In their first meeting, Schmeling repeatedly countered Louis’ jab with right hands and scored a 12th round knockout. The win handed Louis the only loss of his professional career and set the stage for a rematch that quickly became one of boxing’s biggest draws.
The rematch had political significance that neither fighter originally sought.
The battle took place during a period of increasing tension between Germany and the United States. As a result, coverage of the rematch often focused on more than boxing.
The rematch drew more than 70,000 spectators to Yankee Stadium. Radio coverage has reached an estimated 70 million listeners in the United States and over 100 million worldwide.
Worldwide, the audience was believed to be over 100 million.
Louis understood the importance of the rematch. A few weeks before the battle, he visited President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. According to contemporary reports, Roosevelt told the champion, “Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany.”
Louis did not approach the reunion cautiously.
Seconds after the opening bell, he pressed forward and began landing hard shots. Schmeling tried to recreate the strategy that brought him success in their first meeting, but he was unable to establish his jab until Louis took control of the fight.
A crushing body shot visibly hurt Schmeling. Moments later, Louis sent him to the canvas with a right hand. Schmeling got up, but the punishment continued. Another barrage caused a second knockdown, and a third followed soon after.
With Schmeling badly injured and unable to defend himself, referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight at 2:04 of the first round.
The official result was a first round TKO for Louis.
The fight lasted just 124 seconds. Louis threw 41 punches and landed 31 of them, while Schmeling was credited with only throwing two punches during the fight. Schmeling was later admitted to the hospital, where doctors discovered several cracked vertebrae in his back.
The result remains one of the most famous victories of Louis’ career and is still remembered as one of the fastest championship rematches in heavyweight history.
Louis continued his reign for more than a decade, making a record 25 consecutive heavyweight title defenses. Schmeling resumed his career and later gained recognition for helping Jewish families during the Nazi era.
Although once rivals, the two men later became friends. Schmeling often visited Louis in Las Vegas and later served as a pallbearer at his funeral in 1981.
