewis plays

00:38:54in the aftermath

00:38:55of the fight

00:38:56Schmeling was a disgraced man

00:38:58in the eyes of Germany

00:39:00no longer the darling

00:39:01of the Third Reich

00:39:02he was shipped off

00:39:03to the front lines

00:39:04as a paratrooper

00:39:07he wasn't anymore

00:39:08at all a hero

00:39:10he was a loser

00:39:12Hitler

00:39:13couldn't use the loser

00:39:14especially against

00:39:15a black man

00:39:17across the ocean

00:39:18Lewis was on top

00:39:19of the world

00:39:20he was perhaps

00:39:21the most recognizable

00:39:22man in America

00:39:23and he had godlike

00:39:25invincibility

00:39:26in the ring

00:39:31I think he was the best

00:39:32heavyweight of all time

00:39:33I think Ali

00:39:35would have given him

00:39:35a hell of a fight

00:39:36but Ali couldn't hit

00:39:38quite as hard

00:39:39I think Lewis

00:39:41Ali hit nowhere near as hard

00:39:43but I will

00:39:45say that

00:39:46Ali could have beaten him

00:39:48Ali was the greatest

00:39:49heavyweight of all time

00:39:51Joe Lewis was the greatest

00:39:53heavyweight champion

00:39:54being of all time

00:39:56there's a different thing

00:40:02that his prime

00:40:03would have knocked

00:40:04Dempsey out

00:40:05now question

00:40:07he was a remarkable fighter

00:40:10since becoming champ

00:40:11in 37

00:40:12Lewis had successfully

00:40:14defended his title

00:40:1518 straight times

00:40:16he'd made victims

00:40:18of such

00:40:18undistinguished contenders

00:40:20as

00:40:20Arturo the Bomber Godoy

00:40:23Jack Eyes went

00:40:24out of Zag Roper

00:40:25and two-ton

00:40:26Tony Galento

00:40:28Joe what a vicious

00:40:29left this time

00:40:30inside of Galento's head

00:40:31he measures his hands

00:40:32with a kill

00:40:32but Galento goes back

00:40:33up against the rope

00:40:34Galento is staggering

00:40:35he goes over

00:40:36against the rope

00:40:36he's down on his knees

00:40:37Galento is down

00:40:39the sports writers

00:40:40of the day

00:40:41mockingly

00:40:42named his opponents

00:40:43the bum of the month club

00:40:44Lewis fucked

00:40:46everyone who was out there

00:40:48it's not Lewis' fault

00:40:49that he was so much

00:40:50better than they were

00:40:51but he was a real

00:40:52fighting champion

00:40:53I wanted to see

00:40:54Joe Lewis fight

00:40:55more than anything

00:40:56in the world

00:40:57but I'm working

00:40:57at this joint

00:40:58and I'm making

00:40:59100 and a quarter

00:41:01a week

00:41:02and I'm gonna take

00:41:0575 of that

00:41:06for a ringside seat

00:41:09I get the ticket

00:41:10in my hand

00:41:12and I'm walking

00:41:14in Yankee Stadium

00:41:15and I have to get

00:41:17to my seat

00:41:19for the bell

00:41:21I hear the bell

00:41:22and I hear

00:41:23ruffling and scuffling

00:41:24here I'll go

00:41:25get him Joe

00:41:26his fight is ready

00:41:27and he's down

00:41:30what's down

00:41:32there can be no down

00:41:34I'm still walking

00:41:35how do you have a

00:41:36bison down

00:41:37when I'm walking

00:41:38there can be no down

00:41:44I'm holding my ticket

00:41:46stub

00:41:48$75

00:41:48Jesus Christ

00:41:50could have heard it on a radio

00:41:52or anything

00:41:55$75 back then

00:41:57that's

00:42:00probably could have bought a car

00:42:01with that one

00:42:03I don't know

00:42:04fought seven times

00:42:05no one benefited more

00:42:07than his handlers

00:42:08I think

00:42:09Mike Jacobs

00:42:10could see

00:42:11the war

00:42:12on the horizon

00:42:13and I think

00:42:14Jacobs wanted to make

00:42:15as much money

00:42:16from Joe Lewis

00:42:18as possible

00:42:19one of the bums

00:42:20of the month

00:42:21who wasn't a bum

00:42:22was the great

00:42:24Pittsburgh fighter

00:42:25Billy Kahn

00:42:26well I feel fine

00:42:27I expect it to be

00:42:28a great fight

00:42:29Kahn was a

00:42:30175 pound

00:42:31light heavyweight champion

00:42:32moving up to

00:42:32challenge the

00:42:33unbeatable heavyweight champion

00:42:35nobody thought he could win

00:42:37maybe his mother

00:42:38he had figured out a way

00:42:39to outbox Lewis

00:42:40which he did

00:42:41you know he kind of

00:42:42led Lewis around the ring

00:42:43it was almost like

00:42:44a bull in the matador

00:42:46after 12 rounds

00:42:47Kahn was on the verge

00:42:49of dethroning the champ

00:42:50he had followed his plan

00:42:52to hit and run

00:42:53but Lewis was about

00:42:54to make good

00:42:55on his one famous prediction

00:42:57that Kahn could run

00:42:58but he couldn't hide

00:43:00Lewis

00:43:01he saw his opening

00:43:02he got it

00:43:03he finished Kahn off

00:43:04and Kahn's defeated

00:43:05oh damn

00:43:06yeah

00:43:08Kahn later told

00:43:09said to Lewis

00:43:10said Joe

00:43:10you know

00:43:11why didn't you just

00:43:12let me beat you

00:43:13and then you know

00:43:13we would have fought

00:43:14six months later

00:43:15and he could have won

00:43:15the title back

00:43:16and Lewis said

00:43:18he couldn't keep the title

00:43:19for 13 rounds

00:43:20what makes you think

00:43:21he could have kept it

00:43:22for six months

00:43:30we interrupt this program

00:43:32to bring you a special

00:43:33news bulletin

00:43:34the White House

00:43:35has just announced

00:43:36that the Japanese

00:43:37are attacking military

00:43:38and naval establishments

00:43:39on the island of Oahu

00:43:40Lewis's first sentence

00:43:42is how can I help

00:43:43my country

00:43:44and what he decides

00:43:45is to fight two fights

00:43:46and donate his entire purse

