The good Joe Louis, already one thing of a legend, made his first protection as heavyweight champion in opposition to Welshman Tommy Farr simply 9 weeks after his title-winning knockout over James J. Braddock. Few thought Farr able to troubling Louis, not to mention successful, however the challenger’s stubborn preventing type, coupled with Louis’s lethargy, supplied for an extended and attention-grabbing combat wherein each males could be damage and a controversial resolution rendered. The announcement that Louis had retained his title was met not by a Bronx cheer however unabashed booing, as many felt the courageous Welshman had been robbed.
Farr, son of a bare-knuckled battler, started his skilled boxing profession on the exceptional age of 13 and by the point he met Louis he had already fought over 100 bouts. Against this, Louis had solely 33 professional fights, managing in that area to smash his method by the rankings and turn out to be champion. His solely defeat, an enormous upset, was to Germany’s Max Schmeling a 12 months earlier at Yankee Stadium, a stain that—to his nice vexation—he nonetheless hadn’t acquired a chance to avenge. Louis had prodigious energy and eight of his final 9 victories had come by way of stoppage. Most believed that as quickly as Louis’ fists made contact with Farr’s chin the Welshman could be retired, leaving Louis to pursue the extra essential enterprise of a return bout with Schmeling and the reclaiming of his, and America’s, sense of pugilistic superiority.
True warriors like Farr, nonetheless, have an excessive amount of spirit to ever be so casually dismissed, since their identities are indistinguishable from, and largely predicated on, how they carry out in fight. From the opening bell Farr attacked with verve, reaching the champ with onerous physique photographs. He continued the tempo within the second, touchdown some harmful hooks, after which started coming excessive with the precise hand. Nevertheless, the motion was not one-sided, as by this level one of many champion’s blows had opened a nasty gash on Farr’s face which his nook scrambled to take care of.
Preventing irrepressibly, Farr continued attacking, weathering a troublesome fifth spherical and successful the sixth. Within the seventh, Louis hammered Farr with a collection of uppercuts however the challenger remained undaunted and bipedal. In maybe his greatest second, the Welshman hit Louis with a fantastic left hand within the eighth, sending the group right into a shocked frenzy. For the primary time within the combat, Louis appeared weak however the champion reclaimed the bout within the tenth and eleventh rounds when his sensible jab asserted itself. Farr’s exercise decreased over the combat’s last rounds, however every time it regarded as if his mounting fatigue would possibly result in a stoppage, the challenger, his eyes ever extra veiled by his personal blood, responded with a vigorous assault.
Farr fought valiantly within the last spherical as he sensed solely a knockout might unseat the champion. Too clever to be drawn right into a doubtlessly disastrous brawl, Joe’s counter-punching ensured he emerged from the spherical unscathed and from the competition along with his world title intact. Along with the group’s displeasure with the choice, there was some confusion when the decision was introduced because the referee mistakenly raised the challenger’s hand.
Farr although was gentlemanly in defeat and neither protested nor regarded notably aggrieved. Whereas he misplaced the combat, he gained widespread acclaim. He had given a splendid account of himself whereas giving “The Brown Bomber” one in every of his hardest fights. As Louis went on to turn out to be probably the most dominant champion in heavyweight historical past, this stands as a significant accomplishment all by itself.
— Eliott McCormick
