Basically George Foreman vs Joe Louis in a nutshell...

Peak Big George was 6'3" 220 pounds. "Strong" in this thread needs to be better defined . Ken Norton said Muhammad Ali was the "strongest" fighter he ever frought." Big George is helluva better fighter than Max Baer. He would be the Brown Bomber's greatest opponent.

 

Foreman like many HWs has been critiqued for the quality of his opposition, both of his careers.
Louis like most all HWs fought folks of varying quality, the best available tended to be later in his career.
Foreman was usually around 220, sometimes even lighter-although without that insane dehydration Saddler had him do, yes he was naturally ~ a lean 230 lbs.

But you are smoking something very strong indeed when you suggest Louis was only good due to his competition!
Louis is widely regarded as the first or 2nd GOAT HWs.
Champion nearly 12 years, 25 defenses.

About Foreman & Baer being quite different, you are on target.
Whether Foreman would beat Louis is very much not a foregone conclusion.

Acting like Louis was not much of anything?
That is certifiable my man!

 

Foreman is a very different fighter than Baer, not really sure there. That said, this Louis fight is a great reminder of just how good he was. Look at those combos, with each shot landing absolutely perfectly flush.

 

I think many men who fought Ali commented on his strength in clinches. Whether it was actual strength or just good clinch technique, he certainly made an impression on opponents there.

 

George would be overwhelmed by both the jab and brutal (yet fast) combinations. He'd be lucky to make it 7 rounds imo.

 

Baer and Foreman had some similarities. But I think Foreman was the more skilled of the two. That said, I’d lean towards Louis beating him. But it’s not a given.

 

LOL .. agreed.

I like Louis to thread him apart in about five rounds ... too fast, too sharp ... George would always be dangerous but I like Joe.

 

Psi and getting hit are two separate concepts. Any boxer could tell you which set of gloves causes more damage.

 

Louis would the exact same thing against Foreman if he got to round 6.

 

This is really an easy pick for me. Joe cant stand up to George's power and he isnt elusive enough to evade him for long. Sure, he uses the jab well but does not George utilize his just as well? Just look at his performance in the first Frazier fight as he kept Joe at by while setting him up for his right. first time louis gets a taste of that power, he's getting hurt and he won't be able to hide it. Foreman by tko in five

 

There might even be something in what you are saying, but I don't think that the smaller gloves were turning everybody into a knockout artist.

If they were then everybody's chin goes up a grade.

 

Some are taking it too literally. Baer and Foreman are similar but not carbon copies. Foreman can be better than Max Baer but still get his a$$ kicked by Joe Louis. Joe dominated Baer.

This does destroy a couple of myths about Louis.
1. He has slow feet or poor footwork.
2. He had a weak chin.

Baer landed square on Joe and wasn't even visibility hurt came firing back with harder stuff of his own. Max after the fight when asked why he didn't get up 1 more time said something like
"The day I'm publicly executed their gonna have to pay alot more than $35 a seat to watch it."

George could probably come up with a funny quote like that to keep it in perspective. After all it was Joe Louis.

 

what makes me think that?

all the trips he took to the canvas at the hands of Galento, Schmeling, Walcott, and a host of others

One well placed shot from Schmeling, and he couldnt recover. George wouldnt even have to be on target with his first shot, and ALWAYS follows up, suffocating his opponent with a barrage of bruising shots that leaves opponents senseless

Like Joe Frazier says, "I dont know how well George fights but he punches good"

It was mere seconds before Frazier felt it himself and could do nothing but go down, ty to cover up

Frazier, like Louis, could ALSO punch. louis, would also fail to survive because let's face it, when it comes to footwork, Joe wasnt exactly Michael Nunn and he wasnt Jimmy Young either. The question is, how long would he last?

In the Norton fight, Kenny also took numerous trips to the canvas within the same round, RUINED by one glancing shot

Joe louis is not going to go thru entire rounds, just ignoring the effects, thinking "that was a good shot" and continue like nothing happened. After a few clubbing shots, the slow footed louis would eventually go into defensive mode while awaiting the end.

Look at Norton when he arose the third and last time. When his corner stepped in to stop the carnage, Kenny didnt want it anymore and neither would Louis