Evander Holyfield: I'd tear Joe Louis Up

My point is regardless of style and technique, many fights are simply won with a fighters heart and chin.

 

Louis was not physically weak, as the Carnera fight shows, but he seems to have avoided wrestling matches. He would sometimes let a fighter shove him back, to avoid wasting energy, and this would probably be the case here for the most part. I think that Louis was as good on the inside as any heavyweight has ever been, and given his power he would be likely to have the better of this game.

 

Only when everything else is equal or the other guy folds under the least bit of pressure only then does it come down to heart. 95% of the time the outclassed fighter with heart is just gonna catch a bigger beating.

 

Andre De Grasse tried to match Owen's performance with equipment of the period.

Not only was he unable to do it, but he actually fell pretty far short!

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You couldn't be more wrong to be honest.

Everything does not need to be anywhere close to equal, for heart to be the deciding factor.

Exhibit A. Zab Judah

 

left hook. see 2:32 of video (and 2:27). i don't know how savarese got up (except that he weighed 250ish) but louis wouldn't. not from that. old a## holyfield.. 44 yrs old, i believe, here.

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read my post again.
thats one example for every 20 example of game challengers and brave journeymen getting the absolute **** beaten out of them even though they kept coming and never stopped trying. Hence why i said 95% of the time it doesnt matter. In what world does a hollywood turn around happen more than 5% of the time? Thats why its called a hollywood turn around and not a regular daily occurence.

Holyfield and louis both had plenty of heart so zab judah doesnt even apply to this case and the whole argument is kind of pointless.

Even your exhibit A managed to win 43 out of 52 pro fights

 

Louis took worse than that.

The left hook that Max Baer staggered him with, almost certainly landed much harder.

This issue is Louis's power, not Holyfield's.

 

Even when two fighters both have heart, the guy with the better focus often takes it.

The guy with the better plan often takes it.

Even when the talent disparity works the other way.

Ricky Hatton is a recent example of somebody who became Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, with very little technical talent.

 

Ray Robinson said Louis was the fastest combination puncher he had ever seen!

 

guys always see Joe Louis and say 'wow, hes so slow' this is one of the biggest misconceptions about him. He seemed slow because he was so efficient. He done so much with so little. slipping punches by 1 or 2 inches. No wasting steps or punches. Everything was done with a purpose, no unnecessary movement. Every punch was thrown so even if he missed, he was still in balance to throw another one. I would pick Joe Louis over Holyfield.
And Jesse Owens probably could make the olympic team today, he would have all the modern equipment, better shoes, tracks, automatic timing etc. I remember seeing something once that if he had the modern equipment and technology, he would be 2 strides or something behind Bolt.