Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), known professionally as Joe Louis, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. He reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, and is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis' championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months, during which he participated in 26 championship fights.

Louis vs. Schmeling, 1936

Joe Louis (1941)

Quotes

• He can run, but he can't hide.
  • As quoted in The Coshocton Tribune, Coshocton, Ohio (9 June 1946). in response to interview question, "If he runs, will you chase him?" regarding Billy Conn, who planned to "hit and run" in their upcoming match.

• I did the best I could with what I had.
  • quoted by by Philip Roth

Quotes about

• The fellow who turned off the light and jumped into bed before the room got dark may think he's fast ... but just wait until Tony Galenta is poured into the same ring with Joe Louis.
  • Jack Troy, "All in the Game: No Sale Dept.," The Atlanta Constitution (May 27, 1939), p. 8

• We helped plow the fields, build the dams, write the poems and sing the music of America. Are not all Americans proud, of Doree Miller, of Frederick Douglass, of Paul Robeson, of Joe Louis, of Marian Anderson.
  • Ollie Harrington Why I Left America and Other Essays (1993)