00:43:49you know

00:43:49for the two fights

00:43:50over $100,000

00:43:51to relief funds

00:43:54well I'm not waiting

00:43:55for nothing

00:43:55I'm waiting for my country

00:43:56and I think that's

00:43:57my greatest piece of work

00:43:58that anybody can do

00:43:59this is at a time

00:44:00where the Secretary of War

00:44:02Henry Stimson

00:44:03refuses to integrate

00:44:04the armed forces

00:44:05nonetheless

00:44:06Lewis gave up

00:44:08four years of his crime

00:44:09along with

00:44:10$100,000 purses

00:44:11in exchange

00:44:12for a soldier's pay

00:44:13of $21 a month

00:44:15what's your occupation?

00:44:18fighter

00:44:18enlisted at them jobs

00:44:20he enlisted

00:44:21January 10th

00:44:231942

00:44:23he went into

00:44:25the entertainment division

00:44:27I mean there wasn't

00:44:27any real intention

00:44:28to see him

00:44:29out on the front lines

00:44:30he was somebody

00:44:31who was there

00:44:31for morale purposes

00:44:33one of the most

00:44:34famous lines

00:44:35one liners

00:44:36for Joe Lewis

00:44:37was when he was

00:44:37raising money

00:44:38for the war effort

00:44:40and I think the words

00:44:41were we're going to win

00:44:42because we're on

00:44:43God's side

00:44:44everyone said

00:44:45no we got it wrong

00:44:45we're going to win

00:44:46because God's on our side

00:44:47we're going to do

00:44:48our part

00:44:49and we will win

00:44:51because we are

00:44:52on God's side

00:44:53his PR guy

00:44:54felt he flubbed the line

00:44:56and the next day

00:44:57you know headlines

00:44:58in the New York papers

00:45:00and my father walks

00:45:01into his big PR guy

00:45:03and drops the papers

00:45:04on and says

00:45:05so got the line wrong

00:45:06huh?

00:45:07Lewis's dedication

00:45:08to his country

00:45:09and to the cause

00:45:10has to be seen

00:45:11as ironic

00:45:12I mean because

00:45:13they haven't done

00:45:14anything for him

00:45:15to exclude him

00:45:16and segregate him

00:45:17he's one of the

00:45:18first ones in law

00:45:19it's almost sad

00:45:21that he was that naive

00:45:22first of all

00:45:23being used by the army

00:45:25didn't go well

00:45:26with blacks

00:45:27and he came to grips

00:45:28with that

00:45:29you know

00:45:29that we were in

00:45:31a big war

00:45:32with Hitler

00:45:32and Hitler

00:45:33ain't gonna fix things

00:45:35you know

00:45:35Joe was fully aware

00:45:37of the fact

00:45:38he was being used

00:45:39by the way

00:45:39what Lewis is doing

00:45:41is not

00:45:41so contradictory

00:45:43as it might seem

00:45:43in some ways

00:45:44it's really

00:45:45it works in the favor

00:45:46of black people

00:45:47that he's become

00:45:48this image

00:45:48of patriotism

00:45:49the army

00:45:50the army exposed

00:45:51Lewis to the military's

00:45:52double standard

00:45:53he didn't like

00:45:54what he saw

00:45:55soft spoken

00:45:56though he was

00:45:57he made his feelings

00:45:59known

00:46:00suddenly Joe Lewis

00:46:01finds his voice

00:46:03and he doesn't attend

00:46:05anti-segregation lobbies

00:46:08but he communicates

00:46:09with Truman Gibson

00:46:10Truman Gibson

00:46:11was an African American

00:46:13who worked

00:46:13in the war department

00:46:14in a job called

00:46:16civilian aid

00:46:16this was a job

00:46:17that was created

00:46:18in 1941

00:46:20to help

00:46:21with African Americans

00:46:22in the service

00:46:23so Joe Lewis

00:46:24was a real inspiration

00:46:26for many black soldiers

00:46:28during the war

00:46:29he was treated

00:46:30like a hero

00:46:30like a god

00:46:31when he would come

00:46:32and these soldiers

00:46:33would see him

00:46:33and crowd around him

00:46:34and everything

00:46:35but the other thing

00:46:36the soldiers did

00:46:36they would complain

00:46:38to him

00:46:38about their condition

00:46:39about the racist conditions

00:46:41he'd pick up the phone

00:46:43and said

00:46:43it's not right down here

00:46:44Truman

00:46:45get it fixed

00:46:45and the next thing you know

00:46:47that general

00:46:48on that base

00:46:48would get a phone call

00:46:49from Washington

00:46:49and whatever was wrong

00:46:50got fixed

00:46:52I'm glad to be here

00:46:53and I hope everybody

00:46:54enjoyed this exhibition

00:46:55and I hope to put on more

00:46:56in our mechanic

00:46:57Lewis visited bases

00:46:59around the world

00:47:00happily staging exhibitions

00:47:01as long as the gates

00:47:03were open

00:47:03to all troops

00:47:05there were stories

00:47:06out there

00:47:07that they were not

00:47:08going to let

00:47:08the black servicemen

00:47:09come to the exhibitions

00:47:10he said

00:47:12I'm not going to

00:47:12sit here

00:47:13and entertain

00:47:14only the white troops

00:47:14when we've got

00:47:15a bunch of black troops

00:47:16who want to be

00:47:17entertained

00:47:18by the end of the war

00:47:19Joe Lewis had visited

00:47:21more than 5 million servicemen

00:47:23General Eisenhower

00:47:24informs me

00:47:25that the forces

00:47:27of Germany

00:47:28have surrendered

00:47:29to the United Nations

00:47:31Americans celebrated

00:47:32the end of the war

00:47:33and then went back

00:47:34to civilian life

00:47:35for Lewis

00:47:36the transition

00:47:37was especially difficult

00:47:39gone were his

00:47:40boxing confidants

00:47:41Jack Blackburn

00:47:42trainer Jack Blackburn

00:47:43had died of a heart attack

00:47:45manager John Roxborough

00:47:47was sent to prison

00:47:48on gambling charges

00:47:49really?

