Thats what the hell im sayin! You really could not have said it better. His footwork was nothing fancy, but it was extremely efficient. And anyone who has boxed in a gym for not even one year can tell how smooth his movements are. And a little off topic, but did you hear those cracking shots at the heavybag? Ouch!
He did have some trouble catching really good movers....which is why most always pick Ali to win big over Joe.
I think he had a problem with careful and economic footwork. Simple speed was never enough to seriously bother Louis. It's the contrast between, say, Bob Pastor who stayed out of trouble but didn't get much work doen, and Jersey Joe Walcott, who gave a still-great Louis fits. I suppose you could say that skilled orthodox boxers like Conn and Walcott, gave Louis difficulty, while dancers and runners did not.
Ali is not a really good mover, he is the best. So that's the extreme. Paycheck was a really good mover, and he got clobbered.
exactly, that first left hook that floored retzlaff was proof of that. the more i watch louis, the more i'm amazed.
Joe was almost always in the correct position to punch...his feet were planted properly to deliver his brutal combos...
Past Prime? What do you consider Joe Louis's prime to be? He fought Farr in his first defense after winning the championship in 1937.
...some really perceptive posts on this one, informative and well written. i don't know what the clip shown here was...but for an example of his foot speed...his fight with max baer is easy to find, and you can see how quickly he stepped around baer and got into position for his barrage. ..he was an extraordinary boxer/puncher.