2006-06-14 11:30:14 · 4 answers · asked by abbottbe9 2 in Sports ➔ Boxing
MAX A GERMAN HAD BEATEN JOE LOUIS FOR HIS ONLY PRO LOSS IN 1936 AND THIS WAS AT A TIME WHEN NAZIS RULED GERMANY AND MUCH OF EUROPE. THOUGH MAX WAS A NICE GUY HE WAS PORTRAYED AS A VILLIAN AND JOE KNOCKED HIM OUT IN 1 ROUND. STRONG ARGUMENT HERE FOR GREATEST SPORTING EVENT BUT THE MATCH BETWEEN JOE FRAZIER AND MUHAMMAD ALI IN 1971 WAS ALSO A SPECTACULAR EVENT.
2006-06-14 11:36:21 · answer #1 · answered by toughguy2 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps for boxing. Some others will say that the 1980 USA vs. USSR hockey game at the Lake Placid Olympics may have been better.
Like Louis-Schmeling, the hockey game was played against the geo-political strife between the two nations at the peak of the Cold War.
The Soviets had invaded Afghanistan just a few months earlier, which led to a USA boycott of the Summer Olympics games to be held in Moscow that same year. When many of the Soviet athletes came to the Lake Placid games it was unclear whether all of them knew of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Aside from all of that, the USSR team was considered the best in the world, even better than any team in the NHL or their all-stars. The Soviets were mostly of professional age players.
The USA team had been routed by the Soviets just a few days before the Lake Placid Games. They were not expected to medal in those games, yet alone beat the USSR in the medal round. The core of the team was selected from the best collegiate players in the US.
However, in fairness to the Soviets, 12 of the 20 players from the USA team did end up playing in the NHL.
2006-06-14 18:56:12 · answer #2 · answered by sean_fagan_1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's still regarded as one of the greatest sporting events in history.
2006-06-14 21:50:36 · answer #3 · answered by allnationsca 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!
2006-06-14 19:01:41 · answer #4 · answered by Sister 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