End of an Era

A large number of people will simply refues to believe that Joe Louis is no longer the best heavyweight prize fighter in the world. It is difficult to imagine any other man ascending to the championship Louis held for over a decade, and these people will prefer not to make the effort.

For Louis acquired a remarkable permanence through years when nations tottered and ideologies collapsed. The Louis legend grew, and thousands of people who never saw the man box became his devotees and were saddened by his defeat.

Louis did not lose to Ezzard Charles alone. Age, the supreme destroyer, collaborated with Charles. The mere passage of time made Louis vulnerable to any younger opponent possessing skill and courage.

It was unfortunate that Louis could not have remained retired; that would have been far more fitting. But Louis does not lose a great deal of luster by his defeat, for posterity will remember him as the patient, deadly stalker. There will be heavyweight boxing champions for decades to come, a fact which will become easier to accept as the years pass. Right now it is not so easy.