Joe Louis

Louis is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. The program is watched by more viewers than ABC's Good Morning America Weekend and CBS's Saturday Early Show. He was also named as the magazine's fighter of the year on four occasions, bettered only by Muhammad Ali's five awards. MSNBC's Natalie Morales, Amy Robach, Alison Stewart and Kristine Johnson, along with Today's National Correspondent Melissa Stark report the daily news headlines from the newsdesk. Louis was named by Ring Magazine's as boxing's number one puncher in history in 2003. Weekend Today is currently hosted by Lester Holt and Campbell Brown with weather reports from Janice Huff on Saturdays and Sean McLaughlin on Sundays. They had allegedly covered it with white paint on February 23 of that year. Lyne Pitts is the executive producer of Weekend Today.

White, pleaded guilty on charges of defacing the monument. Weekend editions are tailored to the priorities and interests of weekend viewers—offering special series such as "Saturday Today on the Plaza," featuring live performances by the biggest names in music and Broadway outside the studio throughout the summer. On March 25, 2004, two men, Brett Cashman and John T. Interaction with the crowd outside the studio is a major part of the program. It represents the power of his punch both inside and outside the ring. In addition, the show offers visitors to New York City a chance to observe firsthand the workings of a live television broadcast with its windowed studio on Rockefeller Plaza. and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot high pyramidal framework. The weekend broadcasts continue the Today tradition of covering breaking news, interviewing newsmakers, reporting on a variety of popular-culture and human-interest stories, covering health and finance issues and presenting the latest weather reports.

The sculpture, commissioned by Time, Inc. However, when major events in Washington happen during the morning hours, the program is broadcast from NBC studios in Wasington. A memorial to Louis was dedicated in Detroit (at Jefferson Avenue & Woodward) on October 16, 1986. The program is broadcast from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza in New York. He has a sports complex named after him in Detroit, the Joe Louis Arena, where the Detroit Red Wings play their NHL games. Five years later, on August 1, 1992, the Saturday edition made its debut, expanding the broadcast schedule of the Today franchise to seven days a week. His life and his achievements prompted famed New York sportswriter Jimmy Cannon to write "Joe Louis is a credit to his race - the human race.". The Sunday edition of NBC News' Today premiered on September 20, 1987.

He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. However, there are many female hosts waiting to take over including Ann Curry and Campbell Brown. Joe Louis died of a heart attack in 1981. Couric said she hasn't yet made up her mind if she will be leaving or staying with the Today Show. I regret Joe isn't still alive and we were still friends". Reports say that CBS is offering her 15 million dollars a year plus hosting 60 Minutes. When asked, on his 90th birthday, if he had any regrets he replied "I only have one. Couric can't negotiate a contract until her contract expires in May of 2006.

Max Schmeling was also heartbroken by Louis' death. This supposed feud was one of the factors (but certainly not the main factor) that led to speculations of Couric hosting the CBS Evening News as a replacement for Dan Rather. He ended the article with the words, "I was proud to have fought him and prouder still to have been his friend". Couric has denied these reports, and says she has been rather hurt by them. He recalled their classic fight and how close he came to defeating Louis. In addition, a few one-show victories by rival ABC Program Good Morning America has fueled rumors of a feud, and some even went so far to suggest that Couric might be replaced in the near future. After Louis' death, Conn wrote an article in Reader's Digest magazine called "Unforgettable Joe Louis". Some report also suggest that Couric has become a bit too proud (some say obnoxious) because of this, and began to offend Lauer and the rest of the hosts.

Louis had also become close friends with Billy Conn. Reports say that this was due to Katie Couric's prominence in the show and the general perception that she is the only person who can guarantee high ratings for the news program. They remained friends until Joe Louis' death, when Schmeling paid for his funeral and was one of the pallbearers. Beginning in 2004, there were rumors that the hosts of Today were in the midst of a feud. In fact, Schmeling and Louis became close personal friends over the years, and the compassionate Schmeling (who was awarded control of the German Coca-Cola bottler after WWII) would often send him money. On December 11, 2005, the show marked its 10th year of placing first in the ratings. In his later years, he got a job welcoming tourists to the Caesar's Palace hotel in Las Vegas, where many world boxing champions and legends from other walks of life, including old rival Max Schmeling, would visit him. In 1999, a later version of Today called Later Today was launched with hosts Jodi Applegate, Florence Henderson, and Asha Blake; sagging ratings in that final hour caused its cancellation in 2000.

Louis was eventually able to overcome his addiction. There's an early morning version of the show, called Early Today that now airs on NBC's cable counterpart MSNBC and on many NBC affiliates. His wife was forced to have him committed to a Denver mental hospital in 1970. Other hosts also served between Deborah Norville and Katie Couric. He began suffering from paranoia and delusions. Joe Garagiola also hosted the show twice, first from 1967-1973 and then again in the early 1990s. It was in the late 1960s that Louis also became addicted to cocaine. The hosts of the show include the following: Dave Garroway (1952–1961), John Chancellor (1961–1962), Hugh Downs (1962–1971), Frank McGee and Barbara Walters (1971–1974), Jim Hartz and Barbara Walters (1974–1976), Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley (1976–1982), Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley (1982–1989), Bryant Gumbel and Deborah Norville (1989–1991), Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric (1991–1997), and Matt Lauer and Katie Couric (1997–present).

