Could Joe Louis make it from 1968-1980 undefeated?

No. He loses to Holmes, Ali, Frazier and Foreman.

All of are bad match ups for him imo. He'd beat pretty much everyone else tho. He'd smash Elis, Patterson, Norton, Shavers, Bonavena ect ect

 

Which ones do you say he beats.

For me he's perfectly capable of beating any of them but out of these four he'd be facing FOTC Joe, Prime Foreman and the best Holmes. I'd give him the best chance of beating Ali in the 70s.

 

I'd favor him over Frazier. Louis hand speed, power, and combinations would pose issues for Frazier. He'd lose to Ali, Holmes, and Foreman. I also think Jimmy Young would be difficult.

 

Not impossible, but my guess would be that he wouldn't. Frazier, Foreman and, perhaps especially, Holmes would be dangerous to Louis even on his best night and guys like Quarry, Ellis, Bugner or Young could spell trouble on a bad one.

EDIT: Totally forget about Ali. 1971-1974 I'd probably make an Ali in top shape a favourite over Joe even at his best. I just think Joe was a bit slow with his pressure and Ali could still move and his jab was almost as sharp as in the 60's. Perhaps it was just as sharp. And that is really hard to overcome for someone with shorter reach who didn't move much from the waist.

 

Losses to Foreman. Holmes, Frazier and past prime Ali would all give him hell. He doesn't get through those 3 unbeaten

 

No, he's getting beat early on imo.
Let's say he takes a vacant belt after Ali sent to exile. He meets a young hungy Frazier. Now that'd be bad enough but then at some point he has to face Ali and probably Foreman. I'm not sure if he gets past both. Then by then he's ageing so he's struggling with guys like lyle, Shavers and young.
Theeeen he's meeting a unbeaten Larry Holmes, a fight that no creaking Joe Louis can win.

 

Wdym if you put it that way? You put it that way.

 

I don't think Louis beats Ali or Foreman, him and Frazier would be a wicked fight and Louis could win that one, This is not disparaging the great Joe Louis, I don't think there's a heavyweight who ever lived who'd survive those three fights undefeated

 

Don't forget Holmes. He was a staple of the 70s HW Division

 

Hmm? that's a close fight. Either man could get dropped

 

If anybody could do it Joe Louis could, but he could definitely lose to Ali, Holmes, Young, maybe Quarry, and Ellis, since I could see them being tough style matchups for him. But, guys like Chuvalo, Frazier, Foreman, Terrell, Lyle, etc... are all tailormade for a prime Joe Louis.

Jack Johnson could also probably pull it off, but who knows.

 

For me it's actually not a close fight in this very specific scenario.

Louis's reign starts in 68, Holmes fought for the title in 78. This means we'd be putting a close to peak version of Holmes against Louis from the first Walcott fight. To me Holmes wins that fairly convincingly. It'd much different than that against Louis of the Schmeling rematch