00:47:50the life Lewis had led

00:47:51before the war

00:47:52was gone forever

00:47:54World War 2

00:47:55did several things

00:47:56to Joe's career

00:47:56and nearly all of them

00:47:58were not good

00:47:59Joe Lewis' financial state

00:48:00is horrible

00:48:01there's no question

00:48:02that when my father

00:48:03was in the war

00:48:04he continued to spend

00:48:05at the same rate

00:48:06that he did

00:48:08when he was fighting

00:48:09he owes

00:48:10$250,000

00:48:11to Mike Jacobs

00:48:12because he's been

00:48:14borrowing from

00:48:15Mike Jacobs

00:48:16all during the war

00:48:17because he can't fight

00:48:18so while

00:48:19white America

00:48:20was treated

00:48:21to this public image

00:48:22of Joe Lewis

00:48:23as a happily married man

00:48:25who was saving

00:48:26his money

00:48:27and who was wealthy

00:48:28the reality was

00:48:29that he was

00:48:30spending it on

00:48:31things like

00:48:31bus tours

00:48:32for its softball team

00:48:34supporting friends

00:48:36family, women

00:48:36everywhere

00:48:37he just spent

00:48:38money like water

00:48:39once the war ended

00:48:41Lewis had outlived

00:48:42his usefulness

00:48:43to the country

00:48:44in an act of

00:48:45cruel irony

00:48:46the very government

00:48:47that had made him

00:48:48a symbol of

00:48:48American democracy

00:48:49now hounded him

00:48:51for tens of thousands

00:48:52of dollars

00:48:53in back taxes

00:48:55the only thing

00:48:56more regrettable

00:48:57than Lewis' naivete

00:48:58was the bad advice

00:48:59he'd received

00:49:01he would buy

00:49:02tons of tickets

00:49:02for servicemen

00:49:03to attend

00:49:05his exhibitions

00:49:05and his accountants

00:49:07would deduct that

00:49:08the IRS

00:49:09wouldn't allow that

00:49:10and they ran the meter

00:49:13while they were negotiating

00:49:14and my father

00:49:15had this huge tax debt

00:49:17when he was trying

00:49:18to do a legitimate

00:49:20wonderful thing

00:49:21for the servicemen

00:49:23in this country

00:49:24he thought

00:49:24that he could come out

00:49:25of World War II

00:49:26and resume his ordinary

00:49:27lifestyle

00:49:27and things would be fine

00:49:29the reality was

00:49:30the minute he got out

00:49:31of the army

00:49:31he was done financially

00:49:33by his own calculations

00:49:35Lewis was in debt

00:49:36to the government

00:49:37for close to

00:49:37$100,000

00:49:39his marriage

00:49:40to Marva Trotter

00:49:41was also in ruins

00:49:42and after the birth

00:49:43of their daughter

00:49:44Jackie in 1943

00:49:45and their son

00:49:46Joe Jr.

00:49:47four years later

00:49:48they split up

00:49:49for good

00:49:49my parents were divorced

00:49:51when I was quite young

00:49:53so I really didn't

00:49:54understand

00:49:54who Joe Lewis was

00:49:56what was very frustrating

00:49:57is that when

00:49:58Daddy Joe came back

00:49:59and he would take us

00:50:01out to lunch

00:50:02or dinner

00:50:02in a public setting

00:50:04how we lost

00:50:06our private moment

00:50:07with Joe Lewis

00:50:07and here we are

00:50:09two little kids

00:50:09trying to be with the champ

00:50:11and we had no privacy

00:50:13and it was very disconcerting

00:50:15for us

00:50:16as young kids

00:50:17and probably a little

00:50:18disconcerting now

00:50:24New York Boxing Commissioner

00:50:26Eddie Egan

00:50:26to sign for their

00:50:27world heavyweight title fight

00:50:29His battle with the IRS

00:50:31heating up

00:50:32Lewis emerged

00:50:33from World War II

00:50:34still the heavyweight champion

00:50:35in his first post-war defense

00:50:38he knocked out

00:50:39Billy Kahn

00:50:40in a celebrated rematch

00:50:47The fight earned Lewis

00:50:49his biggest payday

00:50:51$625,000

00:50:53but after paying off

00:50:54old debts

00:50:55he was left with

00:50:56less than $100,000

00:50:57before taxes

00:50:59he was in a terrible bind

00:51:01he couldn't retire

00:51:03and he couldn't pay

00:51:04back the government

00:51:05which was now

00:51:05taxing his income

00:51:06at 90%

00:51:08How long do you plan

00:51:09to continue fighting Joe?

