The Clash of Nations: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling

Set against the rise of fascism in Europe and racial segregation in the United States, this special follows the parallel lives and careers of American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling as they overcome social and political obstacles while hurtling on a collision course to two historic matchups in the ring, and a pivotal place in history. Their first fight in 1936 shocked the world, while their 1938 rematch at Yankee Stadium came to symbolize a larger clash between democracy and Nazism. It's the US versus Germany, and democracy versus fascism, symbolized by two human beings in a ring carrying the weight of the world.