The best I've faced Joe Louis

Louis was rocked by Tami Mauriello and knocked out by a few, but the only man to consistently give him trouble related to power I found to be Jersey Joe Walcott...they fought twice and Louis hit the deck plenty of times.

 

He was also really close friends with both of those guys. Conn was in the military touring with Louis. I've seen video of him talking arms around the shoulders of Baer during their career. When Louis became champion, Baer asked him for a rematch for financial sake and Louis at least seemed to have tried to push for it.

I think Louis would have not rated Marciano or Charles properly on the grounds that he himself was at that time no longer a good test of opponents' skills.

And how could he not regard 1936 Schmeling as the best fighter he has ever faced? It is really not debatable.

 

..bazza...louis was knocked out twice in his career...once by schmeling before joe won the title and once by marciano after he lost the title. it was his last fight.

he was knocked down by walcott exactly three times....twice in their first fight and once in the second.