Looks here like a sharp boxer with some real poise and balance. Uncanny combination of power and hand speed. Very good accuracy. Good head movement and slips. Efficient footwork. Too past prime to show the full effect of his physical gifts, namely his power, mobility and explosiveness.
In what universe would his condition here be described as "fat" A few pounds above his best weight, for sure, but still worthy of a statue.
The head movement, parrying, and (primarily uppercutting) body-head combos from about 3:30 onward... my goodness.
Yes, but he gets caught often with his head on center line a beat too long, both by the jab and the hook. Perhaps he didn't respect the power of his opponent. He looks off here, a half step slow (or perhaps his opponent a half step faster). This obviously is not vintage Louis. Next day report from Newark Star Ledger titled: Age Catching Up To Louis Rapidly; Tune-up With Foxworth Shows It.
From the next day report Newark Star Ledger... "Louis said he weighed 220 pounds. He certainly looked it. There were tiny rolls of fat rippling over his mid-section..."
Because the standards of conditioning for Heavyweights were much stricter back then As well as the fact that, for Joe Louis, he was "fat". Though going from 12ish% to 17ish% bodyfat isn't what it call fat
Well, it was an exhibition... also, Foxworth having a speed advantage makes sense with him being - like Conn before him - a natural light heavyweight (and might have gone down as more of a name had an eye injury not permanently derailed him later the same year...he blitzed Satterfield in quicker fashion than anyone save Clarence Henry ..faster than Ezzard Charles...) Even a somewhat run-down Bomber was still formidable, as he still has Walcott II and some other decent moments ahead of him at this point.
Those hands move fast, both of them, when he gets set, but he is stilted closing the distance. Any student of Louis' film can see that here, as did those who were at the fight and reported on it. The erosion of his talent is palpable. He still has the right hand, tho. And that would go before too long after this.
Fast hands and powerful punches with a air of menace about him but man, even living stature Frank Bruno has faster feet than him. It’s like the top half and the bottom half of him are made up of two different fighters.
funny enough, that was the first thing that caught my eye. His legs looked really muscular. I cant recall, or maybe never noticed before, how strong looking joes legs were