Bill Cayton's PRIME TIME BOXING Presents:
Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano
This audio CD takes you back to Madison Square Garden October 26, 1951. You will "see" the classic Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano bout, for the first time, through the incredible blow-by-blow commentary of the legendary Don Dunphy. With Don Dunphy is the great Bill Corum.
Joe Louis wasn't just a fighter, although he was one of the all-time greatest. Joe Louis was the awesome symbol of American might. He helped knock down the walls of racial prejudice with his flashing fists and quiet dignity. Joe gave people hope, and inspired millions of others who gathered around the radio grimly trying to survive the great Depression. He had destroyed Hitler's aryan “Superman” Max Schmeling in just one round. He was the Heavyweight Champion from 1937 till 1949. In his time, Joe Louis made more money than any athlete in history. He was also a very compassionate man, who just gave his money away. During the Depression, Joe even sponsored a touring softball team, giving up a $200,000 boxing tour just so his buddies would have jobs.
Louis had given up his crown after KO'ing Jersey Joe Walcott, but he was forced to mount a comeback to pay the massive IRS tax bill partly caused because he had donated his two purses after joing the Army. Joe was 67-2 with 53 KO's. Ernest Hemingway had once called Joe Louis, “The most beautiful fighting machine I have ever seen.”
Joe lost to Ezzard Charles in 1950, in a revious “comeback” bid for the world championship. But Charles was knocked out by Walcott on July 8, 1951 -- three months before Louis faced Marciano. The young, bull-like Rocky had won 37 in a row, with 32 KO's. A win would mean another shot at Joe's old crown.
Rocky Marciano was born September 1, 1923, in Brockton, Massachusetts. He was a murderous right hand puncher, who had ironically failed in a tryout as a catcher with a Chicago Cubs farm team.
Calling the fight is Don Dunphy, who called every great fighter from 1941 to 1981. No other announcer every dominated his sport like Dunphy. It was June 18, 1941 that Dunphy did his first big fight: Joe Louis and Billy Conn.
“Are you nervous?” the Brown Bomber asked Don at the Louis-Conn weigh-in. “Well, don't worry. Once the bell rings, you'll do alright.” “I never forgot Joe's kindness,” remembered Dunphy, still grateful forty years later.
Don Dunphy described more than 2,000 fights in a sportscasting career that spanned 50 years. Dunphy broadcast almost every major sport, but it was boxing in which he made his biggest impact. He broadcast more than 200 title bouts, including 50 for the heavyweight championship.
Since he had described the fights involving heavyweight champions Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali, Don Dunphy was asked in July of 1998 how he would rank them. “That's too tough, Dunphy said. “But I will tell you this: Marciano threw the best punch I ever saw to knock out Jersey Joe Walcott and win the Heavyweight Title.”
About PRIME TIME BOXING
Programming that cannot be duplicated or found anywhere else, PRIME TIME BOXING features the legendary Don Dunphy, the all-time most dynamic and knowledgeable boxing commentator describing the most exciting and memorable fights of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson and all the other great champions.
Through the incredible magic of the original radio broadcasts listeners will be able to "see" the fights for the first time - in the theater of their mind! A magical replay of exciting sports history presented on audio CD, PRIME TIME BOXING includes the greatest fights ever, including many that have never been filmed or broadcast on TV.
