If we take Louis (at the same age as Ali was) against Frazier from the FOTC, how do we see it going? Is there anything different in Louis s skill set that sees him defeating Frazier?.
Although Joe Louis did not possess the hand speed of a rusty Muhammad Ali (Ali had 2 fights in 43 months, 18 rounds total) but Joe Louis did have power, he had a hard stiff left jab, and a crunching right hand in which prime Joe Frazier in 1971 was very vulnerable to, reference the Sept 1966 fight against Oscar Bonavena in Madison Square Garden, in which Frazier was decked twice in the same round, winning a hotly controversial split decision. But Joe was an unstoppable locomotive in 1971, he may have smothered Louis, but at the same time Frazier may have had his bell rung early from that Louis right hand. As much as I admired both, Joe Louis would have proved to be a bad match up for Smoking Joe.
FOTC Frazier would outpoint Joe, but he would take worse punishment than against Ali and probably get dropped a couple of times. I see Frazier several times battering Joe around the ring and probably dropping him once himself. Both men would have taken many shots and had faces swoll up very bad at the end. Frazier might have ended up so bad off he'd have to retire after the fight.
I think Louis would catch Frazier with that straight right hand at some point. As mentioned by Richard, I could also see Frazier smothering Louis but I think it is more likely that Louis is able to maintain that range he needed to land that right hand or catch Joe while he is coming in. Lateral movement and angles is what bothered Louis. We saw Conn fight a near perfect fight against him and have all heard how Joe's handlers tried to keep him away from outside boxers. Frazier was anything but an outside guy and someone standing in front or moving towards Louis was putting themselves in a bad place. I love both fighters but I favor Louis in this one.
Louis didn´t like to get crowded, but had insane inside punching skills. Hooks, uppercuts, everything. Louis could be hurt, but I see Louis getting to his chin first, hurting Frazier numerous of times. After he dropped Frazier the first time, the fight will be over soon.
Frazier may be able to take some of Louis leverage away. Have him back on his heels. That is when Frazier is almost impossible keep off. If Joe Louis had an area that was not exceptional it would be balance. Frazier's precision and accuracy make him score and pin Louis to the ropes Joe Frazier in control but Louis would be looking for that one timed punch to reverse his fortunes. I think Louis would get that punch and score a KO win comeback style. Only because of who he was as a champion. The Brown Bomber was surgical but also a much smarter ring technician than many percieve. If you were predictable he would wait for that moment.
The danger I see for Louis, is Frazier swarming him and catching him with that left, time and time again. If Louis can nail him early, Frazier was open to getting hurt early, then there's chance that it could be a first few round win for him. But if Smoke get s in to his snorting, left hooking best, then there's a great chance that Louis gets beaten.
Have to edge out Louis. By points. I don’t think he’s stopping Joe but I can see multiple knock downs each fighter this fight
Louis adjusts to Frazier's crowding and destroys him with short combinations. Louis TKO with Frazier down multiple times.
This would be a war! As Rules as often said, FOTC Joe was unbeatable. I would agree with that, except against Foreman/ Liston types I don't think a peak Frazier could handle even on this night. But Louis would lose IMO, by a close decision. After reading Rules' summary of how he think this goes down, I have to steal his. Rougher going for Frazier than against Ali, cuz Louis does hit harder, and also is a good inside fighter, something Ali never had to offer Joe. So it is quite likely Frazier takes a pretty bad beating for quite a while, getting dropped a time or two but wraps up the fight for let's say, a split decision. Frazier could not beat a prime Louis with the decisiveness that he could beat a prime Ali.
IMHO: Frazier gets dropped twice in the 1st round, and once in the 2nd. While it's very unusual for Louis not to finish a hurt opponent, Frazier is not your average Joe. I see Frazier starting to come on in round 3 and possibly dropping Louis sometime between the 3rd and 7th rounds. Then the early punishment starts to take its toll on Frazier. Frazier's actually ahead on points when Louis starts to come on again in the 8th. In the 11th, Frazier goes down twice more and his corner steps in to save him.
Frazier. I rate Louis higher overall h2h, but imo, Frazier's style has always given Louis trouble. I'll go with that trouble making the difference.
