December 5, 1947: Joe Louis defends the Heavyweight Championship of the World against Jersey Joe Walcott, at the old Madison Square Garden. Joseph Louis Barrow had held the title for 10 years. Arnold Raymond Cream, a son of an immigrant from the U.S. Virgin Islands, had named himself after Joe Walcott, from the Caribbean island of Barbados, who held the Welterweight Championship from 1901 to 1906. Jersey Joe, from Pennsauken, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, was 33, and was thus becoming the oldest man ever to fight for the heavyweight title to that point.
Louis, 56-1 going into the fight, has been called the greatest Heavyweight Champion ever. Those who disagree cite his fighting of what came to be called "The Bum-of-the-Month Club." Most of his opponents were not on his level, although a few were, including Max Schmeling and Billy Conn.
But Louis had trouble with mobile boxers, and Walcott, 42-13-1, was one of them. He knocked Louis down in the 1st round, stunning the live crowd and a nationwide radio audience. He knocked Louis down again in the 4th. As the fight went on, it looked like the twilight of a god: Louis, only 4 months younger than Walcott, looked done.
The fight went the distance, and many observers believed Walcott deserved to be named the winner. But Louis was given a split decision. It was a very controversial decision, even mentioned on an episode of M*A*S*H, 35 years later.
The decision wasn't based on race, as Walcott was also black. It was almost certainly based on money: A rematch could be held in warm weather, outdoors, at the enormous Yankee Stadium, and make more money. Louis won that fight by knockout, on June 25, 1948.
Walcott finally won the title on July 18, 1951, by beating Ezzard Charles. He and Walcott fought 4 times, Charles winning the 1st 2, Walcott the last 2. At 37, he was the oldest man ever to win the title. He lost the title a year later, to Rocky Marciano.
He later refereed the 2nd Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston fight. In 1971, he was elected Sheriff of his native Camden County, the 1st black Sheriff in New Jersey, serving for 3 years. From 1975 to 1984, he was the Chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. He died in 1994, 10 months before George Foreman replaced him as the oldest Heavyweight Champion ever. He had outlived Louis by 13 years.
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December 5, 1947 was a Friday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek: Neither the college ranks, nor the NFL, nor the rebel All-America Football Conference played any games that night. And there were no games scheduled in the NHL.
One game was played in the Basketball Association of America, the league that became the NBA 2 years later: The Boston Celtics beat the Providence Steam Rollers, 73-69 at the Boston Garden.
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