Did anyone actually say he was a bum? Or do they agree he was a true great just differ on the degree? Genuine question.
During WW2 and the Korean War. The most depleted the World's boxing gene pool has ever been. He basically started his Championship run around the time WW2 broke out and held his belt until Korea was underway. The importance of this can't be overstated.
I've seen no posts calling Louis a bum. But like always, there's lots of "Louis annihilats both brothers" posts that goes without comment from fans like Lunny....
Louis is def overrated, though great in his time, and still an ATG. But he got gift decision vs Walcott. And fought some bums. And was losing to a LHW for 12 Rds. And I have also said that beginning with Liston, all or nearly all HW champions since would have defeated Louis. All too big, or too fast, or too good etc. Includes: Liston, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holyfield, Lennox, one or both K bros, and others. Louis himself said doing commentary on the Clay- Liston fight that Liston was too big and powerful for him.
In context Joe Louis is the best HW of all time If you took a time machine and brought him here to fight Wlad it would look like an absolute joke. Yeah he looks good on film, but how you look depends on the opposition your facing. The fact that people peg him as some sort of superhuman despite being an inferior athlete is hilarious (yes athletes from 100 years ago aren't even comparable to modern athletes). Andre Ward is a hell of a boxer too but I wouldnt favor his chances against Wlad either. Size does matter you idiots. BTW dont forget while he looked like a big puncher, he was wearing four ounce gloves. Imagine Wlad or Tyson hitting someone with those on.
No, hell no, Walcott was too inconsistent and unreliable in too many important fights for him, he had gathered a bunch of looses (16 or 17, i can't be arsed to search it), and in his what would be prime years, lost to some guys that he honestly shouldn't. He was capable to survive Marciano's onslaught till the late rounds only to get KTFO in the 1st round of the rematch...highly inconsistent and unreliable;school Byrd?....i think not. as for Schmelling, he won the title on a foul against Sharkey and lost it 1 fight later to the same guy; he does nothing to me or to suggest me that he could give Byrd fits, and Byrd style is all wrong for him. Both of these fellas are prime example of fan's rose tinted glasses and bias towards old boxers. Both of them had a very short reign , neither one of them was as consistent or had wins as good as Byrd's on their resume, yet they are held in much higher regard. Byrd will go down in history as a tragically underrated fighter.
Yeah, circus freak show Carnera HW champion; the HW belt changing hands at each fight; ice truck driver Galento, nr.1 contender and floored what many believe to be the greatest HW champion of all time; Braddock one of teh weakest champions the division ever had; a 170 pounder wreaking havoc in the divison and giving hell to the HW champion that many consider the greatest. **** me sideways isn't that the strongest HW era of all time?
Klitschkos cannot be beaten by the legends of the past. Only great fighters of today like Purrity, Brewster, Sanders, and Byrd could withstand their onslaught.
Wrong! Joe Louis had sick power,sick accuracy and sick combos. Joe Louis would kill Haye and Klitschko. Joe Louis knocked out huge opponents such as the 6-6' 260 pound Carnera, the 6'5" 220 pound Buddy Baer, and the 6'4" 255 pound Abe Simon, he is one of the great punchers of all time, his knockout percentage is 76% but at his retirement as champion his percentage was 83.6%) Joe Louis would still be tappin' that ass today.