Show I 1 0 I 1 I 1 1 0 ell V 9 1 I 1 I 1 by ROBERT mcshane 5 released by newspaper ul JOE LOUIS the b busiest fighter in the history of heavyweight competition looked like the louis of old when he disposed of buddy baer recently in the seventeenth defense ol of his title the brown bomber has lost little of his sharpness and ferocity though a few of his past fights been up to standard the champ is there with everything necessary when the chips are down buddy was a badly beaten young man when he stumbled down the ring steps and up the aisle leading to his bis dressing room but for all that he vindicated the fighting heart of the baers it was five years ago september 24 1935 that max buddys buddes older brother went down to complete and ignoble defeat at the hands of louis maxle maxie really try he was beaten long before he stepped into the ring it was like pitting a playful but scared puppy against a lean and hungry wolf buddy gave the fight everything he had he knocked louis through the ropes onto the apron of the ring Y buddy baer grins happily as he displays display the picture of joe louis hanging out of the ring in the first round of their bout during the first round blood was flowing from the champs left ey eye e when the fifth round ended then early in the sixth round one of louis short rights caught baer flush on the j jaw aw buddy reeled reeled around and fell flat on his face in the middle of the ring it looked like th the fight was over but buddy was on his feet at the count of nine louis connected with his right again and buddy took another count of nine when he struggled to his feet it was obvious that he was whipped but it was just as obvious that his courage was unshaken foul or not As he instinctively tried to ward off the champs blows the bell ended the round A second later the finishing blow landed on buddys buddes jaw knocking him cold referee arthur donovan claims the blow landed exactly when the bell rang ending the round newspaper men at the ringside claim the blow landed a second or two after the bell rang that controversy like the dempsey long count episode never will be decided of course it wont become as important a part of fisticuff history but it will furnish ammunition for endless arguments in this writers opinion the argument is a bit bif silly obviously baer was beaten he had absorbed punishment almost to the saturation point and then theres the champions record in the ring no breath of scandal has touched louis he fights with a fairness that no one questions certainly he is out to win but always according to the sportsmens sports mens code buddy unlike max was cheered at the end of the fight he had done his best and showed no fear of the dusky champion in other words he put up a much better fight than did his older brother brother buddy the type he a salesman but he had something that max lacked a fighting heart he went down but he went down scrapping to the last during his 17 title defenses louis has met better fighters than buddy also he has met worse some of the men who climbed into the ring with joe were strictly second raters built up to championship proportions by plenty of ballyhoo they figured a beating was inevitable but their share of the gate receipts convinced them the beating was well worth while buddy figure things that way he believed he had a good chance to take the crown and was determined to do his best |