The Fight |
Article
From Jack Johnson to Joe Louis, black athletes challenged the color line in America.
The Fight |
Article
A lightweight at 135 pounds, Blackburn fought well against larger men.
The Fight |
Article
Jack Dempsey's boxing style consisted of constantly bobbing and weaving, and his attacks were furious and sustained.
The Fight |
Article
When Schmeling saw a film of a heavyweight championship fight in his early teenage years, he was hooked.
The Fight |
Article
Joe Louis was the 10-to-1 favorite over the German boxer Max Schmeling before their first bout on June 19, 1936.
The Fight |
Timeline
Learn about the intersecting lives and careers of Louis and Schmeling.
The Fight |
Article
Hitler won supporters by speaking out against the post-WWI terms that had punished Germany.
The Fight |
Article
In 1936, Americans looked on as Hitler remilitarized Germany, rejecting the terms of the Versailles Treaty.
The Fight |
Article
On November 9, 1938, Germans initiated a wave of destruction and violence against Jews across the nation.
The Fight |
Article
By June 1940, Europe was officially at war, as the Germans advanced across northern Europe.
The Fight |
Article
When a friend took Louis to Brewster's East Side Gymnasium and introduced him to boxing, he fell in love with the sport.
The Fight |
Primary Source
Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist Walter "Red" Smith remembered Joe Louis' strength of character in a New York Times column shortly after the boxer's death.
