Description
Both Joe Louis and Max Schmeling were born into poverty and used boxing as a way up the economic ladder, becoming icons in their home countries in the process. In America, Joe was a symbol of hope, especially to blacks yearning to participate in the American dream. In Germany, Max was a symbol of the supposed superiority of the Aryan race. The two men climbed through the ropes with the weight of their countries on their shoulders--and only one would leave victorious.