“Priceless historical artifacts” Burglars stole ‘The Brown Bomber’ Joe Louis’s heavyweight championship belts from the Boxing Hall of Fame
After a robbery in Los Angeles, it was reported that the late Joe Louis's championship belts were stolen.
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Joe Louis (image credit- The Sun)
Joe Louis, whose full name is Joseph Louis Barrow, was an American professional boxer. He has achieved the legendary status of being one of the greatest heavyweight champions. Subsequently, Louis held the world heavyweight title from 1937 to 1949 and successfully defended his title 25 times, a record that has stood for decades. Hence, he is widely regarded as one of the most dominant and skilled heavyweight boxers in history.
As such, he was a national hero and an important figure in the African American community during a time of racial segregation and discrimination. Louis is also often compared to Muhammad Ali, and Ali considered him an idol. Hence, Louis’ legacy is mainly symbolized by his heavyweight titles. However, the symbol of his legacy was sadly stolen in a robbery at an office in Rolling Hills Estates. Furthermore, Ronald T. Schaefer spoke about the robbery, stating,
I’m sick about it because they were priceless historical artifacts. It may have just been a crime of opportunity.Ronald T. Schaefer via LA Times
The belts had been donated by Louis’s wife, who wanted to preserve the legacy of her husband. One of the belts that was stolen was the British Empire Belt, which Louis won in 1939. Subsequently, the other belt was the American Championship Belt, which he won in 1937 and became the heavyweight champion.
Schaefer told L.A. County Sheriff’s Department investigators that he went back to his office after making a public announcement about the belts. Furthermore, Schaefer stated that he left the belts in a locked office locker because it was too late for them to be returned to their normal location.
Joe Louis’s early life and death
Louis was born in 1914 as the seventh child in a family of eight in Lafayette, Alabama. Furthermore, Louis’s parents moved the family to Detroit for better opportunities. Subsequently, his talents as a boxer were first noticed in the East Side’s boxing gyms.
Hence, despite the family’s modest financial situation, the area’s boxing community accepted Louis and began training him intensively. Louis became the world heavyweight champion on June 22, 1937, and defended his title for nearly 12 years.
Louis passed away on April 12, 1981, and died of cardiac arrest at the age of 66 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After his death, efforts were made to honor his legacy, and he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
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Abhijay Roy
(551 Articles Published)