Prime Louis Vs Prime Usky

On the southpaw issue, the doubt kind of cuts both ways.

If Louis had lived in an era populated with southpaws, he might have adapted very well to dealing with them.

Presumably Jack Blackburn knows that Usky is a southpaw, when he is preparing Louis for the fight.

 

Being southpaw is just one side. Usyk is also helluva boxer puncher. He can outbox boxers and outbrawl brawlers.

Southpaw boxer punchers are probably hardest fighters to beat.

 

You might well be right, but Louis's power combined with his technical ability, is going to make this difficult for Usky.

He sure as hell isn't beating Louis in a fire fight.

Can he outbox him?

Possibly, but he can't afford to make too many mistakes!

 

Usyk would fight outside with pure boxing. Even SRR got beaten like a step child in the second LaMotta fight due to his stupid strategy.

 

It's possible

 

Louis gets a free pass for some of his fights. Look how Canelo struggled against Bivol and then look at how competitive Billy Conn was with Louis. We would never allow a heavyweight champion such leeway nowadays.

Louis is still the best puncher I’ve ever seen and number two on my all-time rankings. He has a good a chance as pretty much any heavyweight of beating Usyk. The reverse is also true, Usyk could beat Louis over 15 by keeping him chasing, turning, and outjabbing him. It is evident from the film that Usyk is as good/better than Schmeling/Conn/Braddock/Godoy/Galento any heavyweight you can think of who had a modicum of success against Louis. That in itself cannot be up for debate, surely?

 

Usyk is a good fighter but like Andy Ruiz before him who defeated Anthony Joshua for the title, I think it would be wise to wait until Usyk has earned his stripes before making any assessment on him fighting the past greats like Joe Louis, who has well earned his stripes. One fight does not turn one man into a Hall Of Famer or an All Time Great, we said the same about Ruiz until he was defeated by Joshua in the rematch, it takes a few battles, size does not spell instant success, skill does against quality opponents. We need to settle down, wait and see, play it cool.

 

I think Flea mentioned it already in other topic - but He's already proven against guys who were not smaller than Louis - He has excellent resume at Cruiserweight against guys who were coming into the ring in probably 210-215 range. I think those fights can tell us more about how He would fare against Louis - then any of the future fights against modern giants.

I think it would be very tough match-up for Louis, personally.

 

Joe Louis would bombard Usyk into retirement with lightning fast hands and power unimaginable by the arm swinging baboons of the modern era. Usyk is a fish, a technically solid fish swimming in waters with stupid sharks he can beat by virtue of the judges. Louis would murder AJ.

 

This is a fight where it might rest on the planning of the trainer. At there bests it's a matter of handling the other like slippery dynamite, lots of caution both ways. Louis can take him out like a nested sniper but if Louis lacks the knowledge to compete...

 

Richard, Uysk has more than earned his stripes. He is one of the most accomplished amateur fighters ever! He completely cleaned out an entire cruiserweight division that featured men that were much larger and better than the fighters of Louis's era. If even he loses today, at 35 years old he has already had a remarkable career.

Louis who I have a ton of respect for, never fought a southpaw much less another fighter with skillset and experience that Uysk brings to the table. This doesn't take away from the greatness of Louis but if Billy Conn can have success with movement against Louis than I would heavily favor Uysk who was bigger and better than Conn on every way.

 

That's not really as straightforward as you make it out to be.

This is also not true, Usyk fights nothing like Conn and he doesn't have all the abilities Conn showed in Louis fight

 

We will just have to agree to disagree. Conn didn't have half of the ability that Uysk has. There is film of both so it is pretty easy to see.

 

Conn is one of the best boxers ever. I get that you can say he's smaller and less physically imposing, but I don't see how you can say that he was much less skilled.

 

Watch film of both. We have always had respectful exchanges and I am not saying anything bad about Conn or crapping on your opinion. Conn is a pioneer of the sport and has my respect but when I watch Uysk I see a guy that has taken the sport back from the era of giant heavyweights to a sport where skill and ring IQ rule. In an odd way, he is a throwback to the great pure boxers of the past.

With all that said, he might lose today. Joshua is a large and dangerous fighter and Uysk is now 35 years old and has the distraction of his homeland being at war. Win lose or draw, he is a special fighter and one of the best I have ever seen and I have spent most of my life either competing or training in the sport.