Louis vs Charles - Overlooked Gem

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by GPater11093, Mar 19, 2010.


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  1. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    I remember a while ago Mantequilla recommended this fight to watch and since it had been a while I thought I would watch it.

    You huys can watch it here

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQGryRCbLzU[/ame]

    Upped by TheGreatA, just follow the sides to continue the fight.

    Now this fight is seriously overlooked, Louis is often regarded as completly washed up and Charles, as many of yous know, is a Champion I think is completly underrated as a Heavyweight..

    Louis, definitly was not in his prime but he was still a very capable operater as he showed in this fight. Physically he had declined so he had to rely on a more wellrounded skill set, and definitly showed some subtle defensive parrys and slips. Also his counter punching ability was very good in this fight. Louis in this fight looks to move forward behind the jab then counter Charles with combinations, and does so effectivly at times.

    Charles also is not at his peak due to being at Heavyweight IMO. But he is still young and tremendously fit. He fights a good fight here by looking to cut Louis up then turns the pressure on in the last few rounds. He lands his shots at long range and looks to smother the counter attacks from Louis. In the later rounds he looks to land hurtful shots then get out of range. I was really impressed with his accruacy, he hardly ever missed and picked his shots superbly.

    The fight is very interesting as both men have contrasting styles and tactics and the fight develops into a thrilling tactical affair. Both men are hurt but come back well, and hurtful punches are exchanged throughout. Both men fight with shut left eyes, and are landing their right hands on each other, aswell as blooded noses.

    This is definitly one of my favrouite Heavyweight fights.

    I'm really digging Charles at the moment, think he is class.

    Also this bout raises an interesting question of how Charles would have done with a prime Louis.

    Thoughts and discussion on the fight?
     
    GPater11093, Mar 19, 2010
    GPater11093, Mar 19, 2010
    #1
  2. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I have the entire TV fight from '50 on tape.... Of course its considered a classic event, but the fight stunk.... Very slow and tactical.... Joe Louis looked 60 and off-key all fight long..... Charles too young and spry in 1950...... Not a favorite of mine.... Not at all....

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    #2
  3. PetethePrince

    PetethePrince Slick & Redheaded Full Member

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    Probably an underrated display by Charles.

    I'm a bit unsure on Louis' greatness in this fight. I actually think he might have been more fine-tuned for his Marciano fight having all those comeback fights. Louis was at an all time high at 218. Just prior to the fight against Rocky he fought Brion and weighed 203. That was obviously too light, somewhere in between those weights were better.

    Louis seemed to not be able to pull the trigger and Charles seemed cautious, calculated, and almost as if he could sense Louis just didn't have it... to me it seemed he gave Louis a great deal of respect. His reputation as vanilla and a cautious fighter became mythologized almost solely by this fight.

    It's great how you could find such a great appreciation of this fight. It's a bit low-key and slow-paced seeing Louis get beat the whole way through. Not the most exciting HW event.
     
    PetethePrince, Mar 19, 2010
    PetethePrince, Mar 19, 2010
    #3
  4. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Just think, by 1956, or a scant six yrs later after his win over Louis, Ezzard Charles was a shot fighter losing more than winning by the tender age of 35....

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    #4
  5. Sweet Pea

    Sweet Pea Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    Well that's cool baby, you know how it is. Rockin' and rollin' and whatnot.
     
    Sweet Pea, Mar 19, 2010
    Sweet Pea, Mar 19, 2010
    #5
  6. techks

    techks ATG list Killah! Full Member

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    I think this fight is overshadowed by Walcott-Louis. Joe always gave his all in fights and is always a great fighter to watch.
     
    techks, Mar 19, 2010
    techks, Mar 19, 2010
    #6
  7. Bummy Davis

    Bummy Davis Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Yea but he bounced back from a few wars and beatings...the 2 Marciano fights alone were WW1 and WW2
     
    Bummy Davis, Mar 19, 2010
    Bummy Davis, Mar 19, 2010
    #7
  8. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    "Louis-Walcott 1 & 2" will always sit better with the fans than that of "Louis-Charles" of '50... Overall---Better fights..........

