Is Prime Joe Louis good enough to beat Riddick Bowe?

Bowe has physical size on his side but if Joe catches him solid,it's the end of the fight.

 

Harder, more acute puncher. Bowe is probably a heavier puncher.

 

Here’s a question. Just supposing you had a gun to your head and had to bet your house on the result. 12 rounds or 15. No 3 knockdown rule. Standing 8 count allowed. Only referee can stop fight and it’s one of those refs that would let you bleed to death before stopping fight. This covers flash knockdowns etc. Who would you bet your house on. I’d go with Bowe knockout. Doesn’t matter about what round. Your house is on the line. Who would you pick?

 

I'm not going to count out Bowe because at his best he was very good and some trainers held in high status were very very impressed by him at his best. But im also not counting out Louis and no one should, hes generally considered the all time #2 heavyweight. I think Joe Louis gets off the deck and KOs Bowe, but I concede that its not a foregone conclusion or an easy task.

As an aside, Bowe was given hell by Holyfield, a small heavyweight who had moved up from cruiser. Could you imagine Louis on all the "training and vitamins" Evander was on? I'll take that Louis all day.

 

Louis, all day, every day.

 

Anything can happen in this game. Joe Louis’ fast hands and combinations on the inside could bring havoc upon Bowe. But Riddick had a pretty sound infighting game himself. Solid chin and good power. I can see this being a tough fight

 

Bowe would never lose to Schmeling, or get KTFO by Marciano.

Louis goes to sleep early, lucky to see round 4.

 

Holyfield is miles better than Louis.
Holyfield was also roided and helped by the FanMan.

 

Riddick has a great repertoire of punches and whilst Joe is his superior in skillset and sharpness, the weight, power and chin of Bowe makes this a difficult obstacle for Joe to overcome.

I can see Bowe beating him to be honest. However, I'm mindful that Bowe was found at will by Holyfield's fluid jab. Whilst Louis' jab was more powerful and could be somewhat as fluid, I hesitate a little as he didn't typically have Evan's excellent footwork, however, if he can replicate his Max Baer performance and remain disciplined, Joe busted people up with his jab and has all the follow up shots behind it.

Louis doesn't have Holyfield's durability, but he does get up if knocked down (Marciano fight doesn't even warrant rebuttal as I'm taking both at their best here). I'm not sure that he can avoid Bowe, but know that he was a lot better defensively than people give him credit for.

The one thing that Joe does superbly well that I don't like for Bowe is string together the combinations and the way that Joe landed the jab as the precursor to the right hand, I can see Bowe getting tagged with a variety of jab jab right all night long and I can additionally see Bowe trying to crowd and bully on the inside with Joe's deceptive shuffle walking him onto hook counters and ripping uppercuts to the body.

I'd make Joe the winner 7 or 8 out of 10 - Bowe was great but I don't see that Louis doesn't hit hard enough and skilled enough to negate Bowe's skillset and size and I think Bowe's chin and guts might end up being his undoing in a series - the more damage you can take, the more years you ultimately lose of your career. At the same time, I can argue the complete reverse and make my mind up to how it will plausibly happen, but the biggest factor is size and inside skill - Joe cannot match his size, but his skill to negate the inside battle, catching Bowe at mid-range, with faster and IMO, more powerful hands, it leaves me second guessing my Devil's Advocate.

In my mind, no man without superb speed, one punch power and great head movement comes directly to Joe and avoids smelling Jesus' sweet breath saying, "It's not your time, my son, but you have been warned. Don't take the rematch and fight the same!"

 

I can agree with teh latter but not the former.

 

Can never truly count out Joe Louis, against most heavy s. Especially those who could leave themselves open, as Bowe did.
This is not to say the bigger, durable Bowe can win here, he was no Buddy Baer after all.
But Joe was so accurate and powerful, if Bowe gets hit with too many of those..

 

Great, great fight. Nothing that can be said about Louis that haven't already been said, and whatever one might say about Bowe there's no doubt he had some serious talent and an entertaining style.

Bowe was there to be hit and that's never good news when facing such a dangerous and sharp puncher as Louis. Bowe's jab and uppercut would on the other hand be dangerous for Louis,

This fight ranks very highly among fantasy fights I'd like to see in real life.

 

Bowe got a gift decision against a fat past it Tubbs, and was beaten to a pulp twice by Golota so bad he retired.

Bowe is one of the most overrated Heavyweights of all time.

 

Bowe would have some problems here.
To begin with, Louis is going to out jab him all night long. Yes, I know that Bowe was taller, but there is a lot more involved than height and reach. Louis would use his footwork- yes, I know that he was a 'slow footed plodder' but I don't really take that silliness to heart- to control distance. A hallmark of the Louis game was to stop the other man's jab. Louis would catch the jab and take little slide steps to his left to land his jab, and to create lines for his right hand. Alternately he would jab and take a small step forward, then step back and counter when Bowe jabbed back. Bowe fell for that throughout his career.
When Bowe got close he would get eaten alive because Louis is the sharper, better puncher inside. Bowe had a good inside right uppercut- which, I would guess, Eddie Futch taught him because he saw Louis do it- but I don't think that he would land it. That short, compact hook Louis threw at short range would discourage that. Louis would land his punches up close, then slowly plod back half a step and counter the punches that Bowe threw...

 

Doesn't matter. Schneming was tiny but he still KTFO Louis.

Golota would batter Louis too.