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1940s Joe Louis Fight Worn Trunks
These dazzling purple and blue satin boxing trunks worn by the Brown Bomber during his long and epic reign as heavyweight champ may just be the best Louis item to ever be offered. Consider that these are not just a pair of trunks Joe took off the rack and discarded right after making mincemeat of one of his victims. A cursory look at them tells you these trunks are different, very different, and obviously very coveted by the most beloved champ ever. First, there is the purple color itself, a rare hue to be worn in '30s and '40s when bland white or black trunks was the order of the day in boxing. Clearly, Joe was ahead of his time donning bright purple, and he was one of the select few men who could have gotten away with it. Hell, Joe was so popular he could've gone into the ring wearing taffeta. There are also the letters "JL" stitched in felt onto the left side next to the blue trim, a similarly unique embellishment. Finally, there is the regal and rarely-found custom Everlast manufacturer's label on the center waistband that reads "Made Expressly for Joe Louis." Talk about a high symbolic honor! You can count on the fingers of one hand the champs who earned that cache. Indeed, Joe himself was so fond of these purple gems that he kept them through the years and later on personally presented them to a close business associate. A detailed LOA that accompanies the trunks explains how they were obtained and that Louis verified that he wore them during a ring career that saw him win 68 of 71 fights, 54 by KO, though the specific fights he wore them for is unclear. We don't think anyone will quibble, however, since Louis trunks like these are unlikely to ever come along again. Of couse, the same may be said of Joe Louis, who was the kind of champion they don't make anymore: humble, soft-spoken and honorable in every way. The fact that Joe's life out of the ring was filled with turmoil, drug addiction, tax troubles and financial woes caused by his own handlers ripping him off, he has only become more admirable for his understated class as a man and excellence as a fighter. Joe will be remembered for defeating (destroying, actually) Max Schmeling in their 1938 rematch on the eve of WWII, and his epitaph will forever be his succinct estimation of one opponent's chances -- "He can run but he can't hide." These trunks will only intensify the memories and metaphorical importance of Louis the man and the fighter. The condition of the trunks is, appropriately, excellent, with only a slight fading of the color and light browning of the Everlast label showing their age. A musem-worthy Joe Louis piece, if ever there was one. And, like Joe, without equal.
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