Jerry Quarry and Joe Louis,

A fair post, but I disagree that he was overrrated. Though he did have a mixed bag career in terms of wins and losses, he steadily fought the very best of the division for nearly 10 years. Mind you, this was an exceptional period of heavyweights. Wins over Shavers, Lyle, Foster, Patterson, Mathis, Spencer, along with losses to Machen, Chuvalo, Ellis, Ali, Frazier and Norton, is a very dense resume to say the least. I don't know too many non-titlists who would do much better against that group of guys.

 

Louis beats Quarry every time. Going the distance would be the best Quarry possibly could hope for, and that wouldn't happen too often.

 

He was fairly high in the second level of HW's for the era, but losing to Ellis, Machen, Chuvalo, and his fights with a past best Patterson shows that he was limited and wouldn't be a dominant fighter in any era.

There isn't an era in which Quarry holds a belt for a substantial time period imo.

 

Keep in mind that I was comparing both fighters at their peaks. I have no doubt that the best form of Quarry would have easily outpointed the Baer that KO'd Schmeling. I stick by my statement.

 

I am not maintaining that he would be a dominant lineal champion. The idea that he could be a repeat contender or even a brief titlist in a weaker era than the one he actually fought in, is not very far fetched in my opinion. Though some will protest, I think Sharkey, Braddock, Carnera, and on the right night Schmeling or Baer could potentially be beatable opponents.

 

If yuou think therewould be anything "easy" about it then you are living in a fantasy world.

Quarry might be able to outpoint Baer for stylistic reasons but he was nota fighter of the same calibre.

 

OK lets say that Quarry does fight in the 30s.

Schmeling would can him up for dogmeat and it wouldnt be prety.

He might be able to beat Sharkey depending which version shows up. Not if it is the better version.

He might be able to beat Carnera, Baer or Braddock or he might not.

He would likley get a title shot at some point but it would be prety random as to whether he got it at a favourable point in the timeline or not.

So the bottom line is that he might be one of the short term champions of the era with a bit of luck or he might just be an also ran of the period. In the latter scenario I doubt that he would be particularly distinguished from some of the other also rans like Schaff, Loughran, Uzcdun etc. There were no shortage of good second teir fighters in that era whatever else you can say about it.

 

How do you know for a fact, exactly how he'd do? I myself, am not making any convictions one way or the other, but am apt to thinking that his chances of being a top flight heavyweight for several years are well better than average. The 30's and 40's were an era where the colour line was still very much in existence, no matter what people say about it. There were some decent sized heavyweights such as Carnera and Buddy Baer, but the average size was nothing mind boggling. Quarry's career end record in the 70's was something like 50-9-3-33 or close to that effect. On the surface that may look ordinary and on a similar plain to the level of most guys back in the great depression, but when you look at the level of comp and the names on that record, he quickley begins to pull away. There is a huge difference between losing to men Ali, Norton, Frazier and Ellis and men like Eddie Blunt, Jim Braddock, and a number of others. Sure, we can sit here and talk about the questionable decisions to Patterson as well as the loss to Machen, but at the end of the day, I'd say his list of wins and losses are still better than most of the champions from that period...

 

Who said Quarry was "soe uncrowned champion?" He fought in arguably the golden age of heavyweight boxing and gave a great account of himself. Had there been a crusierweight division in his day he would have held that title.

This is a quote from George Foreman straight from his website biggeorge.com

"Jerry Quarry is one of the best Heavyweights of all times. He out boxed Floyd Patterson out punched Earnie Shavers. He was flashy, good looking; but never became champion. Quarry boxed Jimmie Ellis and fought toe to toe Joe Frazier; on these occasions if he had only switched tactics he could have been Heavyweight Champion of the World. When I became Heavyweight Champion of the World I dodged him, purposely."

Your facts are off my friend and you obviously have not watched as much heavyweight boxing as Big George and myself.

 

Quoting Big George Foreman is probably the worst thing you could do if you wanted to show facts.

 

I think that quarry was one of the best heavys never to win the title. He was a good all around fighter cursed with a penchant for cutting and being too stubborn. He often slugged when he should have boxed and this would be a fatal against louis. Quarry would have his moments against louis, perhaps even putting him down but it would be him who would have to be rescued by the referee. Louis by tko in 7 or 8.

 

Agreed,

But in this case, I think his assessment of Quarry was correct. He may have been small for his era. He may have been white. He may have had the tendency to cut and bleed. But, make no mistake about it, he was a guy who stepped up and beat a good crop of young, large, quality men in their primes, and did so convincingly. He beat boxers, punchers, big men, small men, prospects, veterans.....The works.....

Although I would have picked George to absolutely flatten Quarry, his hesitance in fighting him was well warranted.

 

Only with a more devastating result from Louis' fist than from Fraziers'. Jerry would'nt be in there, round after round eating Louis' shots like he did with Joe Frazier. Louis rationed his punches while Frazier gave his away freely, being more of a volume puncher. Yes I agree that Jerry would perhaps have some success, some fireworks early in the fight, maybe rocking Louis in the 1st or maybe even staggering him, like he did Earnie Shavers, but I think Louis would kick it in high gear after that and land the precise, devastating single shots the like Jerry never had to face, even with the guys who dominated and stopped him in his career. Perhaps a little early luck in the opening round with the Brown Bomber would have filled him with bravado and in trying to apply the finisher he would get clocked, and hurt real bad, and then it simply would be over for Jerry, I think it would have ended in the 2nd or 3rd round after 2 severe knockdowns with the ref stopping it.

 

Quarry had a knack with those Big Slow Hard punching guys but the workrate of Frazier got to him a bit past midpoint and Frazier was not fast but he far from a slow and threw a lot of swarming leather...Louis would be some of the same PLUS...remember Joe had 2 fisted power and IMO one of the faster power punching combinations ever...Louis's quantity and quality was number one...Power, speed, and the amount of punches landed better than Ali and more pinpoint and enegy efficient than Marciano. I would give Quarry a chance to upset Foreman and had a chance with Liston but the jab of Liston was a damaging one but those guys fit the mold to the fighter solid Jawed Jerry could upset.....Joe Louis is all wrong for Jerry

 

I do think that if the Quarry from the Spencer fight shows up, a less-than-perfect Joe Louis would be in for a tough night.

I'm not going to say that Spencer was nearly as good as Louis because he wasn't but he did resemble Louis a bit and was dismantled by Quarry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRh-uLcgNqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBrjgyY0Rlg