The Dempsey who fought Tunney vs the Louis who fought Marciano?

The Dempsey who fought Tunney vs. the Louis who fought Marciano?

In boxing, big fights often happen when both fighters are past their best.

I actually think this would be a very competitive fight. Louis had skills late, but his power dropped off. Dempsey still had his power late, and in retirement, but didn't have good stamina.

 

That version of Dempsey had more on the ball than that version of Louis, and would have overcome round after round of getting outboxed and looking bad by finding Louis with that one thing that he retained until the end, namely that explosive one shot left hook power....ala vs Sharkey and the 7th round vs Tunney. He exploits an opening,...a lapse, and stops Louis in the 8th...out of the blue.

 

The Dempsey of the second Tunney fight stops Louis imo.

 

Agree

 

Dempsey was in fantastic condition for fight two vs Tunney. Louis was shot by the time he fought Rocky. All he had left was a good jab. He could no longer pull the trigger on his right. His ability to side step and box/counterpunch was long gone. Dempsey would meet Louis mid ring and quickly score a ko win. Fight does not go three rounds. Prime Louis perhaps a very different ending.

 

Dempsey defeated Jack Sharkey between the two Tunney fights, which was much better than anything that Louis did during his comeback.

Louis seems to have been reduced to being a jabber by this stage, while Dempsey was still a dangerous finisher.

Both were far removed from their former glory, but I think that Dempsey had more left, and I would have to favour him.

 

I agree with this and the post above it.:good

 

Dempsey still had his power but was slowed down. Louis on the other hand was a shadow of himself if he was good enough to call himself that. Dempsey by ko.

 

I agree with all above posts. Dempsey, at 32, had more left than Louis did at 37. While diminished, he still carried that explosive power which served him well in knocking out Sharkey and nearly doing the same with Tunney. Sharkey and Tunney were both at or near prime form and were arguably the two best fighters Dempsey met in all his career. The Louis who fought Marciano still could jab and box, but I don't believe that would have been enough to hold off a Dempsey that was still capable of exploding an attack that could hurt and drop Joe. Louis may get up, but I don't see him escaping Dempsey's followup as Tunney did with the long count. At best, I see Joe going the distance but losing a unanimous decision.

 

A fairer fight would be this Dempsey against the Louis of the last Walcott fight.

 

Greetings Red. I concur. THAT version of Dempsey had MUCH more gas in the tank than THAT Louis. Taking nothing away from the Bomber's greatness.

 

48 Louis destroys 27 Dempsey by knockout

Walcott of 1948 would have embarrassed the 1927 dempsey

 

I think it's funny some people argue Louis went from the greatest hitter of all time to a feather fisted nothing in 1951.

Here is Louis in 1950 fighting, as you see he still had some power left
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP04YUJt6XQ

 

The chief tools which led him to victory had all but left him. He still had a good jab and intelligence but his speed and power just weren't there. He was like a declawed cat.

 

Not a feather fist at all but he lost his timing and reflexes.