Well either way, if Louis is this perfect boxer as he is described here by some then his knockdowns shouldn't be anywhere near the double digits. Especially if people here are making the claim, that Liston did nothing better than Louis. He had to be doing something better considering Louis was down 5 Times as much as Liston. Doesn't look good either way.
Don't quote me when you don't respond to my words. I never said that Litston did nothing better than Louis. Louis fought more agressively while Liston fought behind his long jab. Louis always tried to counter and fought within smaller margins of error. He was dropped more times, but he wasn't really hurt by these knockdowns (at least most of them).
Thanks! My thoughts about that: Braddock and Galento were flash. He jumped right back up. I can’t bring myself to watch the Schmeling fight again but from the one time I watched it I believe Joe was assuredly taking a beatdown the entire fight like Douglas-Tyson. I haven’t watched the Walcott fights (bald spot Joe is not something I can’t watch either) Still I am impressed that Joe completed well after being put on the deck by the hard hitting and extremely slick Walcott. I saw the Maricano fight. I believe Maricano could have done the same thing to a prime Joe if he connected but he would not have because Joes speed and timing would have gotten Rocky out of there in a hurry as soon as real exchanges started. I am sure if I would include the Walcott or Maricano knockdowns because Joe was pretty much done by then. I still think 6 in your prime is a lot. I still chalk it to style. I see Joes chin like Trinidad’s, solid enough but it a liability if catch unawares. Both normally got up and restarted the beating.
I really like this post even though I disagree with some of it. Personal/Controversial opinion: In my previous post I did not that state that Louis was the perfect boxer, and I assume you weren’t talking to me, but...I think Joe is as close to perfect as you can get outside of prime Robinson and Duran. Joe’s style can never be emulated because it was crafted almost like a Ferrari. It was built strictly for speed and power and energy efficiency. Nothing was wasted, everything was on-point and focused and he was not interested in boxing for the sake of practicing the art...he was there to obliterate the opponent. He was a joy to watch and it seems like getting knocked down was not a issue for him. It was more like, if I can continue the Ferrari analogy, just a unwanted pit stop. He just simply got back up and continued the beatdown.
It’s probably quite close but I lean toward Joe Louis having the better chin. He may have suffered more flash knockdowns but Louis fought way more champions and elite fighters than Sonny did. Ten years at the top and defending the title as often as he did and still dominating like that.. I have to go with Louis. Both men were knocked out in their last fight. One by Rocky Marciano and the other by Leotis Martin. Previous to this Schmeling and Muhammad Ali officially knocked both out. Clearly, Schmeling and Marciano hit harder than Martin and Ali.
Louis was knocked cold just once and defeated twice! Liston was knocked cold twice,defeated 4 times! Louis has the edge but not very much!
I was not talking to you. My post was in response to 70sfan who correctly pointed out that he did not make the case that Louis did everything better than Liston, as claimed by Choklab.
This is actually a decent post. I still disagree, that they were close in the chin department but you make a fair case.
I think that I might give Liston small edge, but I don't see huge difference in either way. I also don't want to sound like a Liston hater, because I like Sonny and I view him as one of the most dangerous h2h HWs ever. He had his share of advantages over Louis, although Louis was better fighter overall.
Wrong. Liston won his last fight, unlike Louis. By the way, how old was Liston when he fought Martin? At the youngest, 39 on the verge of 40 likely older. What was Louis doing at this age? Of course, you don't actually believe Liston was knocked out by Ali correct? You've stated numerous times that Liston could've gotten up and referred to it as a flash knockdown so why does this count against Liston but for every time Louis was knocked down, you always put forth long, pathetic, convulated, nonobjective excuses? Using that logic, Patterson had a better chin than both Liston, and Louis, among with Tyson and others.
Yep, and I understood that...but I definitely fit, for better or for worse, into category of people who think Louis was something like a boxing angel. Not perfect but something like it. Thanks again and now let me mind my business. Take care.
Falling or getting knocked down is different then being knocked out...not really a good indicator of chin strength in this case. Louis could be off balance on occasion and would get caught. Better judgment would be comparing whom they fought over how long and how many times were they stopped. Louis ha s the better competition over the longer period. Faced a lot more ranked men then Liston could dream (or anyone not names Ali could dream). All that in to account if you minus the Ali fight you’d have to give it to Liston. You can’t just assume it was a dive (he did get up and was willing to fight). He probably wasn’t ready for the fight from accounts of his partying. When at their best though Liston was more balanced and “probably” has the better chops...but it’s close we don’t know how Liston would have done against all those contenders.