00:51:12Well I don't know

00:51:13last night I felt

00:51:14just as sharp as ever

00:51:15and I'll be fighting

00:51:16for a long time

00:51:19Lewis won his next

00:51:23three defenses

00:51:24including a controversial

00:51:26decision over

00:51:27Jersey Joe Wolcott

00:51:28The winner

00:51:29by majority vote

00:51:32and still the heavyweight

00:51:34champion of the world

00:51:36Joe Lewis

00:51:37Lewis knocked out

00:51:39Wolcott in the rematch

00:51:40and then called it quits

00:51:42Well I'd like to say

00:51:44again that

00:51:45I'll retire

00:51:45tonight with my last fight

00:51:47and thank you very much

00:51:49But Lewis couldn't stay away

00:51:51and a year and a half later

00:51:52he was back in the ring

00:51:54With money where he's looming

00:51:56he needed to keep fighting

00:51:58In 1950

00:51:59having relinquished

00:52:01his title by retiring

00:52:02Look how much he aged

00:52:03Look at his bald spot

00:52:05that he got

00:52:06at the ripe old age of 32

00:52:08and now he's 36

00:52:09Look at his bald spot

00:52:13Thanks Iris

00:52:14He fought Ezard Charles

00:52:15and for the first time

00:52:17in 13 years

00:52:18entered a boxing ring

00:52:20as a challenger

00:52:24And being outpointed by Charles

00:52:26Lewis lost his first fight

00:52:29in 14 years

00:52:30At 36

00:52:31At 36 attempting a

00:52:32Ezard Charles would have been

00:52:33a tough fight for Lewis

00:52:35even at his peak

00:52:37Past his prime

00:52:38Lewis had no chance

00:52:41Come back after retiring

00:52:42Joe Lewis finally bows in defeat

00:52:45After the loss to Charles

00:52:46Lewis could no longer count

00:52:48on big paydays

00:52:49And so with his debt

00:52:51to the IRS

00:52:52at half a million dollars

00:52:53he took on a succession

00:52:55of journeymen

00:52:56getting fights

00:52:57wherever he could

00:53:04And now he's

00:53:06fighting

00:53:07in a

00:53:08little smoky arena

00:53:10against somebody

00:53:11who would have

00:53:11knocked out in two rounds

00:53:12and for

00:53:13comparative peanuts

00:53:14How do you

00:53:16cut your grips with that

00:53:17you know

00:53:17I absolutely

00:53:19hated

00:53:21seeing him

00:53:23have to fight

00:53:24on

00:53:25his reputation

00:53:27This

00:53:28So much

00:53:30for me

00:53:31spiritually

00:53:33Give me

00:53:34confidence

00:53:35and hope

00:53:37It was not a good time

00:53:39for me

00:53:40in watching

00:53:40Joe Lewis

00:53:41In 1951

00:53:43after exhausting himself

00:53:44with 7 fights

00:53:45in 8 months

00:53:46Lewis accepted

00:53:48an offer

00:53:48of $132,000

00:53:50to fight

00:53:51rising heavyweight

00:53:52Rocky Marciano

00:53:53I remember

00:53:55specifically

00:53:56talking to my father

00:53:57when he came to Chicago

00:53:58and I said

00:53:59why are you fighting again

00:54:00he says

00:54:01I have to

00:54:02I said

00:54:02well is it your last fight

00:54:03he says

00:54:04yes it's my last fight

00:54:05By all rights

00:54:07Lewis had earned

00:54:08his retirement

00:54:09His championship reign

00:54:11had been remarkable

00:54:12He'd held the title

00:54:13for 11 years

00:54:14and 10 months

00:54:15and made 25 successful defenses

00:54:17a record unlikely

00:54:19to ever fall

00:54:21He'd made

00:54:225 million dollars

00:54:22in purses

00:54:23and now

00:54:25It gets

00:54:26unlikely

00:54:27and unlikely

00:54:28to be broken

00:54:28as we go on

00:54:29and boxers

00:54:30have less and less fights

00:54:3225 title defenses

00:54:35Guys retire

00:54:36with 25 matches

00:54:38in their entire career

00:54:39and we're judging

00:54:40if they're a hall of famer

00:54:42or not

00:54:4425 title defenses

00:54:46At 37

00:54:46hoped he'd have enough left

00:54:48to fend off

00:54:49his much younger opponent

00:54:52I'm in good shape

00:54:53for this fight

00:54:54and I hope

00:54:54I come through all right

00:54:55Rocky was torn

00:54:57between fighting

00:54:59He hopes

00:55:00Joe comes through all right

00:55:02Joe Lewis

00:55:03who was his idol

00:55:04but Joe Lewis

00:55:06was the fight

00:55:06that he had to get through

00:55:07in order to get a match

00:55:09with Jersey Joe Walcott

00:55:10who was the champion

00:55:12The crowd that night

00:55:14was pro-Joe Lewis

00:55:15You're talking about

00:55:17an icon

00:55:18an idol

00:55:19I was sitting in the audience

00:55:21and here's my brother

00:55:22in the ring

00:55:23and I felt for Joe Lewis

00:55:25Rocky felt for Joe Lewis

00:55:34The first knockdown

00:55:36occurred

00:55:37with a left bang

00:55:39Lewis went down

00:55:40He goes

00:55:41Willis with a right to the head

00:55:42a left to the body

00:55:43a left to the body

00:55:44a left to the body

00:55:45Lewis is going over

00:55:46Lewis is going over

00:55:48Lewis is going over

00:55:50He's going over

00:55:51He's going over

00:55:52He's stopping the fight

00:55:53Rocky Marciano

00:55:54It's a winner

00:55:55by a knockdown

00:55:56The reaction of the crowd

00:55:58when Joe Lewis

00:56:00got knocked out

00:56:01it was almost like

00:56:02a bit of a silence

00:56:04like almost

00:56:05a quiet respect

00:56:07for the great Joe Lewis

00:56:13That was a sad night

00:56:14for boxing

00:56:14because it was

00:56:15the end of an era

