Well I apologise I digressed from the subject matter, I was commenting on Wilders general standing on here after last night. Yes he could beat 1951 Louis.
I usually agree with you....but I'm not so sure. I mean, is it possible? Yes. Probable? IMO, no. Louis had KO power and hands that were at least as quick with better skills.
Joe Louis had a glass chin and was stopped by 180 pound fighters. Wilder also has poor chin and could be stopped. Louis is also flat footed and has no defense. Wilder has no skill at all and no real footwork. Wilder should win most of the time. Sure Joe Louis fought some bigger heavyweights back then. They were horrible, even worse than Wilder.
Marciano is considered an ATG puncher and Schmeling could crack pretty hard himself. Both had to unload on Louis to stop him. I don't think Wilder could take shots from Schmeling or Marciano all night.And Schmeling was closer to 200 pounds than 180 pounds. Walcott who fought both Louis and Marciano stated that the "180 pound fighter" Marciano had in his opinion, more one shot power than Louis himself and Louis hit hard enough to send a SHW sized heavy spinning to the canvas. Schmeling, according to the opinion of most, hit harder than Ali who hit hard enough to stop Foreman in 8 rounds.
Ortiz's pedigree, Of course he could outbox most of the top heavyweights and possibly knock them out even at 39....as an amateur he seemed to have a style more suited for the pros but the highlighted amateur experience cannot be replicated through any other way than to get into a ring for over 360 fights and judge distance, timing, footwork etc.....all the things the Cubans teach he has done this so many times he could do it in his sleep his body has so much muscle memory to access most fans can't understand what this many years of climbing in and out of the ring does for a fighter barring TBI's......even if Ortiz is getting too old to be realistically competitive which I do not believe even if he has lost a step their are 40yr olds still going strong he still as years of quality training ingrained into muscle. This isn't the 40's where 32 was old modern era has seen careers and athletic performance extended by some into their 50's. With a This content is protected amateur record, Ortiz was a long-time member of the Cuban National Team without succeeding at the top international level. In 2006 Ortiz won the Cuban National "Playa Giron" at 91 kg. He holds amateur wins over many notable Cuban fighters including Mike Perez. He lost five times to Odlanier Solís. Cuban Championships medals 2002 – silver medal, 95 kg 2003 – bronze medal, 91+ kg 2005 – silver medal, 91 kg 2006 – gold medal, 91 kg 2008 – white ribbon, 91+ kg International results 2005 – Panamerican Championships, Brazil – gold medal, 91 kg 2005 – World Cup (team competition), Russia – silver medal, 91 kg 2005 – World Championships, China – quarter-finalist, 91 kg
Wilder was 213lbs for his last fight & best win, Louis fought them up to 260lbs, Ortiz was 240lbs but could have dropped 20-25lbs IMO and would have had better stamina & movement. Joe Louis could be hurt by Wilder & could be dropped by Wilder but once he had Wilder in trouble Joe Louis would KO Wilder & at 6"7 he was only about an inch taller than Buddy Baer so we cant make size an issue here. James Brown used to say "I dont know karate but I know crazy" Wilder showed his crazy when he went after Ortiz with a bomb squad of punches but those tactics would be Crazy against the best counter punching power puncher & BEST finisher to ever fight professional boxing. Joe Louis by explosive & dramatic KO