Joe Louis top5 h2h ?...i don't see it

To be more specific - and realistic - I would say Joe Louis is the #1 or #2 head-to-head fighter within reasonable poundage of his actual weight; so up to about 215lbs. What more can you ask of a man in a divisional sport? Is it fair to rate him alongside behemoths of 240lbs and up? Of course it's not, just like it isn't fair for a 185lbs Rocky Marciano to be dissected in a debate where he is theoretically boxing opponents with an obvious, sheer physical advantage because stupidos and simpletons can't shut up and appreciate heavyweights on a pound-for-pound basis.

Louis beats any man from 210lbs and down (at least in a series), in my opinion, and beats a few good'uns much larger than that.

 

Every heavyweight fight is inherently a p4p fight though manassa, which is why size can be a factor when talent is fairly equal.

i hear what you are saying though.

 

I am not sure that being big is particularly helpful against Louis.

It just seemed to make people a bigger target.

 

I don't disagree there, though a lot of that has to do with the lack of depth in the heavyweight division.you could make a middleweight list of hundred's of fighters before they start to become so-so.Heavies you get to about 20 or 30.

I'd have Louis around the 5-7 mark i think.

 

But we don't pitch Marvin Hagler against light heavyweights - actually, sometimes we do, and he invariably ends up on the end of a theoretical thrashing - so why would Louis fare any better? As I understand physics, the heavier the fighters, the smaller the difference in weight; so Ricardo Lopez would feel a ten pound difference much more than Joe Louis - but still, I have a hard time believing he'd trounce anyone of any weight, ever, when some of them had skills to rival his.

Let's be honest, Bowe would have had his ups and downs in Louis' era because of consistency and motivational issues, but if he wanted to, I'm sure he could have at least replicated most of Louis' results fight-for-fight.

 

Liston was a poor mans Louis. Louis had everything...all time ko power, greatest combination puncher by far, one of boxings all time jabs, tremendous counter puncher, Tremendous timing and hand speed, add to this great all time boxing ability. Very few fighters could block, parry, slip, bob and weave like Joe and instantly counter to vital areas of the body. Louis was the real deal. Only Ali with his great speed and movement would beat prime Louis. They just don't come any greater.

 

Damn straight!:good

 

I agree with everything he said in his first post except Dempsey KOing him....Theres just no freakin way...Jack would have been pissin himself before the fight and being that Louis is black I doubt Dempsey would ever step in the ring against Louis

Top 2.

 

I couldn't favor him over Lewis, Holmes, Liston, or Tyson with anything like a decisive edge. He's really no more likely to beat any one of them than they are to beat him in a best for best scenario, imo. There are others like Frazier and Holyfield and Wlad to add to things. He may well be #2, but I just can't see it being definitive. There are a few guys who could be #2. So...top 5.

 

Well it would go one of two ways, and both of them would be spectacular.

Tyson might just get his brains smashed out coming in.

 

good post. for me, it's always depended on whether louis could get set with his jab. the first two rounds would be horrible for louis...but if he could establish his jabs, he could close tysons eyes and grind him down.

 

Of course the crucial difference between them, is that Louis just kept bringing his A game to the table, while Tyson only maintained it for a relativley short period.