00:56:16that dominated

00:56:18so much of American life

00:56:19that final

00:56:21final moment

00:56:23when his father

00:56:24has been

00:56:24not only knocked down

00:56:25and knocked out

00:56:26by Marciano

00:56:27but he was actually

00:56:27knocked through the ropes

00:56:29by Marciano

00:56:30and you see that

00:56:31last sort of

00:56:32hanging pose

00:56:33of Joe Lewis

00:56:33you know that

00:56:34it's clearly

00:56:35unequivocally

00:56:36the end of the

00:56:36Joe Lewis era

00:56:43Lewis took his

00:56:45final defeat

00:56:47disgraceful

00:56:48it

00:56:51there was

00:56:52not a dry eye

00:56:53in that place

00:56:55as it's described

00:57:01he knew it was time

00:57:03to move on

00:57:04and he did

00:57:05this time

00:57:06to the golf course

00:57:07as a competitive amateur

00:57:08where he soon

00:57:09found himself

00:57:10squaring off

00:57:10against the PGA

00:57:11in 1952

00:57:14Joe Lewis

00:57:15and several

00:57:16other black players

00:57:17wanted to play

00:57:18in the San Diego Open

00:57:20the local sponsors

00:57:22of the San Diego Open

00:57:23invited the heavyweight

00:57:24champion of the world

00:57:25to play

00:57:26in a PGA Tour event

00:57:28they didn't realize

00:57:29that there was

00:57:30a non-Caucasian rule

00:57:31so my father said

00:57:33oops

00:57:33I'm going to let them

00:57:35tell me to my face

00:57:36they were told

00:57:37by Horton Smith

00:57:38who was the president

00:57:39of the PGA of America

00:57:41that they could not play

00:57:42it's indeed unfortunate

00:57:45that certain misunderstandings

00:57:48developed in connection

00:57:49with the 1952 PGA

00:57:53co-sponsored San Diego

00:57:54Invitational Open Golf Tournament

00:57:57Joe Lewis called

00:57:59Horton Smith

00:57:59another Hitler

00:58:00he raised such a fuss

00:58:03about it

00:58:03that it caught the attention

00:58:05of Walter Winchell

00:58:06the great American broadcaster

00:58:09because of Walter Winchell's report

00:58:11a committee of the PGA of America

00:58:14met

00:58:14and they came up

00:58:16with a compromise

00:58:17they allowed

00:58:19African Americans

00:58:20and other minorities

00:58:21to qualify

00:58:22so in 1952

00:58:24Joe Lewis became

00:58:25the first African American

00:58:27to participate

00:58:28in a PGA sanctioned event

00:58:31groundbreaking

00:58:32believe me

00:58:33in many ways

00:58:34a few days later

00:58:35Lewis and seven other blacks

00:58:38including golfing great

00:58:39Charlie Siffman

00:58:40were given the opportunity

00:58:41to qualify

00:58:42for the Phoenix Open

00:58:43the first hole

00:58:45Charlie Siffman

00:58:46went to tend the flag

00:58:48he looks down in the hole

00:58:50and the hole

00:58:51is filled

00:58:52with human

00:58:53extra

00:58:55I can't imagine

00:58:57what Joe Lewis

00:58:58must have felt

00:58:58being treated

00:59:00in such a demeaning way

00:59:02Joe Lewis

00:59:03as far as I'm concerned

00:59:04will always be remembered

00:59:06as a guy

00:59:06who opened the door

00:59:07and served as an example

00:59:09to lead others

00:59:11through that door

00:59:16champion of the world

00:59:17Joe Lewis

00:59:23by the mid-50s

00:59:25Lewis' debt

00:59:26to the IRS

00:59:26had ballooned

00:59:28to a million dollars

00:59:29Joe it's getting off

00:59:30the coast of April 15th

00:59:32you've had some income tax

00:59:34problems

00:59:34how are you getting along?

00:59:36well

00:59:37on my

00:59:39I'm getting along good

00:59:40so it's a back tax

00:59:41but I'm not doing so good

00:59:43also

00:59:44he's got to make money

00:59:46without fighting

00:59:50dance

00:59:55he's forced

00:59:56to really gain money

00:59:57through

00:59:58the only thing that's left

00:59:59and that is his name

01:00:00booby

01:00:01ba ba doodoo

01:00:02ba ba doodoo

01:00:10now you gotta turn

01:00:11turn

01:00:12turn

01:00:13you gotta turn

01:00:13sometimes

01:00:15uhuh

01:00:16uh-huh

01:00:17x

01:00:18x

01:00:18solos never had

01:00:18the greatest footwork

01:00:20he

01:00:21he

01:00:21used to shuffle

01:00:21on the ring

01:00:22that's when he was young

01:00:24I don't know why he was tap dancing.

01:00:33Lewis hawked everything from cigarettes to liquor,

01:00:36even his own stage show.

01:00:38But a natural-born salesman, he wasn't.

01:00:41They come out with this Jolo's punch.

01:00:44And it was like a nice punchy drink.

01:00:47And they were interviewing Joe,

01:00:48and they asked him what was his favorite drink.

01:00:51And he said, Coca-Cola.

01:00:54And they'd say, cut.

01:01:03He had to do so many things

01:01:06that would have broken down anyone else.

01:01:09I mean, a champion of the world like him

01:01:12turned to wrestling.

01:01:14Climbing into the ring again, Joe Lewis,

01:01:17the former heavyweight boxing champion,

01:01:18who'll be 42 soon, is trying...

01:01:24You're lucky Lutez was dead when this came out,

01:01:28because we would have put a hold on him.

01:01:32This was treated as a legitimate sport.

01:01:34The wrestling game.

01:01:36It was sad.

01:01:37That was the only way he could generate money

01:01:39to pay back the government.

01:01:42After 10 minutes of tugging, hauling, and poking,

01:01:45a right forearm smash sends Lee out of the ring.

