These comments reduce my sympathy for Holyfield getting the **** end of a **** decision the other day. JL isn't even alive to respond. Lame, Holy.
It's not a classy thing to say on Evander's part. Joe Louis was great in his era. However, let's be real here... Holyfield would have tore Louis up.
I don't buy that. I haven't studied Joe Louis extensively, but from what I've seen of him on ESPN Classic and the occasional Youtube vid, to talk about 'tore up' is kind of careless. Ol' Joe Louis looks pretty slick to me.
I have seen few videos of Louis and they were all past his prime, so I am unsure who would win, but I will say that with todays training compare to those of the past the advantage should go to the modern fighter. Plus add the fact that today's fighters are just so much bigger then the ones from the past it makes it very hard to judge.
It's incredibly hard to compare eras....Talent for talent is only a matter of speculation, no one can really be sure of outcomes because there are so many unanswered questions.. Today's athletes in practically every sports are overall.... bigger, quicker and more athletic. They are better prepared, trained, fed and supervised. Today's athletes have access to many trainers, nutritionists, sports psychologists, etc..which most athletes from the past didn't have. That's why records are constantly broken is sports where they can be by some sort of measurement... We as people like to proclaim and acclaim athletes from the past because they are an inspiration and bring back solidly anchored memories of greatness from their period of time ! It's the same for the music we loved from the past, etc.. There are certain things that I generally favor with great boxers from the past : 1-They probably had better chins (gloves were less padded) and they fought much more, therefore received many more shots. 2-They were probably much tougher mentally than today's fighters and had more will to win. Back then, money wasn't even close to what it is today, you were fighting your guts out to feed your family.
If Joe Louis and many other great heavyweights were around today they would be crusierweights and they would do very well. However today;s heavyweight who is bigger, stronger, faster and uses better stratagy than before would give Louis and others trubble. I'm sure someone has or will bring up Abe Simon but Simon is not Lenox Lewis or the Brothers Klitchilo. Holyfield is not one of those bigger heavyweights and I would pick Louis to win.
Louis did was **** hot sometimes but but....getting knocked down by Tony Galento raise some pretty big mother****ing question y'know? Tony Galento is arguably the biggest bum to ever to get a title fight and the fact that he badly wobbled Louis in the 1st and knocked him down in the 3rd don't look good.
He's absolutely correct. A basic one-two puncher with slow hands and even slower feet wouldn't be able to stay in the ring with Holyfield. Joe Louis was super duper popular because he was our wartime champion, and there are plenty of folks who still buy all that propaganda to this very day.
Louis was pretty slick alright, but his jab, power & combinations would be way too much for Holyfield IMO.
Holyfield Tyson Lewis Wlad would all beat him.... the guy was a very good 200lb fighter... but lets be real, he was 200lbs, david haye is a much larger fighter then he was... and his power against the likes of holyfield and tyson wouldnt be as effective, yet i GARUNTEE you they would hurt him, bad... for gods sakes the guy was downed by two ton tony. Im sorry but people thinking Joe would beat Tyson, lewis or wlad are just not being logical.... and maybe trying to come off as boxing historians or something, i dont know.... but if you actually LOOK at his fights, how hes been dropped, who gave him tough fights, the size of him and most of his opponents.... his losses... you will realise that the greats of the last twenty years would beat him. No fault of his, hes a great fighter still.... and im not saying he couldnt beat holyfield, lewis or tyson.... but im forced to make them the heavy favorite.