Joe Louis's records - will they be beaten ?

Wlad says he wants to fight another 10 years, so perhaps both records could be broken. I do not think Wald will fight another 10 years. More like 4-5.

 

I definitely recognize him as the true lineal champion of this era.. Exactly "when" that started is subject to debate. But for me, his victory over Ruslan Chagaev in 2009 should have sealed that claim. As for him breaking Joe Louis's record, this will also be subject to controversy should he manage to do it. Some will say that many of his fragment defenses prior to 2009, shouldn't count towards the record, while others will credit him with such.. I think its possible for him to retire somewhere in the same neighborhood as Larry Holmes for lineal defenses, but no way is he sticking around for another 10 years. He's already 38 years old with a fresh crop of young prospects coming up, and sooner or later someone is going to crack the code.

 

I suspect that these records will stand for the foreseeable future.

The following factors work against their being surpassed:

Fragmentation of the title.

Champions taking fights less frequently.

The people trying to break them are not Joe Louis.

 

All the above are true.

 

So Wald will need about 4 1/2 years to get 11 more.

 

Unless there is another world war lasting 6 years ( 4 as far as America is concerned ) in the middle of a champions reign, Joe Louis record will always stand.

Hardly his fault of course, but never the less an important part of his legacy.

 

I would suggest that this harmed his legacy more than enhanced it.

He lost his prime years when he would have been activley defending the title, and there wasn't realy anybody who would have been much of a threat.

 

It'd be so much easier to keep track of how long and how many defenses Wlad needed if things were run like they were in Joe's day. I can't even decide how many defenses Wlad would need and how long he'll need to do it before I give him the #1 spot.

This won't answer that question, but I've been doing research using year-end Ring ratings, and Wlad is currently 3rd all time behind Ali and Louis for # of years being rated as the champion or #1 contender:

Ali: 16*
Louis: 14*
Wlad: 10
Holmes: 7
Holyfield: 7

*Both Ali and Louis kept their ranking through the inactivity- exile for Ali, WWII for Louis.

 

Wlad is 38 years old, he is not going to challenge Louis title defense record. Sooner or later he will get picked off by a young hungry opponent. As for the record ever being broken, someone will have to come along at a very young age and become champion by beating the established lineal champ. I don't see it happening but if it did it would have to be by someone no older than 24-25.

 

Not legitimately. I mean, Hopkins has more defenses than Hagler, but most of that was only a piece of the title.

Factor in that Joe Louis didn't fight bums (Bum of the month is a misnomer) and the Ukrainian heavyweight will never deserve to have his or his brother's name mentioned alongside the second greatest heavyweight of all time