Boxers were TERRIFIED of Joe Louis...!

I’ve read that Jack Johnson carried a good measure of intimidation along with him.

I dunno but the supreme confidence he displayed and that golden smile that barely hid his “about to be unleashed” malice (via slow torture) toward his white opponents would’ve been pretty damn unnerving.

 

@Glass City Cobra

Good thread mate even if it has been heavily derailed by the resident hater.

It reminds everyone of the incredible aura Joe Louis had during his reign of terror. It was truly frightening the way he demolished many a hapless opponent. His mix of speed, power and the ability to put all that together in pinpoint combinations was indeed the stuff of nightmares.

 

Louis was what Tyson wanted to be, and that's without having been a fraction as loud or ferocious a personality.

 

It´s not a fear of being physically hurt, in the case of boxing... it is about being humiliated in front of people and having a hurt in their manhood. Two different things completely.

They didn´t even know about brain injuries in those days... so, it was not that. It was about being humiliated and being seen as less of a man...
The first time I competed in a combat sport, I had no fear of being hurt, physically... but it was a problem for me to have my girl in the stand watching the bout...

 

Baer had already killed a man in the ring prior to fighting Joe Louis so he definitely knew about physical harm in the ring and i dare say feared just that at times. There was also a lot of talk about the beating he gave Schaaf who was killed by a jab next fight.

Your point is good tho, in a lot of cases your criteria would play a part of things as well. Boxers however all realize they could, if terribly unlucky, get killed in the ring so physical fear comes into it at times, no doubt. Norton and various others acknowledge the very real dangers in their books and writings.

 

It had been a while, I just remembered the still photos being so compelling. I just rewatched the fight and you are 100% correct, Godoy was trying to maul him inside the whole way and Joe was just ripping him with short, brutal punches.

And in keeping with the tone of this thread, the YouTube video I found of Louis-Godoy also had Louis-Paychek and it’s a miracle that urine wasn’t running down Paychek’s legs he was so obviously petrified.

 

Yes, but the story from the opening post is a story about guys choking... not about being afraid of physical harm... they knew they would lose. You can see this type of fear in other disputes that doesn´t involve physical harm...

 

True. mcvey expanded on Baer, i think that's a story of genuine fear for ones health.

 

From Joe Louis: Hard Times Man".

On September 24, 1935, Joe Louis knocked out former heavyweight champion Max Baer. Before the fight Baer had feared for his life.

 

Excellent observation.

 

That didn’t seem to be what was indicated earlier in the thread. But I haven’t looked into these cases first hand.

 

No, haven't watched Louis-Godoy 2. I will later today. Love watching Louis.

 

Yeah, that kind of intimidation must be very real as well. Taking a prolonged beating while being taunted and humiliated can't be an inviting prospect for anyone.

 

Re>Louis-Paychek, Paychek threw one serious punch the whole fight, maybe two if you squint your eyes, the rest of the time he was flicking and running until Louis cut the ring off on him and just pulverized him. I went to Newspapers dot com and read the NY Daily News coverage of that fight, and Paychek didn’t answer when a reporter asked him afterward if he was afraid, but he said he was so focused on defense … i.e., not getting hit … that he simply couldn’t make himself throw punches, and he went on and on and on and on about how hard Louis hit. So draw your own conclusions as to whether he was afraid or intimidated.

 

A lot like another Detroit fighter
Thomas Hearns.
And Hearns had an additional advantage of usually staring DOWN at his opponents.