Joe Louis

Louis is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame. One possibility could be current GMA Weekend weatherwoman Marysol Castro. He was also named as the magazine's fighter of the year on four occasions, bettered only by Muhammad Ali's five awards. It has not yet been announced who the new weatherman (or woman) will be. Louis was named by Ring Magazine's as boxing's number one puncher in history in 2003. Perkins affectionately said to his young child on the air, "Connor, if you're watching, daddy's comin' home.". They had allegedly covered it with white paint on February 23 of that year. Perkins announced that he was going to go home to his family and would be living in Washington, D.C., where he would go back to WTTG-TV, where he was previously a weather personality.

White, pleaded guilty on charges of defacing the monument. The last ten minutes of the day's show was dedicated to Perkins, where he gave thanks to one of the show's producers and a heartfelt goodbye to the three anchors, Charles Gibson, Diane Sawyer, and Robin Roberts. On March 25, 2004, two men, Brett Cashman and John T. On December 2, 2005, weatherman Tony Perkins left Good Morning America, where he has been the weather personality since 1999. It represents the power of his punch both inside and outside the ring. Hartman signed off the show that day with his trademark close "From all of us, make it a good day." On that day Good Morning America became the first morning news show to broadcast in HDTV. and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot high pyramidal framework. Former co-hosts David Hartman and Joan Lunden, along with former meteorologist Spencer Christian were among the guests of honor.

The sculpture, commissioned by Time, Inc. On November 3, 2005, GMA celebrated its 30th birthday with recaps to 1975 and by decorating Times Square. A memorial to Louis was dedicated in Detroit (at Jefferson Avenue & Woodward) on October 16, 1986. Good Morning America has won in timeslots in large markets like New York, which may give an indication that people may begin to choose them over The Today Show. He has a sports complex named after him in Detroit, the Joe Louis Arena, where the Detroit Red Wings play their NHL games. As of 2005, Good Morning America has still not prevailed over The Today Show, though it has had a few one-show victories on the day after Pope John Paul II's funeral, and then a Mariah Carey concert shortly after in 2005. 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.". She had been regularly filling in for Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gibson up until then.

He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. In May 2005, ABC announced former ESPN anchor Robin Roberts, the show's news anchor would be promoted to co-anchor. Joe Louis died of a heart attack in 1981. When he left to anchor WBBM-TV in Chicago, Robin Roberts replaced Mora. I regret Joe isn't still alive and we were still friends". Until March 18, 2002, the news was anchored by Antonio Mora. When asked, on his 90th birthday, if he had any regrets he replied "I only have one. ABC stuck with the Gibson and Sawyer team where they remain today as anchors of Good Morning America.

Max Schmeling was also heartbroken by Louis' death. However, Good Morning America ratings once again increased and battled The Today Show for viewership, though it has not yet proclaimed a victory in weekly viewership over The Today Show. He ended the article with the words, "I was proud to have fought him and prouder still to have been his friend". The team was meant to be temporary until ABC could find permanent replacements. He recalled their classic fight and how close he came to defeating Louis. It negotiated Gibson's return, teaming him up with Diane Sawyer. After Louis' death, Conn wrote an article in Reader's Digest magazine called "Unforgettable Joe Louis". In 1999, ABC became desperate to revive Good Morning America which viewers disfavored.

Louis had also become close friends with Billy Conn. The Today Show ratings skyrocketed and remained at the top spot into the mid 2000s. They remained friends until Joe Louis' death, when Schmeling paid for his funeral and was one of the pallbearers. News and weather were anchored by Ann Curry and Al Roker. 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. By this time, The Today Show was hosted by Matt Lauer and Katie Couric. 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. With McRee and Newman at the helms of Good Morning America, long time viewers switched to The Today Show.

Louis was eventually able to overcome his addiction. The show was almost killed when Gibson, too, left the show to make way for Kevin Newman in 1998. His wife was forced to have him committed to a Denver mental hospital in 1970. Lunden decided to step down after 17 years on the show, and was replaced by Lisa McRee. He began suffering from paranoia and delusions. But Good Morning America would stumble from its top spot in 1997. It was in the late 1960s that Louis also became addicted to cocaine. Lunden and Gibson were a hard couple to beat.

