Heavyweight trouble in Shropshire

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In the middle of WWII, one of the most famous men on earth found himself in the unlikeliest of places: rural Shropshire. Joe Louis, heavyweight champion of the world and American sporting icon, was stationed at Prees Heath alongside thousands of Black US troops sent to Britain. 80 years on, the stories about Joe still reverberate around the boxing clubs and pubs in the county. Did the "Brown Bomber" really box locals who fancied having a pop at the world number one? And whilst Louis came as part of the war effort, the story he left behind was not about boxing, it was about race, dignity, and the quiet stand a global superstar is said to have taken against segregation in the county. BBC Radio Shropshire's Mark Elliott tells the incredible story of Joe Louis's time in Shropshire.