Could prime Joe Louis overcome 1974 George Foreman

That's why I think Joe has a relatively (not entirely) easy time with Foreman, the styles might actually be that much in his favour. Foreman does best against fighters he can physically push around and manipulate, which is why he did well against a swarmer like Frazier, and would decapitate someone like Marciano, and have an easier time against someone like Tyson or Dempsey than most guys would.

But Louis was the exact kind of fighter that I think can exploit all of Foreman's flaws, and perhaps with the most damaging results out of any other fighter that might have been able to beat George. Neither of them had the fastest of feet, and they compensated in different ways for that. Louis by being technically and mechanically excellent, and Foreman by using his mummy guard to put his opponents in positions that favoured him. Unfortunately for Foreman, he can't rely on his mummy guard and physical strength against Louis, otherwise he would be asking to get knocked out.

Louis often held an opponent's arm into place while hitting him, and said opponent couldn't really throw anything meaningful with his free hand due to the angle and distance (and the fact that Louis was pounding his face into oblivion). Louis could also easily just take a step back and make Foreman overextend like Ali did and counter him over the top with multiple shots while Foreman's trying to catch himself.

Disturbing Foreman's balance was far from the hardest thing to do. The moment Ali held his head and disturbed his balance, all that physical strength went down the drain up close. I'm confident in Louis' inside game, and while Foreman's strength in his preferred range is all there for us to see, his lack of inside ability and difficulty being balanced really makes it hard for me not to see Louis giving him the Ali treatment up close ( though probably not to that extent). Foreman's feet were slower than Joe's, and his footwork was certainly far worse, so he is not winning a battle of positioning either.

So, Foreman really cannot afford to stay long in there against Joe. He would most likely get countered all night long at middle and long range without doing much damage when he does eventually land, and most likely get a bit manhandled up close. He really just has to come out and blow him out, and a lot of guys that tried to rush Louis only got a punch or two in, before realising that they were stumbling like Judah against Tzyu. Foreman was a murderous puncher, but is just a handful of shots enough to get Louis out of there, as good as a finisher that Foreman is ? And would Dick Sadler and Archie Moore think that Foreman rushing a counter puncher as deadly as Louis is a good idea ? I think the answer to both is no.

 

You make some good points and one not so good. There's not a snowflakes chance in hell Louis does anything like Ali did regarding disturbing his balance and taking away his physical strength - not a chance. For it being so easy i sure don't remember others doing much with it. Ali was one of a kind and not only very strong but extremely educated in using that strength in all the right ways to outmanoeuvre Foreman. He's also taller and 16 pounds heavier than Louis. As it was he sacrificed a lot of damage to the body in these endeavors and i can't for the life of me see Joe's lean midriff coming out of that sort of punishment very well.

I'd favor Joe mildly but would not be surprised if Foreman got the job done.

It's a great match between two great fighters.

 

It's fireworks.

Foreman forced confrontation by taking away the jab and cutting off escape routes. Louis would likely oblige and who knows what happen then. George has better chin, but is an inferior, less precise combination puncher.

 

And not many boxers bar Ali can get away with pulling down somebody's head so blantantly and with such force.

 

A very pertinent point!!!!

 

Should have phrased it better than just '' probably not to that extent'', yeah. Louis would not do the exact same thing Ali did up close, he did not fight that way. What I meant was that he would be capable of disturbing his balance and manhandling him by turning him around, since I'm not confident in Foreman's stability up close.

 

Cheers Loak!!!!

 

It's actually an i in caps mate, not an L. But what the hell, many posters have gotten my name wrong here, I've gotten used to it. Greg Price once named me Iokaeim, and I suddenly found myself fighting against some midgets.

 

Oops sorry mate!!!!!!

 

If he took turkesterone and tongkat ali , then maybe

 

Ioakeim Tzortzakis. Ioakeim Tzortzakis. Ioakeim Tzortzakis. Ioakeim Tzortzakis. Ioakeim Tzortzakis. I think I have it now! Do not feel too bad about it. On another site I am often called "Shat" and once with an i in place of the a.

 

The level of opposition that Joe Louis fought against wasn’t good enough to prepare him to fight someone of the caliber of prime George Foreman. Foreman is a whole different gravy compared to Schmelling and Baer. Foreman wins via TKO in less than 10 rounds.

 

I'd argue Schmeling was better technically than Foreman

 

Schmeling was a great counter-puncher no doubt. But again just as I said for Louis, Foreman is a whole different level in terms of power and Baer is not a close comparison at all. I don’t know how Louis or Schmeling would be able to tank Foreman’s punches.