Question for boxing historians.

The one fight I've seen more than any other is the rematch between "Joe Louis and Max Schmeling." Of course, everyone knows Louis put him out in one round. What some people don't know is that Joe broke Max's back. It was horrific to watch Max get up and not be able to use his right arm at all and later find out that he had damaged vertabras. Has any other boxer ever caused this injury to another competitor? (No Tyson jokes please.) If the answer is no (and considering Joe's other knockout victims) I think it's safe to say he's the hardest hitting fighter, pound for pound, in history. Never saw a guy who could knock someone up in the air with a 6 inch punch (Sure "Bruce Lee" could knock you off your feet but Louis knocked them in the air.).

Without changing the subject, let me say if I've learned one thing through my years, it's that a forgotton legend is a major tragedy. We're moving much too fast and our modern day fans would be mesmorized by fighters of old the way I was when I was in college. It was here that I discovered footage of Ray Robinson and Joe Louis. You disagree? Well, a wise man once said, "Miracles happen not to show us what is impossible, but to show what is possible." Everyone likes watching a phenomenon. These men are not to be forgotton.

In those days kidney punches were legal so that kind of punch could happen. I've never heard of a similar injury though.

The closest thing, and they aren't very close, I can think of are Ingo's twitching leg, Frazier breaking Chuvalo's face and Graziano trying to get the feeling back in his leg after the Robinson KO.

jones broke virgil hills rib. does that count? vitali just broke tons of bones in briggs face but that was over 12 rounds.

powerpuncher wrote:

jones broke virgil hills rib. does that count? vitali just broke tons of bones in briggs face but that was over 12 rounds.

Ribs aren't all that uncommon. The closest thing I can think of is Frazier breaking Chuvalo's orbital bone with a single shot.

[snaps fingers] I got a better one. Fred Apostoli basically ends Freedie Steele's career by breaking his sternum with a shot.