JOE LOUIS VS. JACK SHARKEY

Year Published: 1936

Description: This film shows highlights of the 1936 boxing match between Joe Louis and former heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey at Yankee Stadium, focusing on Louis's performance immediately following his only professional loss at that time. In this match, 4-to-1 favorite Joe Louis (known as "The Brown Bomber"), decisively defeated Jack Sharkey by TKO in the third round. The match was a critical test for Louis, who had been knocked out by Max Schmeling two months earlier, with observers watching to see if that defeat had ended his career. 0:00: Pre-Fight Setup. The fight takes place at Yankee Stadium, New York City, on August 18, 1936, between Joe Louis (22, 199 3/4 lbs) and former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Sharkey (33, 197 1/4 lbs). Sharkey won the title in 1932 (from Max Schmeling) and lost it in 1933. This is Louis's first fight since his KO loss to Max Schmeling two months prior, and observers are watching to see if the devastating defeat has ruined him. Louis is a 4-to-1 favorite. 1:03: The referee is Arthur Donovan. Louis, "The Brown Bomber," doesn't waste time, aggressively using right crosses to the head and left hooks to the stomach. Sharkey, a classic boxer with a good straight left jab and right cross, fights back but gets trapped in the corner. Louis continues to belt away. Louis has a professional record of 28 bouts, 23 KOs, 4 decisions, and 1 stop (by Schmeling). Sharkey has 54 bouts with 15 KOs. The round ends with Louis consistently beating Sharkey to the punch. 4:07: Sharkey, who once modeled himself after Jack Dempsey, is now more of a stand-up fighter, but Louis, with his own style, is faster. Louis catches Sharkey with a short right, staggering him momentarily. Louis, showing tremendous power, pins Sharkey against the ropes. A solid right sends Sharkey down for the first knockdown (5:54). Sharkey gets up at the count of seven but is staggering, and Louis comes right after him, sending him down again for the second knockdown (6:13). Sharkey bravely fights back and holds on as the round ends. 7:07: A slow-motion replay of round 2 shows the power of Louis's punches, particularly the overhand right that led to the first knockdown. Sharkey is shown stunned and dazed, getting up at the count of eight, and then going down again after a right and a left hook. 9:15: The crowd senses an early KO as the fighters come out for round three. Louis is not impatient. Sharkey is hurt, and a solid right cross sends him down and through the ropes for the third knockdown (9:27). Sharkey gets up, but Louis pursues him relentlessly. Sharkey, no match for Louis, goes down again for the fourth knockdown (9:50); his mouthpiece is out. The fight is stopped. A slow-motion review confirms Louis's power and skill, proving that the Schmeling KO did not slow him down. A left hook to the stomach, followed by a left hook to the head, right uppercut, and left hook sends Sharkey down for the final time. Referee Arthur Donovan stops the fight. 11:47: Joe Louis is announced as the winner, defeating former champion Jack Sharkey. Louis himself went on to become the World Heavyweight Champion. The radio announcer is Ted Husing. Louis wins by TKO in three rounds at Yankee Stadium. Jack Sharkey was a Lithuanian-American boxer who held the NYSAC, NBA, and The Ring heavyweight titles from 1932 to 1933. He was the only man to fight both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. After losing to Louis in 1936, Sharkey retired with a record of 38-14-3 with 13 knockouts. Joseph Louis Barrow competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed "the Brown Bomber", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 until his (temporary) retirement in 1949. He was victorious in 25 consecutive title defenses, a record for all weight classes. He has the longest single reign as champion of any boxer in history. Louis's cultural impact was enormous. He is widely regarded as the first African-American to be regarded as a national hero within the USA.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQW0wTp1Cgw

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