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| Date | October 26, 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marciano defeats Louis by 8th round TKO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joe Louis vs.Rocky Marciano was a professional boxing match contested on October 26, 1951.[1]
Following hisfirst defeat in over 14 years againstEzzard Charles in September 1950, former undisputed heavyweight championJoe Louis had returned to the ring two months later. With his debt to theIRS remaining he fought 8 times in the following 9 months, facing mostly club level fighters, with the exception of a knockout ofLee Savold and a points win overJimmy Bivins. Unbeaten contenderRocky Marciano had fought six times in 1951 stopping all but one of his opponents, the most notable was a 6th round knockout of top contenderRex Layne in July. On August 29, promoterJames D. Norris announced that Louis and Marciano would face off in a 10 round bout on October 11, outside at thePolo Grounds.[2] This was later pushed back to October 26, indoors atMadison Square Garden.[3] It was reported that this was done in order to avoid a clash with the1951 World Series between theNew York Yankees and theNew York Giants.[4] It was believed that theInternational Boxing Club had guaranteed Louis $300,000 for the bout.[5]
Speaking to the press during the build up Louis spoke of having a rematch with now former champion Charles and a third bout with new championJersey Joe Walcott, saying "Jim Norris spoke to me about fighting Charles in Miami this February, I'd like that. It would do good, don't you think?" He added that "As long as either Walcott or Charles is champion, I'm going to keep chasing, I don't know how long that's going to be, but I'll be waiting. I'm going to stick around while either one of them is champion. I can beat them. Of course if some 23-year-old kid comes along and wins the title somehow, then I guess I'll have to call it quits. Cause then, by the time I get a shot, my grey beard will be hanging around my knees."[6]
When odds for the bout opened Louis was a 12 to 5 favourite to win however as the fight neared they dropped to as low as 6 to 5.[7]
In front of a near capacity crowd of 17,241, Marciano would largely control the bout. The young contender would swarm Louis in the first round, shaking the former champ with a looping right to jaw late in the round. Louis was able to control the fourth and fifth rounds with his jab, bloodying the nose of Marciano as he was pushed back, however by the sixth Louis had appeared to tired and the much younger Rocky would take advantage. The 7th round saw Louis send bucking into the ropes by a right hand and later on he was bent double from a hook. At the start of the 8th, Marciano hurt Louis with a hook and soon after another left hook sent him down to the canvas. Louis beat the count but Marciano landed a left hook followed by a right to the jaw that send the Brown Bomber through the ropes and on to the ring apron prompting refereeRuby Goldstein to immediately wave it over.
At the time of the stoppage Marciano led on all three scorecards, with scores of 5–2, 4–2–1 and 4–3. The AP had it 4–2–1 for Marciano.[8]
Speaking in his dressing room after the bout Marciano told the press "I knew I had him when he dropped his right after that left hook. I'm glad I won, but sorry I had to do it to him."
Although Louis had said during his training camp that he would retire for good if he was knocked out or badly beaten, when speaking in his own dressing room he hesitated, saying "I won't say anything about retiring until Monday when I go to the IBC office I don't want to make any hasty decision. Marciano is harder to hit than he looks." When asked if Schmeling had hit him harder in hislast stoppage loss 15 years earlier, Louis asked "Well this boy took me out with two or three punches. It took Schmeling 100. Of course, I was 22 years old then."[9] While visiting the dressing room, Louis's former Army touring companion,Sugar Ray Robinson, reportedly wept, with Marciano also attempted to console Louis, saying, "I'm sorry, Joe".[5] "What's the use of crying?" Louis is reported to have said, "The better man won. I guess everything happens for the best".[5]
Louis would officially announce his retirement on 14 February 1952, saying "I made up my mind when I was knocked out by Rocky Marciano."[10]
Confirmed bouts:[11]
| Preceded by vs.Jimmy Bivins | Joe Louis's bouts 26 October 1951 | Retired |
| Preceded by vs. Freddie Beshore | Rocky Marciano's bouts 26 October 1951 | Succeeded by vs.Lee Savold |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jake LaMotta vs.Laurent Dauthuille II Round 15 | The Ring Round of the Year Round 8 1951 | Succeeded by |