The best fighter Joe Louis beat

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by quintonjacksonfan, Dec 1, 2024.


  1. Pedro_El_Chef

    Pedro_El_Chef Active Member Full Member

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    Max was 33, knocked out Heuser with one punch a year later at 34. He didn't retire because of age, it was due to ww2. He definitely was shot in his comeback in 1947, but not in 1938.
    Lewis defended his LHW belt right up until the fight with Louis, and he did it against top LHW contenders. He also defeated heavyweights in the year leading up to the Louis fight.
     
  2. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Lewis was 24. He was not old but the most prodigious of prodigys. The question is his eyesight that forced him to retire.
     
  3. Ney

    Ney Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Past it, not shot. Those are two different things IMO.
     
  4. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Number 2 what? Boxing sheriffs of Camden?
     
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  5. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Max!
     
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  6. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Joe Walcott. He was a solid number one contender who gave him two good fights and THEN went on to being a world champion himself. He was neither green nor past it when Louis fought him.
     
  7. themaster458

    themaster458 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Don't think he beat the best competition compared to other heavyweights that's all Jersey Joe was legit a good win though so I'll give him that
     
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  8. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He wasn't past it as a boxer but Louis's power was gone after the Mauriello fight and really never came back. Louis was strictly a point fighter from that point on a very good point fighter but thats not what prime Joe Louis was at all.
     
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  9. AntonioMartin1

    AntonioMartin1 Jeanette Full Member

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    Walcott, Conn, Lewis, Schmeling, Braddock...

    I rank him very high, as high as number 2.
     
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  10. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    He had the Baer brothers, Tony Galento, Max Schmeling and Billy Conn and Abe Simon. Also Arturo Godoy
     
  11. Unique Way

    Unique Way Active Member Full Member

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    How Lewis was shot? Explain please. He was 24 y.o. and was #1 LHW, held LHW world title and beat bigger guys like Elmer Ray (7 months prior to facing Louis) and Jimmy Adamick (4 month prior to facing Louis) at HW division
     
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  12. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    No love for Lou Nova?

    What is happening to the world?
     
  13. Ney

    Ney Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He was literally blind in one eye, had more than a hundred fights under his belt, was annihilated inside of a round (mercifully) & never fought again on medical grounds.
     
  14. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Loll I was talking about Louis.
    My mistake.
    I've got Walcott at around 20
     
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  15. Pedro_El_Chef

    Pedro_El_Chef Active Member Full Member

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    There would need to be actual signs for him being past it though and I don't think you'd reliably find any. He was two years removed from his best performance and during the fight he exploited what openings he could find and drove two hard rights straight to Louis' face, that's more hard blows than he managed in the first round of their 1936 encounter. No version of Schmeling or any other fighter would last after having their backs broken.

    Not the only fighter to compete with compromised vision. Frazier was half blind yet he beat Ali.
    Lewis said he had eye problems for a while before the Louis fight yet he has a solid record of defenses up to his retirement.
    Being knocked out in one round by Louis hardly means a fighter is shot.
    Sharkey lasted three rounds against an equally bloodlusted Louis, does that make him more prime than Levinsky, 1938 Schmeling, Tami Maurielo and 1942 Buddy Baer?
     
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