June 21, 1952
On June 21, 1952, the Pittsburgh Courier promised readers that the newspaper would have an exclusive take on the upcoming title fight between “Sugar” Ray Robinson and Joey Maxim. “Courier readers will able to ‘see’ the fight from ringside through the eyes of Joe Louis...an expert in analyzing a fight if there ever was one...Louis, one of the master boxers of all time when in his prime, will tell Courier readers next week, just what happens when these two skillful ringmen meet in what is being billed as the ‘battle of the champions.’”
The bout took place on a sweltering night at New York's Yankee Stadium. Robinson dominated the fight, but was overwhelmed by the heat and could not continue after the thirteenth round. Maxim defeated Robinson by technical knockout. On June 28, the Courier ran Joe Louis’ take on the fight (as told to sportswriter Ric Roberts): "If ever I wanted to do a pal a favor, it was in that fatal thirteenth round, when Ray Robinson had proved he was twice as good a boxer as Joey Maxim and, at that point, needed only six more minutes of stamina to win Maxim’s title. I just wish it could be possible for me to lend some of my strength to Ray, so he could have won the fight. Maxim did not beat him, Ray just ran out of gas."