Question

Explain why the second Schilling-Louis fight was about more than boxing.

Answer 1

Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling were two famous boxing matches, the first in 1936 and the second in 1938. Schmeling won the first confrontation by KO in the twelfth round, while in the second match, it was Louis who beat the opponent by technical KO in the first round. Although the two champions staged a remarkable show from a technical point of view, both of their fights are famous because they had significant social and political repercussions. As the greatest African American athlete of his time and most important black boxer since Jack Johnson, Louis represented the "pride of African Americans" in the 1930s. In addition, as a contrast between the United States of America and Nazi Germany, the two meetings symbolized the battle between democracy and totalitarianism. The performances offered by Louis in the two comparisons made him one of the first true African American national heroes of the United States.

Answer 2

The second Schilling-Louis fight was about more than boxing as it had tremendous implications about race and racial ideology. Schmeling won the first match by a knockout in round twelve, but in the second match, Louis won through a knockout in the first round. The rematch came only a few months after Adolf Hitler's army marched into Austria. As a result, it had tremendous political implications in the battle of democracy against fascism.