Joe Louis, widely regarded as the greatest Heavyweight Boxing Champion in the sport's history, was born into a poor family. His mother, determined to help her son escape poverty, purchased a violin and sent him to daily lessons. As he walked to these lessons, young Joe would pass by a boxing gym, where he eventually began training for a boxing career. Despite a disastrous start to his amateur career, with 16 knockouts in one fight, Louis was determined to continue and went on to post an outstanding amateur record with only five defeats in 60 fights.
Turning professional, Louis quickly racked up an impressive winning streak, earning the nickname "The Brown Bomber." He became the first boxer to defeat six heavyweight champions: Primo Carnera, Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, Jimmy Braddock, Max Schmeling, and Jersey Joe Walcott. Louis held the championship for almost 12 years, setting a record, and also set another record with 25 successful title defenses. He retired with a remarkable 60-1 record, only to make an unsuccessful comeback at the age of 37.
During his reign as champion, Louis volunteered to join the U.S. Army at the height of his career. He made two title defenses, donating his entire purses to relief funds to help both the Army and the Navy. He spent almost five years in the service, boxing hundreds of exhibitions. However, after the war, Louis was hounded by the Internal Revenue Service to pay back taxes on the purses he had donated, suffering terribly through this ordeal.
Eventually, Louis found himself broke and launched a "controversial" professional wrestling career, remaining undefeated in over 20 matches before retiring due to a heart problem. He was helped by his friend Frank Sinatra and went on to act in a few films, work as a host in Las Vegas, and make numerous appearances for boxing. Joe Louis died a few years after suffering a massive stroke and was buried with full military honors. It was said that he was most proud of his European-African-Middle Eastern Medal and his Victory Medal World War II. Throughout his life, whether in or out of the ring, Joe Louis was a true champion.
