I think KO2 is generous. Louis would obliterate Corbett effortlessly, i cannot see Corbett finding any success.
After Louis calmly lets Jas J. cut the rug solo for a little bit, maybe this is how it ends after a round or two (see below). Would Corbett qualify as one of Joe’s “bums of the month” if only for his ring attire? This content is protected
I think 1890's Corbett, facing late '30's Joe Louis, would be in for a shock. If he'd come along in Louis's day he might well have have been a legit hurdle for Louis, and I'd say the same for Sullivan, Jackson, Fitzsimmons and Jeffries. [Sailor Sharkey would have needed Louis to hurt his hand (a la Farr) to have a look in].
I agree that JJC is getting underrated a bit, but Louis finds him and eventually stops Corbett late - but it wouldn't be easy.
I still find this fight interesting, even if people think it's the equivalent of a Napoleonic soldier getting into a gunfight with a WW2 soldier. Corbett's keys to victory are clear; be as awkward as can be, limit Louis' punch output, make him fight YOUR fight, and most importantly, RUN! Dance and feint your heart out, because if you open up considerably it's only a matter of time before Louis ends it. Corbett needs to limit his offense as much as he possibly could. Louis' keys to victory are to basically give chase and force Corbett to open up, because we've all seen how wild he gets when he actually tries slugging it out. Louis shouldn't have too much of a problem finishing Corbett if he does that.
That is an interesting perspective because that is exactly what Schmeling did to defeat Louis. He didn't do it by dancing and feinting, but he did limit Louis's punch output, he did make Louis fight his fight, and he didn't open up and get into exchanges with Louis. He did have enough pop in his right hand to keep Louis honest and Corbett probably lacks that.
I honestly think that Corbett woudl have given Louis fits, but I am being asked to call the outcome. Corbett basically clowned almost everybody he ever fought, but the top punchers that he fought tracked him down eventually. That is probably how this fight ends.
This has gotta be a joke People act like we haven't seen the footage of Corbett he looks terrible outside of a duck under while having an incredibly minimal offensive game. He legit would not last 2 rounds with Louis there's just no shot the sport evolved heavily since his time and the 30s-40s. Did you forget he was folded by 167 pound Fitzsimmons (yes he hit hard but Joe hits much harder).
Corbett looks bad mainly because of the quality of the footage. If you look at the stabilized footage, then Corbett becomes a mass of feints. His hands and his feet are constantly moving, a bit like Usky in some ways. So yes he woudl trouble Louis. It wouldn't be quick, unless Louis cornered him early. But Louis would get him eventually.
I can see your Feint point but still I think the only way he troubles Louis is if he severely under estimates him allowing the feints to keep him at bay, but one he realizes Corbett doesn't have a good offensive game at all the fight is over. If you aren't landing shots on Joe you can't really say Corbett would trouble him IMO
Corbett would not beat Beterbiev or Bivol imo in fact he would be hard put to beat Carl Froch. Gentleman Jim has a very underwhelming win resume probably the worst of any heavyweight champion.
I think because of Corbett's limited bouts there is much stuff he wasn't that used to mainly being that most of his opponents weren't in a boxing ring but on turf or a barge or mud. When they did get in a boxing ring many were in very poor shape like Kilrain in 1890. I think Corbett went almost his career without really seeing an effective in-fighter he finally did when he seen Sullivan somewhat. But It's my theory why he had so much trouble with Tom Sharkey because he had never dealt with such a pressing fighter. I think Corbett would get in real trouble with any more modern type of approach coming at him. If you watch fitz vs Corbett it's almost like they have "infighting banned" Corbett would struggle with Johnson, Mcvey or Jeanette let alone Langford. His style is just not going to hold up he doesn't have the reach to keep these guy's off him every round. The couple guy's who had a better infighting game were faded in Kilrain (he was hog fat) & Sullivan & he was exposed dramatically when he faced a prime Sharkey he couldn't keep him off this problem would become far more dramatic with a modern fighter. In fact I long suspected Corbett isn't any better than the top Middlewights I think Mysterious Billy smith could beat him. He knew infighting. There's every chance in the world Corbett couldn't even beat a Tommy Ryan. Imagine someone fast & had infighting ability and just as good of footwork as corbett. --You have to throw out the Kid Mccoy bout as proving anything because it was a fake-- I would think Kid Mccoy would really have a good chance at beating him. We are trying to match Corbett against heavys. There is nothing really indicating he was any better than Gus Ruhlin. It's ridiculous how he avoided anyone with any type of Infighting ability such a Ruhlin. The good guy's he actually did fight he's not in a regular ring but on barge with wide open rings turf or often in grass or some such environment. Most fighter's don't have such abnormalities... I think these circumstances are really concealing his short coming... But it's just an option I almost certain Corbett is far below Joe Jeanette quality. He's more around a Marvin Hart ability. The Middleweight's gave Hart a good bout he had to work at to win. I think Corbett would have to really work to beat a Marvin Hart or a high quality middleweight. It's possible but I don't think he would dominant at all. The Belt makes him appear far superior but I don't think that's the case. I think Barbanos Joe Walcott would administer a beat down to corbett in fight 1. Walcott was a superior in-fighter. Corbett wouldn't keep him away 15 rounds.