James Braddock vs. Joe Louis James Braddock vs. Joe Louis James Braddock vs. Joe Louis was a heavyweight professional boxing fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world between champion James J. Braddock and challenger Joe Louis. The fight took place on June 22, 1937 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. Braddock won the title by defeating Max Baer. Baer was supposed to have a rematch, but the fight never occurred. Baer instead fought Joe Louis. Louis defeated Baer, paving the way for Louis to fight Braddock for the title (although between the Baer fight and this title fight, Louis lost to Max Schmeling).
James J. Braddock also concern that if Schmeling won, the Nazi government would deny American fighters opportunities to fight for the title. Finally, American commentators had expressed opposition to the fight in light of the connections between Schmeling and Adolf Hitler, with whom the German fighter had been associated after his earlier victory over Louis. Braddock married Mae Fox in 1930 and the couple had three children, James (Jay), Howard and Rosemarie. Braddock enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and became a first lieutenant. He served in the Pacific theater on the island of Saipan, where he trained enlisted men in hand-to-hand