01:01:47I can't imagine in any way, shape, or form

01:01:50that it wasn't humiliating to him or demeaning to him.

01:01:55But Joe Lewis did it.

01:01:56And he did it because he had an obligation.

01:02:00It was horrible.

01:02:01The media crucified him.

01:02:04Now, Joe, there has been

01:02:06quite a bit of criticism about it in the newspapers.

01:02:09I know that you have read it,

01:02:10and I'd like to know how you feel about it.

01:02:12No, don't everyone agree with my idea of what I've done,

01:02:15but I'm sure that more people do agree with me

01:02:18than the ones who don't.

01:02:20When I asked Joe, how do you feel the way

01:02:25they're talking about you being a wrestler

01:02:27after having been such a great heavyweight champion

01:02:30of the world, he said, Daddy, be stealing.

01:02:35My father was involved in a promotion of wrestling

01:02:38at the Olympia Stadium, the old Olympia.

01:02:43The guest referee.

01:02:46And I remember going in the dressing room

01:02:48doing the preliminaries,

01:02:49and my father induced me to him.

01:02:51And then all of a sudden,

01:02:53one of the people came up from the box office

01:02:55and did a little whispering.

01:02:58And then my father walked up to Joe

01:03:00and said that the IRS had just raided the box office

01:03:04and they wanted your purse for back taxes.

01:03:09He put his head down and kind of teared up in his eyes

01:03:12and he was stunned.

01:03:14He wasn't running from his debt.

01:03:16He was just trying to deal with it in a civil fashion,

01:03:20in a responsible way.

01:03:21And they just dogged him to his forever.

01:03:25Everything that Joe Louis did do during the war,

01:03:27all his patriotic, the things he did for his country,

01:03:31you know, they were not,

01:03:32those things were not remembered

01:03:34when the IRS came looking for their money.

01:03:36He had set up a trust fund for my sister and for me.

01:03:41And the IRS came back and took the trust funds from us.

01:03:45I just think they wanted to rein him in

01:03:47and basically say,

01:03:48you still are under our thumb, boy.

01:03:51The government had a wonderful game they were playing.

01:03:54Let's get Joe Louis this week.

01:03:57It was constant.

01:04:00It's the former heavyweight champion of the world

01:04:02and his wife, Dennis,

01:04:03whose dream is to pay off a debt to Uncle Sam.

01:04:06From Chicago, Illinois, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Louis.

01:04:11The spectacle of Louis' downfall continued.

01:04:15In 1956, he and his second wife, Rose Morgan,

01:04:19went on the TV game show High Finance and won $60,000.

01:04:24Louis' half went straight to the IRS.

01:04:27Are you serious?

01:04:27Joe Louis, tonight, this is your life.

01:04:31Hello, man.

01:04:32How are you?

01:04:35I won that one on June 1936.

01:04:48The greatest tragedy

01:04:53is what happened to Louis

01:04:54and what happened to Max Schmelling.

01:04:56An Atlanta-based southern corporation, Coca-Cola,

01:05:03needs the distributors in post-war Germany

01:05:06and Max's town.

01:05:07America will make Schmelling a white German

01:05:11with ties to the Nazi party, a millionaire.

01:05:15And Joe Louis, who was the symbol of democracy,

01:05:19will end up with nothing.

01:05:23Decency, fear play,

01:05:26a nice person,

01:05:29a hell of a professional,

01:05:30and a guy to get screwed by the United States of America.

01:05:34Hey, here's Joe Louis.

01:05:37Terrible.

01:05:38In the early 60s,

01:05:39Louis' money troubles abated somewhat.

01:05:42After ending his marriage to Rose Morgan,

01:05:45he wed Martha Jefferson,

01:05:46the first black woman...

01:05:48If you're a low-down, dirty punk...

01:05:51What do you mean, suing for annulment?

01:05:55The IRS is after this guy,

01:05:57and you're suing for annulment.

01:06:02You want to go a few rounds with the champ?

01:06:10I'm going to practice law in California.

01:06:13On Louis' behalf,

01:06:14Jefferson made a deal with the IRS,

01:06:16whereby the government

01:06:18would not collect on the 1.3 million

01:06:20that Louis still owed,

01:06:21only on future earnings.

01:06:23As Louis' tax problems finally receded,

01:06:26so did his star power.

01:06:29With Muhammad Ali at the center,

01:06:31a new generation of black athlete

01:06:33was stepping into the spotlight.

01:06:38He outlived his time.

01:06:41To the more strident,

01:06:43more vocal African-American athletes

01:06:46of the 1960s,

01:06:48Joe Louis looked out of place...

01:07:09He had trouble dealing with young black men

01:07:13and the way they were expressing

01:07:14their understandable anger

01:07:16at the pace of racial change

01:07:18in the United States.

01:07:21The rage of the black man

01:07:24was not shared by Louis,

01:07:27who predated that rage,

01:07:28and was ill-equipped to be hateful,

01:07:31because he was of another time.

01:07:34Joe Louis is making himself

01:07:36an awful time for white people.

01:07:38Are you serious?

01:07:39Negros don't follow

01:07:41and idolize this part of Joe Louis.

01:07:44Ali went beyond the limit of dignity

01:07:50in berating people.

01:07:54Joe Louis wasn't a showman,

01:07:57he was a professional.

01:07:58But other than that,

01:08:00Joe was a very quiet,

01:08:02soft-spoken person.

01:08:05The Joe Louis that the world now knew

01:08:07was a far cry from the godlike figure

01:08:10he had been.

01:08:11As Louis went on by the late 60s,

01:08:15he started to change.

01:08:17He's smoking,

01:08:18he's drinking,

01:08:19and then, eventually,

01:08:21drugs enters into the picture,

01:08:23and most insidiously,

01:08:25cocaine.

01:08:26Suddenly,

01:08:27the cheering stopped.

