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1947 Joe Louis vs. Bill Petersen On-Site Exhibition Fight Poster
Displayed is an extraordinarily rare 1947 on-site boxing poster promoting an exhibition fight at Seattle's Civic Ice Arena between the World Heavyweight Champion, Joe Louis, and a local boxer, Bill Peterson. An African American, Louis had won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1937 with his defeat of James J. Braddock, and "the Brown Bomber" was now in his tenth year of defending his crown. Louis eventually held his Heavyweight Championship from 1937 through 1949, the longest span that any boxing champion in any weight division has held a World Championship. Louis would go on to defend his title 25 times, more than anyone in history. Louis had financial problems because his boxing management usually was entitled to half of Joe's fight income. Also, Louis was free with spending on himself and very generous in financially supporting relatives and friends. In addition, Louis had tax problems and needed to earn significant money. So, Joe often fought exhibition bouts to raise money; with an exhibition fight he could box without the fear of losing his World Heavyweight Championship through a lucky punch. Thus, the poster advertises Louis meeting Bill Peterson, an average heavyweight fighter who eventually had a lifetime professional record of 109 fights, with 56 wins, 45 losses, and 8 draws. Before 1947, Louis had two epic fights against Germany's Max Schmeling. In Louis-Schmeling I, in 1936, Schmeling was a 10-1 underdog, but the German stated that he had, "seen something" in Louis. What Schmeling had seen was that Louis had a habit of dropping his left hand, and Schmeling took full advantage and knocked out Louis in the 12th round. It was Louis' first professional loss, but after Louis became the World Heavyweight Champion, he met Schmeling in 1938, with the Nazi propaganda machine positioning the fight as an upcoming example of Aryan racial supremacy. Schmeling was never a Nazi or a racist, and he later became friends with Louis, even helping to financially support Louis, but the Nazi propagandists made the fight a test of Hitler's ideology. Before Louis-Schmeling II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt urged Louis to defeat Schmeling for the good of democracy. Louis was incredible in the second Schmeling fight as Louis knocked out the German in just over two minutes in a tremendous assault of punching power. The saddest fight of Louis' career came when at age 37, he fought the undefeated 28-year-old Rocky Marciano in 1951 in a non-title bout. Marciano had said, "The last person I want to fight is Joe Louis." Marciano, it was clear later, knew he would pummel Louis, and Rocky didn't want to do it, but he had to perform at his best and he destroyed Louis, knocking him out in the 8th round, and Louis' boxing career was over. Printed on the poster is, "BOXING SEATTLE/CIVIC ICE ARENA/TUES. JUNE 17 8:30 Sharp/THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD/JOE LOUIS/ Detroit Brown Bomber/VS. BILL PETERSEN/FIVE GREAT FIGHTS IN ADDITION/WHAT A SHOW/PRICES 1.75 - 2.50 - 3.75". The poster measures 22x28", matted and framed to 30x36". This poster is the only one we have seen. It is in great shape, and in NRMT in appearance. It is mounted on linen. Louis is pictured on the poster, and that makes the offering extra special. Louis was truly one of America's greatest heroes. and he was a vastly popular champion with all races, and this Joe Louis fight poster will draw interest from any observer.
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