How high do you rank Joe Louis H2H at heavyweight?

Louis was the only complete heavyweight champion, in the history of the division, unless you include fighters who were essentially light heavyweights.

If he had been a feather fisted hitter like say Chris Byrd, he would still have been able to beat the vast majority of the top heavyweights of his era, on technical skill alone.

If he had been a wild swinger like Max Baer, he would still have had the power to carry the style off.

There isn’t really any other great heavyweight champion that you can say that about.

It is not a coincidence that Joe Louis has the best resume of any of the lineal heavyweight champion’s, it is merely a logical extension of his head to head ability.

 

If I had to pick one heavyweight at his best to save my life in a H2H bout with anyone, I would choose the Joe Louis of the Max Baer era. Hands down...
Ali, was great no doubt and I saw Clay fight BEFORE he turned pro in the GG finals against Tony Madigan from Australia,winning a split decision at MSG.
No won in the audience would guess that he would morph into a heavyweight
champion. Then I saw the FOTC against Joe Frazier where Joe beat him..
I have always felt that aside from his personality and salesmanship which contributed to his aura of "the greatest", my man Joe Louis of the Baer fight would have certainly caught up to Clay/Ali at some point, hurt him and stop Ali
because this version of Joe Louis hit twice as fast, twice as hard with his
trip hammer combinations as Henry Cooper, who floored Ali and had Ali on ***** street...The version of Louis of the Baer fight was a KILLER plain and simple whose admonition "he can run but he can't hide " rings true...

 

I don't have the automatic selection of Louis to either number one or two as most do, he is my number 4, but I think you severely underrate him!

 

Very perceptive post!:good

 

I don’t think that he could have done much more with the available opposition, to suggest that he could overcome this type of fighter.

Indeed he seemed to dispose of them more easily than the Chris Byrds of the division.

 

Top 5

I think Ali beats him with his footwork and height and range. He`s just not gonna let Joe Louis get off enough.

Joe Frazier has a shot with Louis it`s a tough fight and a decent argument could be made either way.

A lot of people seem to think it`s a foregone conclusion that George Foreman beat Louis but I don`t see that at all.
Foreman is gonna walk to Joe Louis with no headmovement and a subpar defense and live to tell about it? This is a deer in the headlights scenario in favor of the Brown Bomber. Joe Louis KO`s Foreman early. If they fight 10 times Louis KO`s him 10 times.

 

Numero uno, and that probably won't change in my lifetime.

 

Lol

 

Louis would not last 3 rounds with foreman with his ****py chin.And you would not see them fighting 10 times cause louis would have enough after a single fight

 

Frazier would not beat Joe Louis. Not a chance. Frazier would have great difficulty beating any of the ATG champions in their prime. Truely great fighters exploit major technical flaws and Fraziers lack of a decent right hand is a prime example.

 

Completely agree with this.

I have Louis Top 5 head to head, only because he's losing to the cream of the crop, the best of the best. Tyson, Bowe, Lewis, maybe Vitali, mmmmaybe Ali. Louis can definitely beat those I just mentioned but the pressure guys are the ones who beat him. Dempsey would be tough, Marciano would be insane, Frazier a barnburner, Tyson would be the most difficult.

 

So if Frazier couldn't possibly beat Louis, in your opinion would a lesser fighter like Max Schmeling have a chance against Louis? :think

 

Joe frazier destroys Louis, heavier,thicker,stronger, pressure fighter,better chin,more stamina,faster feet.

 

Well all hypothetical match ups are with fighters at their best not worst. Louis at his best was 1938-1941 as worlds hwt champion. Schmeling was a highly skilled hwt with two good fists especially that right hand. At his best not worst he koed Max in 2 minutes. Frazier would last a bit longer but not much longer. B