How Far Would Joe Frazier Have Gone Through Louis's Title Reign..?

I reckon he wouldn't have been world champion for the entire 11+ years, because I don't think he was built for such a long career... swarming, energy-consuming style, along with health issues like vision problems and high blood pressure...
Maybe, just maybe, he would have lost to Conn or then later on to Walcott.
That said, I still think he would have beaten everyone in a 1:1, not taking the chronological order into account.

 

The problem might be time. Louis defenses were over about 7 years even taking out the war gap. By the same token he wouldn't have Ali going all grueling with him in FOTC and nor would he have his worst stylistic nightmare in George Foreman trouncing him.

I think he'd go very deep personally. VERY deep.

 

If he fought all of Louis's title defenses with in 5 yrs?
He beats them all, easier than Louis did.
Add that additional 2 yrs of Louis's reign ?
Not so sure, Frazier's style leads to earlier
burn-out.

 

Take away the war gap and he'd go very very close. Not a chance on earth a guy like Conn beats him. He's almost as harsh on light heavyweights as Tyson.

 

Yes, though Schmeling, Walcott and the Baer bros would be some interesting fights.

 

The Schmeling from his actual title defense was aging and blown out in a blink. I think Frazier is a raging hot fave.

 

He wouldn't have went through Louis's reign undefeated. Max Baer, Braddock, Lewis, Farr and Buddy Baer are the 5 with a substantial chance of winning with probably another 5 having more then a punchers chance.

The thing that makes this tough is that almost all Louis's would be top 10 retired or left the scene shortly after fighting for the belt without fighting most of their peers. In the 70s Frazier falls into the same camp since he didn't fight Norton, Jimmy Young, Lyle or Shavers. Frazier is defined by his Ali and Foreman bouts and Louis's opponents are defined by their failure to defeat Louis. Of the five Louis opponents named above three retired around 25. Braddock had 1 more fight after Louis. Max Baers the only one who has anything resembling a full CV against the elites of his era.

But whether you think Frazier could beat Norton, Young, Lyle, Shavers or not the main reason Fraziers career was over by the time those guys hit the scene is he couldn't really handle wars. The damage that forced Frazier to retire came from what 6 maybe 7 fights? Even if Frazier could run the table I can't see him matching Louis's resume. He'd take too much damage at the start. Since Louis's resume is heavily slanted to the front if he could get through John Henry Lewis or Pastor he'd have the ability to coast from there. He could do what Jeffries, Johnson and Dempsey did where he'd tread water after going on a big run. He could also retire like Tunney. But no way hes finishing Louis's resume.

There are guys Louis didn't fight like Loughran and Lee Murray who could be a serious problem for Frazier as well.

 

Agreed on the points that there wouldn't be anything like the Ali fight that was grueling enough to take a lot out of Frazier, and no Foreman type that would blow him away. There are plenty of cakewalks on Louis' list for Frazier to last long enough to run the table. And if we were to replace Louis with Frazier for an entire career...not just title defenses...I doubt Frazier ever loses to Schmeling.