82 years ago

Date: 23rd May 1941

Title: World Heavyweight Title

Promoter: Mike Jacobs

Tv:

Joe Louis
( 48 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 201¾ lbs

Buddy Baer
( 59 - 5 - 0 )
Weight: 237½ lbs

Joe Louis defended his World Heavyweight Championship for the seventeenth time on May 23, 1941, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Facing him in the opposite corner was challenger Buddy Baer. The match, overseen by referee Arthur Donovan and judges Jimmy Sullivan and John Trigg, ended controversially, with Louis declared the winner by disqualification in the seventh round.

Baer, unranked by the NBA and The Ring magazine, stepped into the ring as a significant underdog against Louis, a 10-1 betting favourite. Despite the odds, 23,912 spectators gathered, producing a gross gate of $105,183, marking the first World Heavyweight Championship bout ever held in Washington, D.C.

The fight was not without drama. In the first round, Baer delivered a powerful left hook that knocked Louis through the ropes and onto the ring apron, a rare occurrence in heavyweight title fights. Louis managed to get up and climb back into the ring at the count of four, showcasing his resilience.

In the sixth round, Louis dropped Baer with a right, causing the challenger to rise at the count of seven, only to be knocked down again. Despite the crowd's roar, Baer staggered to his feet at nine, and the bell rang to end the round. However, Louis, not hearing the bell, rushed across the ring and floored Baer with another right. Baer had to be carried to his corner by his handlers, leading to a dispute.

Baer's manager, Ancil Hoffman, and his trainer, Ray Arcel, argued that Louis should be disqualified for hitting Baer after the bell. When they refused to leave the ring, Donovan disqualified Baer. Baer's camp contended that the last blow of the sixth round was struck after the bell, but Donovan maintained that it began before the bell sounded.

Ultimately, Baer's second refusal to leave the ring led to the disqualification. Baer barely beat Donovan's count of ten when he got up from the second knockdown in the sixth round, with the timekeeper noting that he counted Baer out. Despite the controversy, Louis was declared the winner by disqualification.

The post-fight quotes reflected the contentious nature of the bout, with Baer's camp claiming foul play. At the same time, Donovan defended his decision to disqualify Baer for his corner's refusal to follow instructions.