Gene Tunney vs Joe Louis

[Theron]

15 Rounds?

[McGrain]

This thread is entirely dependent upon how sold you are on the Tunney chin.

[MadcapMaxie]

I could see Tunney utilising his much faster footwork to steal a dec, from the plodding Louis or could see Louis setting up Tunney and finishing him off with a combo or 2. It was people who were around Louis' size and/or smaller who gave him the most trouble but still a toss up for me. Guess I'd slightly favour Tunney.

[MadcapMaxie]

Originally Posted by McGrain

This thread is entirely dependent upon how sold you are on the Tunney chin.

Biggest thing regarding his chin tho, is for the most part nobody ever found it. However one doesn't go 70+ proffesional fights with only 1 knockdown from the greatest puncher of the era without having some sort of solid mandible. I'm fairly convinced he's got a good set of whiskers and also has great recovery.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by McGrain

This thread is entirely dependent upon how sold you are on the Tunney chin.

I think it's equally dependent on his emotions and his ability to keep cool.

Tunney's chin would be the equal of Conn's I think , and his power considerably superior.
Louis would not be so laissez faire coming into Tunney's right cross as he was against the hot headed Conn's punches.

Conn is the template for Tunney who would be comparable in speed , but stronger , 20lbs heavier,and hit appreciably harder.
If Louis tagged Tunney , the Marine would run, if his legs weren't under him ,he would hold,and clinch till his head cleared, what he would not do is trade.

Conn= fire, Tunney= ice.

Chin? Well the best puncher he met dropped him , but he took some big wallops when he went down and ,imo, looked capable of getting up inside the original count if he had to, whether he was capable of surviving the round is another matter.
Tunney didn't meet a gaggle of punchers but even so only Dempsey dropped him. Tunney has a good chance of stealing points dec, imo.

[mattdonnellon]

Originally Posted by mcvey

I think it's equally dependent on his emotions and his ability to keep cool.

Tunney's chin would be the equal of Conn's I think , and his power considerably superior.
Louis would not be so laissez faire coming into Tunney's right cross as he was against the hot headed Conn's punches.

Conn is the template for Tunney who would be comparable in speed , but stronger , 20lbs heavier,and hit appreciably harder.
If Louis tagged Tunney , the Marine would run, if his legs weren't under him ,he would hold,and clinch till his head cleared, what he would not do is trade.

Conn= fire, Tunney= ice.

Chin? Well the best puncher he met dropped him , but he took some big wallops when he went down and ,imo, looked capable of getting up inside the original count if he had to, whether he was capable of surviving the round is another matter.
Tunney didn't meet a gaggle of punchers but even so only Dempsey dropped him. Tunney has a good chance of stealing points dec, imo.

See above for my opinion! One thing about Tunney in general, he could be quite aggressive when he wanted to and Farr, Charles, Schmeling and Conn didn't do well be running against Joe, they stood right in the zone for the most part.

[Abdullah]

Tunney W 15

[RockyJim]

Tunney was a student of the game...one of the smartest men to ever set foot in the ring..
..he would study the different aspects of Joe's style...like he did against his other opponents...and I think he might find a way to pull out a 15 decision...

[Stevie G]

Originally Posted by Theron

15 Rounds?

Tunney's clever boxing causes Louis no end of problems in the early going and by the seventh or eighth,Gene is ahead by three or four rounds on the judges cards. Eventually though,Louis starts to break down Tunney's defence and lands more and more frequently. This culminates in Joe stopping Gene in the late rounds.

[Clinton]

Louis late tko

[Boxing Wizard]

Like all great comparisons of different eras this can go either way. However looking at similar styles and results against them I would have to give the edge to Tunney. He would have been the cleverest boxer Louis ever fought and good boxers did give Louis trouible. Louis was not a swarmer in the style of Frazier or Marciano who I think would have overwelhmed Tunney. Styles make fights and Tunney would have had time in this matchup that would have allowed him to pile up the points to win a decison.

[Bummy Davis]

From what I saw from Tunney as a heavyweight he would be effective with his movement and toughness, he was more fluid than Braddock and stronger than Conn so I give him an even fight going into the later rounds but Louis was dangerous for 15 rounds and I think Joe catches up with him and Joe was one of the best finishers ever. Louis 14 or 15 by KO

[Stevie G]

Boxing Wizard - Your assessment makes a lot of sense,but I just feel that if an ancient version of Jack Dempsey could catch Gene (The long count) a prime Louis,who was faster than the 1927 Dempsey,could do so even easier.



Welcome to the site,by the way

[JLP 6]

Conn was kayoed and so would be Tunney.

Tunney did not have the power to get Louis of the 2nd Schemling bout attention. Tunney could not for any moment stop and exchange. The timing of that Joe was precise and deadly. I see Tunney looking good like most great movers do against punchers but, when it comes down to closing the deal I don't think Joe lets him.

I think Joe hunts and hunts and hurts Tunney enough that Tunney is forced to basically run or be kayoed. Because he is a great fighter like Conn, he will not be happy to run out the clock. He will try to capitalize on his advantages and sooner or later he would be struck down.

No knock on Tunney. Ali would have just a rough a time on his way to a close points win over Louis.

[Webbiano]

A question that's popping into my mind is could Joe Louis put on the same sort of pressure that the late 20s version if Dempsey did. Personally I think yes and I believe Louis is a better puncher than Dempsey prime for prime (not by much) and is a much better finisher than the late 20s Dempsey which is why I'd take Louis by stoppage whether it be 10, 12 or 15 rounds. I don't feel Tunney is that proven at heavyweight and don't think he'd do that well against the best H2H heavyweights of all time even with a major stylistic advantage