Louis remained a popular celebrity until his twilight years, when he began suffering various illnesses, notably Pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome, and ran out of money. This segment also airs on WNBC-TV's NewsChannel 4 at 6PM and 11 PM on a monthly basis. A few years after his retirement, a movie about his life, The Joe Louis Story, was filmed in Hollywood. "Spanning" is a reel of odd and interesting sports highlights from the past month, with a recorded introduction and closing by Don Pardo. But later on in life, he was able to kick his drug habit. One popular monthly feature is "Spanning the World" with WNBC-TV sports anchor Len Berman. Louis faced a drug problem, a fact not too many people knew about but which was made public by a boxing book published by Ring Magazine, just as in Sugar Ray Robinson's case. Stark also acts as host of MSNBC Live.

Louis became a professional wrestler in 1956 but quit in 1957 due to injuries suffered during a match. Melissa Stark is National Correspondent for Today. He retired with a record of 68 wins and 3 losses, with 54 wins by a knockout. Weekend Today host Campbell Brown often subs for Couric. Louis did not embarrass himself that night, but it was obvious his best years had gone by. Also NBC News correspondent David Gregory has recently been added as substitute host for Matt Lauer. In 1951, however, he would box what would be his final fight: In front of a national television audience, Louis lost by a knockout in eight rounds to the future world Heavyweight Champion, Rocky Marciano. Morales is also a correspondent for the show.

Seven more wins followed, including a rematch with Brion and a decision over fellow hall of famer Jimmy Bivins. She often subs for Ann Curry and sometimes for Katie Couric. He kept boxing, and in his next fight he beat fringe contender Cesar Brion by a decision in 10. Natalie Morales can also be considered a member of the Today Show team. debt, he announced a comeback and was promptly given a chance to recover his title, but he lost a 15 round unanimous decision to world champion Ezzard Charles, who had won the title after Louis left it vacant. Both Roker and Curry have recently started interviewing guests and taking part in other segments in addition to their weather and news duties. In 1950, burdened by I.R.S. Alexis Glick is a correspondent for Today and appears during the 3rd hour of the program.Gene Shalit is the entertainment critic and Peter Greenberg is the travel editor.

On March 1, 1949 Louis announced his retirement from boxing. Al Roker does weather updates and Ann Curry reads news headlines. He still managed to fend off every challenger until he retired for the first time, after the second Walcott bout. The show is currently hosted by Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. After he came back to keep defending his title in 1946, Louis looked somewhat slower in his fights, and his best years seemed to have gone. He was president of the company from 1953 to 1955 (during which time Today's late-night companion, The Tonight Show , premiered), and then served as chairman of the board for another year. He even acted in a couple of movies, produced by the Army to entice men to go to the war. Today was the brainchild of Pat Weaver, who was then vice-president of NBC.

During this time, he became a national spokesman for the Army, inviting young men to join in and help their country in the war. (In summer 2005, CNN reversed the trend, moving its morning show indoors and uptown to the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.). Louis joined the Army from 1942 to 1945 and spent that whole period travelling around Europe visiting with the fighting troops and boxing in exhibitions. Since the premiere of the 1990s set, the morning shows of each of the major broadcast and cable-news networks has moved streetside -- including two of Today's Rockefeller Center neighbors, Fox News's Fox & Friends and CNN's American Morning. Apart from Schmeling, Farr, Mann and Thomas, other notable title defenses during that period were:. However, when major events happen in Washington during the morning, like presidential inaugurations, the show broadcasts from NBC studios in Washington. He set records for any division in number of defenses and longevity as world champion non stop, and both records still stand. Today moved to the current streetside studio in the mid-1990s, providing a link to the show's 1950s street-level set at the old RCA Exhibition Hall, also Rockefeller Plaza.

He was a world champion for 11 years and 10 months, after which he left his crown vacant. The studio is located right next to the street and many times the hosts do the weather or other events from outside. In between serving in the United States Army during the Second World War, Louis kept on defending his title, totalling 25 defenses from '37 to 1949. The show broadcasts from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center, New York, just across the street from NBC headquarters at the GE Building. Louis favored Willkie over FDR because he believed that Willkie and the Republicans would do more for civil rights. In other countries the format was copied - most notably in the United Kingdom with the BBC's Breakfast and ITV's Good Morning Britain; and in Canada with Canada AM. In 1940 Louis actively campaigned for Wendell Willkie for the presidency. It has spawned several other shows of a similar type, including ABC's Good Morning America, CBS's The Early Show.

But by beating a German boxer, Louis won over whites too, something very hard to do during the 1930s and 1940s in the United States. Fred Muggs as the show's mascot during the early years), and local news updates. Louis was black, so when he won the title, he had become an example to his fellow black Americans. The show successfully blends national news headlines, in-depth interviews with newsmakers, lifestyle features, other light news and gimmicks (including the presence of the chimpanzee J. With his superior speed, Louis retained his title by a knockout in the first round, avenging his only loss up until that time and achieving something not too many African-Americans of the era imagined anyone could do: becoming a national hero both for the white and the black population. Today was the first of its genre when it first signed on with host Dave Garroway. The fight itself ended quickly. Central Time/Mountain Time) on October 2, 2000.