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. Good Morning America sailed into the 1990s with its overwhelming ratings success. A few years after his retirement, a movie about his life, The Joe Louis Story, was filmed in Hollywood. In 1983, CBS Morning beat The Today Show and took the second place spot after Good Morning America. But later on in life, he was able to kick his drug habit. It was hosted by Charles Kuralt and Diane Sawyer. 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. But CBS decided it wanted to get aggressive in the morning news talk show ratings battle, and it launched CBS Morning, using the same format used on Good Morning America and The Today Show.

Louis became a professional wrestler in 1956 but quit in 1957 due to injuries suffered during a match. In the 1970s and 1980s, the CBS television network, aired only hard news stories during the morning time slot shared by Good Morning America and The Today Show. He retired with a record of 68 wins and 3 losses, with 54 wins by a knockout. Gibson and Lunden prevailed over The Today Show. Louis did not embarrass himself that night, but it was obvious his best years had gone by. They became the most popular news partnership on television in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 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. Lunden was paired with Charles Gibson and ratings skyrocketed for Good Morning America.

Seven more wins followed, including a rematch with Brion and a decision over fellow hall of famer Jimmy Bivins. The partnership ended in February of 1987 as Hartman retired. He kept boxing, and in his next fight he beat fringe contender Cesar Brion by a decision in 10. Hartman and Lunden led the show through several seasons of success. 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. In 1980, Hill left Good Morning America and was replaced by Joan Lunden. In 1950, burdened by I.R.S. For the first time, Good Morning America became the highest rated morning news program in the United States as The Today Show fell to second place.

On March 1, 1949 Louis announced his retirement from boxing. Good Morning America continued to threaten The Today Show into the 80's, especially after the abrupt removal of Brokaw from his anchor desk in 1981. He still managed to fend off every challenger until he retired for the first time, after the second Walcott bout. Within a year, The Today Show managed to beat back the Good Morning America ratings threat with Brokaw and new co-host Jane Pauley, featuring Gene Shalit. 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. On August 29, 1976, Tom Brokaw began anchoring The Today Show while a search was made for a female co-host. He even acted in a couple of movies, produced by the Army to entice men to go to the war. Good Morning America ratings climbed slowly but steadily throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s while The Today Show experienced a slight slump in viewership, especially with Walters' decision to leave NBC for a job at ABC.

During this time, he became a national spokesman for the Army, inviting young men to join in and help their country in the war. Dussault was replaced in 1977 by Sandy Hill. 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. Good Morning America's first host was David Hartman, featuring Nancy Dussault as his co-host. Apart from Schmeling, Farr, Mann and Thomas, other notable title defenses during that period were:. America in November 1975 as Good Morning America, taking its title from the chorus of the Steve Goodman song "City of New Orleans". He set records for any division in number of defenses and longevity as world champion non stop, and both records still stand. After rave reviews for the pilot, the format replaced A.M.

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. The show's creators, Donald L. Louis was black, so when he won the title, he had become an example to his fellow black Americans. Also unlike both the NBC and ABC shows, The Morning Exchange was not broadcast from a newsroom set but instead one that resembled a suburban living room. 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. The Morning Exchange also established a group of regular guests who were experts in certain fields such as health, entertainment, consumer affairs, travel, etc. The fight itself ended quickly. America and The Today Show, The Morning Exchange took less of a straightfoward news approach by offering news and weather updates only at the top and bottom of every hour and used the rest of the time discussing general-interest/entertainment topics.

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. Unlike A.M. The rematch with Schmeling finally took place, on June 22, 1938. America but instead was airing a locally produced show called The Morning Exchange. Louis retained the title three times, outpointing the capable Welshman Tommy Farr and knocking out Nathan Mann in three and Harry Thomas in five. While looking around, they found that one of their affiliates, WEWS in Cleveland, was not broadcasting A.M. He said after the fight, however, that he would not feel like a world champion until he beat one man: Schmeling. The show could not find an audience against The Today Show, so ABC started to look for a new approach.

Louis was dropped in round one, but he got up and became the world champion by knocking Braddock out in round eight. ABC's show was hosted by Bill Beutel and Stephanie Edwards, with Peter Jennings reading the news. Braddock in Chicago for the World Heavyweight title. America in an attempt to compete with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) network production of The Today Show hosted by Jim Hartz and Barbara Walters. 1937 came by, and after a ten round decision win over Bob Pastor, Louis was matched with world champion James J. In January 1975, ABC launched A.M. The referee stopped the fight right away. .