1970s-80s light heavyweights that could give prime Joe Louis a good scrap

Spinks would be trouble.

 

Makes sense, I think most at the top would give him hard times if they weren't directly in the range of Louis' cross.

 

My first thought was Franklin and you are right, but I could see him landing a punch for a short count. Joe didnt exactly have the sturdiest chin after all...it would be exciting but Joe wins by a ko

 

Whoever you are thinking of you must first ask yourself if he could survive the second round of the Billy Conn fight.
Louis usually started with a show of power in the first two rounds and then fell back to a more measured approach to save his stamina while his opponents would drain themselves trying to tiptoe around him as he kept closing in.
Think Henry Lewis, Ramage 2, Pastor 2 or Walcott 1. Lewis was knocked out in the first, Ramage didn't make it out of the second, Pastor was knocked down 6 times before the third but he had the chin to hold on, Walcott was hit with an audible right to the jaw straight after the opening bell and was about to be taken out before returning fire and knocking Louis down himself.

If the light heavyweight in question has early ko losses, it isn't going to be a long night.

 

I was going to say Michael Spinks. But being a slow starter, fighting in close AND being the naturally smaller man is a bad combination against Joe Louis. Not sure I’m comfortable with any of them

 

I was going to say Spinks or Qawi but I think Galindez or Foster would both be cracking fights.