This time the fight was hyped on both sides of the Atlantic, and many fans around the world saw this fight as a symbol: Louis representing the American interests and Schmeling, who was wrongly seen as a Nazi, fighting for Germany and white supremacy. Eastern Time/Pacific Time; 6:00–9:00 A.M. The rematch with Schmeling finally took place, on June 22, 1938. ET, until NBC expanded it to three hours (7:00–10:00 A.M. Louis retained the title three times, outpointing the capable Welshman Tommy Farr and knocking out Nathan Mann in three and Harry Thomas in five. For many years it was a two-hour program from 7:00–9:00 A.M. He said after the fight, however, that he would not feel like a world champion until he beat one man: Schmeling. Since 1958, Today is tape-delayed for the different time zones.

Louis was dropped in round one, but he got up and became the world champion by knocking Braddock out in round eight. Later, Today aired live for five hours a morning, but it was seen for only two hours in each time zone. Braddock in Chicago for the World Heavyweight title. When Today started in 1952, it was seen only in the Eastern and Central time zones, broadcasting three hours a morning but seen for only two hours in each time zone. 1937 came by, and after a ten round decision win over Bob Pastor, Louis was matched with world champion James J. . The referee stopped the fight right away. Ironically, the Nine Network's main rival, the Seven Network, tape-delays and broadcasts NBC's Today Show.

Among the boxers he defeated were former Heavyweight champ Jack Sharkey and Eddie Simms, who turned and asked the referee to take a walk on the roof with him after a hit from Louis. The Australian version has aired on that country's Nine Network since 1982. That year Louis had four more bouts, winning all of them, and three exhibitions. It first aired on January 14, 1952, an entirely new experiment not only in morning television, but also in the combination of hard news and light features. Schmeling now deserved a fight for the title, but was denied a chance to challenge the world champion in large part due to his relatively weak ties to the German Nazi Party. Today (commonly referred to as The Today Show) is a morning news and talk show airing on the NBC television network in the United States. Louis and his supporters were devastated.

Schmeling managed to weather Louis's pummeling long enough to exploit this weakness and bring down Louis. The German had studied Louis and discovered that he dropped his left hand after throwing his legendary left jab. In his next fight, however, he was matched with former world Heavyweight champion Max Schmeling, who was thought to be fading when he upset Louis by a knockout in 12 at New York. He began 1936 knocking out Charlie Retzlaff in the first round.

His last four bouts that year were exhibitions in Canada, as one fight versus Isodoro Castagana, supposed to take place December 29 at Havana, Cuba, was suspended. He won each of his fights, and he began to face better opposition, beating former world Heavyweight champions Primo Carnera and Max Baer, and former Carnera world title challenger Paolino Uzcudun. In 1935, he boxed 13 more times, and started touring the United States and Canada. Among his opponents in 1934 were Art Sykes and Stanley Poreda, both top contenders.

He won 12 fights that year, all in Chicago, 10 by knockout. Louis made his debut on July 4 of that year, knocking out Jack Kracken in the first round at Chicago, Illinois that night. He went on to win Michigan's Golden Gloves title, after which he turned professional in 1934. The son of Monroe Barrow, a cotton picker, and Lilly Reese, a homemaker, Louis became interested in boxing after the Barrows moved to Detroit in 1924.

. Joseph Louis Barrow (1914-1981), better known in the boxing world as Joe Louis and nicknamed The Brown Bomber, was a native of Lexington, Alabama who became World Heavyweight Champion. his two fights versus future world Heavyweight champion Jersey Joe Walcott, who would drop Louis in round four of their first bout and lose a close decision, then get knocked out by Louis in the rematch in 11 rounds. In the rematch, Louis won by a knockout in the eighth round.

His decision to go toe-to-toe with Louis turned out to be his downfall, as the champion KO'd Conn with a vicious barrage. Near the end of round 12, though, Conn visibly hurt Louis, so he decided to go for a knockout in the 13th. Conn, much smaller than Louis but also much faster, said that he planned to "hit and run,' prompting Louis's famous response, "He can run, but he can't hide." For 12 rounds it appeared that Conn would prove Louis wrong; his agile footwork, blinding hand speed and ability to slip punches stymied Louis, and Conn was so far ahead on points that only a knockout could save Louis. his two fights with world Light Heavyweight champion Billy Conn, the first of which is remembered as one of the greatest fights in heavywieght history.

his two fights with Chilean Arturo Godoy, who almost did something no other boxer from Chile has ever done and no Hispanic had done before: Become world Heavyweight champion in their first bout, which Louis won by a close decision, and when Louis won the rematch by a knockout in the eight round, a riot broke loose at the Madison Square Garden. his fight with Two Ton Tony Galento, who upset the boxing world by knocking Louis down in round one, but Louis got up and knocked Galento out in the fourth. his fight versus world Light Heavyweight champion John Henry Lewis, knocked out in the first.