Joe Louis broke Max Schmeling's back on a foul?

[marbleheadmaui]

It wasn't a foul. At that time in the sport kidney punches, for example, were still legal.

I'm not sure why you think this information is a mystery though. It has been known and widely disseminatd in interviews, books etc. since the time of the fight. The most widely read magazine in the US at the time, Life Magazine, did a photo expose and discussion on this very issue right after the fight. The punch that broke Max's back has long been believed to be the source of Schmeling's scream.

[Master]

Max Schmeling's did turn his back and Joe kept on punching as the ref had not stopped it. Did not realise that it caused that much damage. Then again I would have hated to be facing Joe then who was out for revenge and in the peak of conditions. A bit like facing Roy Jones after his disqualification against Montell Griffin. No one was going to deny them a victory.