01:08:29And you're a has-been.

01:08:30So I think that those things

01:08:32had a lot to do with Joe Louis

01:08:33getting in with the kind of people

01:08:35he got in with.

01:08:36Because underneath the world

01:08:37of the champion athlete,

01:08:38underneath is this really kind of

01:08:40dark sort of world

01:08:42of drugs and prostitution,

01:08:45and he kind of drifted into that.

01:08:47Joe was coming up to Las Vegas,

01:08:49and I remember when my husband

01:08:52took a man that came up to Joe

01:08:54and was shoving something to him,

01:08:57and Joe was giving him

01:08:58some kind of money,

01:08:59and Ash took him

01:09:00and just threw him down the steps.

01:09:02At my father's darkest moment,

01:09:05he got very depressed,

01:09:06and a part of that depression

01:09:08was associated with drugs.

01:09:10I don't know all the details of it

01:09:12other than the fact that I do know

01:09:14that he had some moments of paranoia.

01:09:19He would take his bed

01:09:21and move it out

01:09:21to the center of the room,

01:09:23open up all the windows.

01:09:26He felt that the air vents

01:09:27in the hotel

01:09:28were maybe being poisoned.

01:09:30He's afraid of things.

01:09:32He thinks the FBI's out to get him.

01:09:34He thinks the mafia's out to get him.

01:09:35He imagines conspiracies.

01:09:38He ate nothing

01:09:39that didn't come out of a can

01:09:40or a jar.

01:09:42That was his fear

01:09:43that somebody was going to try

01:09:44to poison him,

01:09:45and he wasn't a Joe

01:09:47that I had known

01:09:47for 25, 35 years.

01:09:49He was this big, sick man.

01:09:52I went to the house,

01:09:54and I lived in that house

01:09:55when I was in college,

01:09:56and I'd had a desk lamp.

01:09:58And literally,

01:09:58I came to see my dad,

01:09:59and the desk lamp

01:10:00was fully detached.

01:10:04He'd unscrewed everything,

01:10:05and I said,

01:10:05what did you do

01:10:06with my desk lamp?

01:10:07He says, well,

01:10:08I had to see

01:10:08if there were any microphones

01:10:10in there.

01:10:11In May, 1970,

01:10:13Joe Barrow was so concerned

01:10:14about his father's state of mind,

01:10:16he arranged to have him hospitalized.

01:10:18When the sheriff's department

01:10:20went to take him

01:10:22to the hospital,

01:10:24he said, why are you here?

01:10:25Well, we've got this document.

01:10:26He said, let me see this document.

01:10:27Well, who's that signature?

01:10:28Well, that's your son's signature.

01:10:30And when he saw me later,

01:10:32it was basically,

01:10:32he said, why did you do this?

01:10:34Why didn't you come

01:10:34talk to me about it?

01:10:36And I said, well,

01:10:37you need help.

01:10:38And it was just like,

01:10:40you know,

01:10:40this relationship

01:10:41that was so fragile anyway

01:10:44because I didn't see him

01:10:45very often

01:10:45was just, for me,

01:10:47gone forever.

01:10:48Lewis spent the next

01:10:50six months in treatment.

01:10:51In October of 1970,

01:10:53he left the hospital

01:10:54and was recruited

01:10:55to Las Vegas

01:10:56by an old army buddy,

01:10:58Ash Resnick,

01:10:59then an executive

01:11:00at Caesars Palace.

01:11:01And he brought Joe here

01:11:03to be a guest host

01:11:05here at Caesars.

01:11:06Why people were dying

01:11:08to meet him

01:11:09and shake his hand

01:11:10and Joe loved to do it.

01:11:12When he came to Caesars,

01:11:14we were working

01:11:14in the same pit together.

01:11:17He was a greeter.

01:11:20But he didn't do

01:11:21too much greeting.

01:11:23He would go

01:11:24to the crap table,

01:11:24you know,

01:11:25and people would

01:11:25just give him money

01:11:27just to gamble with him.

01:11:29And if he won,

01:11:30he kept the money.

01:11:32Here he is in the casino

01:11:33and he's like

01:11:34the manservant,

01:11:36the house guy,

01:11:37like a doorman in a way.

01:11:39So he was,

01:11:40in his retirement period,

01:11:42he was not a heroic figure

01:11:43in ways,

01:11:44a pathetic figure.

01:11:45Even though it was a

01:11:48somewhat demeaning job,

01:11:50I never saw

01:11:53that poor me scenario

01:11:55from him ever.

01:11:58and I spent a lot

01:11:59of time with him

01:12:00when he was at Caesars.

01:12:02In Las Vegas,

01:12:03Lewis was back

01:12:04in the public eye,

01:12:05living comfortably

01:12:06among friends

01:12:07who had helped him

01:12:08financially

01:12:08in his darkest days.

01:12:10To them,

01:12:11he was still a hero.

01:12:13I mean,

01:12:13you can talk about him

01:12:14being broke,

01:12:15but this is a man

01:12:16who never had to pay

01:12:17for dinner in his life.

01:12:18He always had a roof

01:12:18over his head.

01:12:19He always had people

01:12:20looking after him.

01:12:20We've been friends

01:12:21for about 35 years.

01:12:23And the first time

01:12:24I ever saw him

01:12:25because I've been

01:12:26cheering ever since.

01:12:27None of Lewis' admirers

01:12:29showed greater affection

01:12:30for him

01:12:30than an old friend

01:12:31who years earlier

01:12:32had turned to Lewis

01:12:33for a favor.

01:12:35A long time ago,

01:12:36when Sinatra was on stage,

01:12:39he had asked Joe

01:12:40to come on stage

01:12:40with him and do an act.

01:12:42And in fact,

01:12:43I think it was $10,000

01:12:44that he offered

01:12:45to pay Joe

01:12:46to make the appearance.

