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Joe Louis
Louis died of a heart attack in Desert Springs Hospital on April 12, 1981, just hours after his last public appearance viewing the Larry Holmes-Trevor Berbick heavyweight championship. Ronald Reagan waived the eligibility rules for burial at Arlington National Cemetery, and Louis was buried there with full military honors on April 21, 1981.
" Following Louis' death, US President Ronald Reagan said, "Joe Louis was more than a sports legend -- his career was an indictment of racial bigotry and a source of pride and inspiration to millions of white and black people around the world."
In 1994, the bronzed boxing glove that Louis used to defeat Max Schmeling was donated to the city of Detroit by the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Dubbed "The Glove That Floored Nazi Germany," it was enshrined in a plexiglass case at the city's Cobo Center, a monument to Louis's enduring legacy.
altRecord - Joe held the Heavyweight Championship longer than any other Champion; Louis scored 43 knockdowns in his first 22 Professional bouts; Only Jack Kranz and Hans Birkie were not floored; He fought as an amateur light-heavyweight (175-lb class); His amateur record reportedly was 50-4 with 43 knockouts
Nat Fleischer ranked Louis as the #6 All-Time Heavyweight;
Charley Rose ranked him as the #4 All-Time Heavyweight;
Herb Goldman ranked him as the #6 All-Time Heavyweight; Louis was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
Joe Louis
Louis uttered two of boxing's most famous observations: "He can run, but he can't hide" and "Everyone has a plan until they've been hit.
Louis made 25 defenses of his heavyweight title from 1937 to 1948, and was a world champion for 11 years and 10 months. Both are still records in the heavyweight division.
His most remarkable record is that he knocked out 23 opponents in 27 title fights, including 5 world champions.
Golf, In 1952, Louis was invited to play in the San Diego Open on a sponsor's exemption, becoming the first African American to play a PGA Tour event.
An indoor sports venue is named after him in Detroit, the Joe Louis Arena.
Molefi Kete Asante listed Joe Louis on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.
On August 26, 1982, Louis was posthumously approved for the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given to civilians by the U.S. legislative branch.
A memorial to Louis was dedicated in Detroit (at Jefferson Avenue & Woodward) on October 16, 1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Time, Inc. and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot-long (7.3 m) arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot-high (7.3 m) pyramidal framework. It represents the power of his punch both inside and outside the ring.
On February 27, 2010, an 8-foot (2.4 m) bronze statue of Louis was unveiled in his Alabama hometown. The statue sits on a base of red granite outside the Chambers County Courthouse.