If Joe Louis had started his career in 1948

I loved cross trainer's thread about Muhammad Ali starting his career in the above year.

How about a 20 year old Joe Louis doing the same thing ?

 

Would he have had an uninterupted march to the title ?

 

Say he turns pro in 1948. We assume that he fought just as actively as he did in his actual career, by accumulating 27 pro fights in just under two years. By 1950, he's a rated contender.. I think a prime Louis could have possibly beaten the best of the 1950's including Charles, Walcott, Moore, Marciano, Patterson, Johansson and Valdez.. Don't know if he get a 12 years reign though, because around 1959, he might have run into a peak Sonny Liston at which point Joe would be in his early 30's, and Sonny might have been able to take him out then.. Who knows?

 

His road to the title might have been difficult, but probably comparable to that of his actual career... Prior to winning the crown, Louis had to go through Max Baer, Primo Carnera, Max Schmeling and Jack Sharkey, losing to one of those. In this alternate career you've designed, he might have run into some tough guys along the way but I don't know if they would have been better, worse, or indifferent.

 

Liston would indeed have been his major test.

 

Louis lost to Max Schmeling his 2nd year in the ring, make sure you take this into factor.

 

Good point,SuzieQ. In this scenario,Joe could well lose to Walcott or Charles around 1950. He'd gain devastating revenge later on though.

 

:good


Marciano might be screwed in this scenario..because by the time Marciano is peaking 1952-1953...Joe Louis would be smack on the middle of his prime and he probably would never win the belt

 

Not sure on that, I think Marciano and Louis would have flip flop the title between each other, and would have perhaps been up there with Ali Frazier.

The question is, Would Rocky and Louis both be in the top 5 if the series are 2-1 going one way or the other. Marciano is a great also, and I think he will grab the title in the first or the rematch because the first is great. The 3rd fight would be who rules the rest of the 50's imo.

 

Peak Louis destroys all of those guys....though some might take two attempts

 

Or perhaps Marciano would beat Louis the first time like Godoy nearly did.

Personally, I'd still go with Louis. Marciano fought pretty evenly with an ancient Louis for a while.

 

I would not really compare that fight, That Louis was useing the jab and staying away and win on points, he was not really risking it to go for the knockout so to speak. Prime Louis would be in Marciano's punching reach and vice vesa. It will be a take and give kinda of affair. Marciano would not need to be chaseing Louis all over the ring in this prime for prime fight.

 

Ancient Louis was a pretty big guy, a solid 6'2 215lber with a powerful jab. Marciano was giving up 30lb in weight and 10" in reach. He had to overcome those disadvantages. Prime Louis was much better, but also around 197-200lb. Louis also fought more of a cautious jabbing approach keeping him at a distance in the rounds he won, where as a prime Louis would walk right into Marciano every round. I favor a prime Louis to knock Marciano out, but Marciano could definitely have hurt a prime Louis, and early too.

 

I also favor the Young version of Louis who dispatched Schmeling in their rematch. But I agree that he was sometimes careless in the early rounds as shown against Galento, Braddock, Godoy and B. Baer, none of whom were in the class that Marciano was.. I also tend to think that crouching fighters who swarmed on the inside were somewhat of a weakness for Louis, who I believe even said so himself. It would be a very tough fight to call.

 

Louis probably beats faded Charles & Cream but still finds his Schmelling :yep or 2 , and I don't mean Marchehiano necessarily .