01:12:47And Joe told him,

01:12:48you can't pay me anything.

01:12:49And he made the appearance.

01:12:51And of course,

01:12:52they sealed their friendship.

01:12:54And like Sinatra said,

01:12:56it would do anything for him.

01:12:58Sinatra kept his word.

01:13:01In 1977,

01:13:02when Lewis developed

01:13:03heart problems,

01:13:05Sinatra arranged

01:13:06to have him flown to Houston

01:13:07and seen by a specialist.

01:13:09Following heart surgery,

01:13:11Lewis suffered a stroke

01:13:12and was confined

01:13:13to a wheelchair.

01:13:14We'd help get him

01:13:15in the wheelchair.

01:13:16We'd take him out

01:13:17to Caesars

01:13:17so he could have lunch.

01:13:19But the man

01:13:21that we knew

01:13:21just wasn't there anymore.

01:13:23I think the pictures

01:13:24that some people

01:13:25in our society

01:13:26remember of Joe Lewis

01:13:27is when he would attend

01:13:28a fight in Las Vegas

01:13:29and they'd go to him

01:13:31and there he would be

01:13:32in his wheelchair

01:13:32with his cowboy hat.

01:13:34Not the lasting view

01:13:36you wanted

01:13:36of a Joe Lewis

01:13:37who had that low

01:13:38of impact

01:13:38for so many years

01:13:39on so many people.

01:13:41On April 11th, 1981,

01:13:44the public got its last look

01:13:46at Joe Lewis.

01:13:47As you look at

01:13:48maybe the guy

01:13:48who wrote the book

01:13:50on Hooded Weight Boxing

01:13:51and there is Joe Lewis.

01:13:52He is Rickside

01:13:53attending tonight.

01:13:54I think it was

01:13:54Holmes versus Cobb

01:13:56in the ring.

01:13:58Later that night,

01:13:59Lewis' heart gave out.

01:14:00I always knew

01:14:01that I would not be

01:14:02with my father

01:14:03when he passed

01:14:05and I got this call

01:14:06from my roommate

01:14:07who basically said

01:14:10they're trying to reach

01:14:11you from Las Vegas.

01:14:12Your dad has died.

01:14:15Joe Lewis died today

01:14:17in Las Vegas.

01:14:18The legendary

01:14:18Brown Bomber

01:14:19who was heavyweight

01:14:20boxing champ

01:14:20longer than any other man

01:14:21was a month

01:14:22from his 67th birthday.

01:14:24Joe Lewis will be buried

01:14:25Tuesday in Arlington

01:14:26National Cemetery.

01:14:27The Brown Bomber

01:14:28was an inspiration

01:14:29to millions of fans

01:14:30and friends.

01:14:35Lewis did not qualify

01:14:36for burial

01:14:37in Arlington

01:14:37National Cemetery.

01:14:40But President Reagan

01:14:41waived the requirements

01:14:42and awarded him

01:14:44full military honors.

01:14:46This man will be assured

01:14:47of a place

01:14:48in the hereafter

01:14:50because of the joy

01:14:52he is bringing

01:14:53to the multitude.

01:14:54He was a champion

01:14:56for freedom

01:14:56in my mind

01:14:57and he deserved

01:14:58to be laid to rest

01:15:00among champions

01:15:02and fighters

01:15:02for freedom.

01:15:06He's a man

01:15:07that you have to say

01:15:08that if he hadn't lived

01:15:10this century

01:15:10would have been

01:15:11different.

01:15:13Lewis made

01:15:14white America

01:15:15confront race.

01:15:18Confront success.

01:15:21He made a dent.

01:15:23He was the one

01:15:24who smashed

01:15:25who smashed

01:15:25the idea

01:15:26that blacks

01:15:27weren't good enough.

01:15:29He began the dynamic

01:15:30that a generation later

01:15:33changed our national pastime

01:15:35baseball.

01:15:37I do not want to suggest

01:15:40that Jackie Robinson

01:15:41was not a national hero

01:15:42but to suggest

01:15:44that he was

01:15:44the pathbreaker

01:15:46for black athletes

01:15:48is historically inaccurate.

01:15:52The first

01:15:53was Joe Louis.

01:15:55I would say

01:15:5750-50

01:15:59the first

01:15:59was

01:16:00Jack Johnson.

01:16:04It was a wonderful

01:16:06spring day

01:16:06in Washington

01:16:07when the

01:16:08green blossoms

01:16:08were out.

01:16:10The playing of taps

01:16:11and the

01:16:13gun salute.

01:16:14It was just

01:16:15a recognition

01:16:16of who he was

01:16:17and it was

01:16:18probably the one time

01:16:20that I could really say

01:16:21what I meant

01:16:21about my dad

01:16:23and

01:16:24thank him

01:16:25for being

01:16:26who he was

01:16:26for so many people.

01:16:30The measure

01:16:31of a hero

01:16:32lies not only

01:16:33in their accomplishments

01:16:34but also

01:16:35in the size

01:16:36of their hearts.

01:16:37Joe Louis

01:16:38was such a hero.

01:16:40He loved his country

01:16:41and stood up for her

01:16:43in a time of need.

01:16:44He forgave her

01:16:45even when she

01:16:46betrayed him.

01:16:47The humblest of men

01:16:49the grandson

01:16:50of slaves

01:16:51Louis

01:16:52lived the American dream

01:16:53and showed a nation

01:16:54the value

01:16:56of humility.

01:16:57By his example

01:16:59he helped

01:16:59move America

01:17:01and when he

01:17:02passed on

01:17:02he left a world

01:17:04far better

01:17:04than the one

01:17:05he had entered.

01:17:06Music

01:17:07Ivan

01:17:08.

01:17:10.

01:17:11.

01:17:12You

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