The buildup was epic. Mid-June, 1937. Joe Louis would meet titleholder Jim Braddock for the world heavyweight boxing title. The fight would be in Chicago, one of the best locales for these big events.

The Old Red Barn, Olympia Stadium, played host to the Detroit Red Wings for five decades, plus plenty of dynamite musical groups.

“For Joe Louis to be embraced as an American icon, as an African American, and to be recognized as a symbol of American grit with working class appeal, that was unprecedented,” stated ...

Jack Johnson's historic boxing win on July 4,1910, upset much of America. But the next Black world heavyweight champ remains an American icon.