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    #8
  9. red cobra

    red cobra Loyal Member Full Member

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    I always dug Charles in this fight..it's always fascinated me for some reason. Charles fought a great fight...he was catlike and clever in winning this one. Louis is slightly past it, but that dosen't discredit Charles one bit...well Louis wasn't THAT shot..and Charles fought with great respect for the Brown Bomber, and IMO, didn't go all out for a knockout out of deep respect for a legend.
     
    red cobra, Mar 19, 2010
    red cobra, Mar 19, 2010
    #9
  10. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Louis at age 36 and 218 pounds with a bald spot up top looked old as hell by 1950....... Louis was a shell for Charles........... However, Louis rebounded the clock a bit with his work effort and fights after his loss to Charles that led up to Marciano in '51..........

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    MRBILL, Mar 19, 2010
    #10
  11. itrymariti

    itrymariti Cañas! Full Member

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    Charles fought very craftily in this fight, keeping Louis off-balance and picking his spots. There was something very sneaky, very Hopkins-esque about he chose the right moment to get inside and then totally mug him. It was a bit of thrashing, really.

    I think a prime Louis would be much faster to the punch and willing to trade with Charles inside, and would have probably got the job done at some point.
     
    itrymariti, Mar 20, 2010
    itrymariti, Mar 20, 2010
    #11
  12. MRBILL

    MRBILL Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Charles employed a style against Louis in 1950 that was very close to what Holyfield pulled off against Foreman much later on in 1991...... A smaller, more spry boxer basically doing a paint job on a bigger, stronger and much slower man.....

    Now, for the record, "Holy-Foreman" has proven to be the better fight to review...... IMO! The live crowd was on their feet clapping in round 12 in 1991..... Nobody felt sorrow for Foreman in that fight, cuz Foreman proved a point that he was for real in losing a points decision to Holy....

    Joe Louis' loss to Charles was a sad moment for the fans to bare witness to. Joe Louis looking soft, slow and in debt to that ***** ******* Uncle Sam for 1 million bucks, had no answer as to how to handle Charles in the ring in that 1950 tactical snoozer..... I'll be nice, Louis won "5" rds of the scheduled 15 rds fought on my card.... Charles won 10 to 5 after 15 rds was over and done with.....

    MR.BILL
     
    MRBILL, Mar 20, 2010
    MRBILL, Mar 20, 2010
    #12
  13. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    You cannot say the entire fight stunk. Just because it is tactical does not make it boring. There was top quality skills on display, and drama as Louis badly hurt Charles afew times.

    Definitly, as Charles is underrated in general. He really is superskilled.

    I think Louis had lost his physical tools and now had to rely on his skills and become more well rounded. In this fight his defence looked quite good and his counterpunching ability was as good as ever.

    I think after this fight his skillset became more refined for his style but he lost even more physical attributes.

    I think that Louis wasnt able to pull the trigger was because he was looing to counterpunch. In the second round he leads with afew combinations and has some sucess but then reverts to counter punching.

    I do think in the 14th Charles maybe eased up but throughout I actually thought he was throwing harder and harder as each round progressed, and Louis was hurting him at times and Charles knew he had to be aware.

    Just a super interesting fight with great skills on display.

    :lol::lol:

    Whats that about?

    Really?

    I thought Joe started to turn off and tire by the tenth round and look as so he didnt want it.

    It is amazing the way he spins Louis at times, one of my favrouite Charles's moves.

    I like the comparison to Hopkins, I see it.

    On the inside Joe had some sucess with his hard uppercuts, I definitly see a prime Joe brutalising Charles on the inside at times, but Charles would get the best of the long range game IMO.
     
    GPater11093, Mar 20, 2010
    GPater11093, Mar 20, 2010
    #13
  14. Sweet Pea

    Sweet Pea Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    Drunk. Watching Grease.
     
    Sweet Pea, Mar 20, 2010
    Sweet Pea, Mar 20, 2010
    #14
  15. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    It was a good performance by Charles against a shell of Louis. Old and 18 months of inactivity, period. Louis was painfully slow and his reflexes were clearly off ... he was better conditioned against Marciano but he speed and reflexes were gone. THose skills don't come back.

    Interesting to note that even this Louis was able to bust Chalre's face up pretty good with his jab as the post fight photos of Charls show ..
     
    he grant, Mar 20, 2010
    he grant, Mar 20, 2010
    #15
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