In 1936, Max Schmeling handed Joe Louis his first professional loss. Louis returned to form following the loss, winning 11 straight, including heavyweight gold.
And perhaps the loudest a Zamboni was ever cheered at Joe LouisArena was ... The crowd went absolutely nuclear, and in 2017 The Detroit News ranked it as the top WWE moment in Joe Louis Arena's history.
On Jan. 9, 1942, heavyweight champion Joe Louis won his 20th straight title defense, knocking out Buddy Baer in the first round. The next day, he enlisted in the Army... .