If Roy Jones Jr steps in as a blast minute replacement for Billy Conn, is it curtains for Louis?

Eventually yes. But he took the shots very well for 13 rounds. My point is Roy wouldn’t be able to do that.

 

Prime for Prime... why are people so convinced Conn has a better chin?

 

Probably because Conn has only 3 ko losses in his career and two came against the greatest Hw puncher of all time. Where as Roy fought majority of his career between middle and light heavy and his chin wasn’t tested nearly as much - later when his reflexes slipped a bit it was, with disastrous results. Conn also fought more than Roy did at heavy with good wins over Pastor (better than Ruiz) and few others without being hurt.

 

agreed on Conn having a good chin, but absence of proof isn't proof. He was hit, and never appeared hurt really in his prime, but what's more and my point, that's the glory of having better reflexes and getting hit less. That isn't a negative. I'll vote for the guy who will get hit much less, and has better reflexes, and thus will put his chin in a lot less danger even though he's the bigger and stronger guy between the two. Sounds like a much better recipe than, we know his chin is good, but he's going to be there to be hit much more than Roy ever would. Imagine for a moment Louis foot movement and Roy's, and a Roy who's cautious and not showboating. Yeah, he'd do better than Conn imo.

 

I disagree that he does better than Conn. Roy was never really proven at heavy. Conn fought and defeated 4 heavyweights before he faced Louis. Louis had tremendous hand speed and contrary to popular belief his foot work was good, it was designed to accentuate Joe’s positives which was superior fire power and to always keep him in optimal range to let his hands go. No wasted movement which was essential in 15 and 20 round eras. Roy was blazing fast, but Louis is no Ruiz - he’s supremely athletic in his own right, I feel confident that this is a bad matchup for Roy. Conn had better chin was naturally bigger (6’1.5) and was acclimated to fighting heavies when he stepped into the ring with Louis.
It may take couple of rounds for Louis to find the range with Roy moving around but at heavy Roy can’t do it for 12 or 15 rounds with Louis constantly putting himself right in front of Roy - and in this fight he’s facing a vicious and explosive combination puncher when the salvos begin to land Roy isn’t big enough to take it.

 

Jones finds a way to get KO'd .

 

Jones also hit much harder than Conn.

 

As Jermall Charlo vs Matt Korobov showed a last minute replacement can throw a spanner in the works. First fight Jones Jr style baffles the Brown Bomber and Jones Jr wins on pts. Rematch a properly prepared Bomber with Jackie Blackburn in his corner destroys Jones early like the Tarver 2nd fight.
Nobody beats Joe twice.

 

Let's see...RJJ 's chin vs Joe Louis' combinations...hmmm,....next!!!

 

Conn wasn't 1/5 the ring general that RJJ was.

 

No. It's curtains for Roy Jones Jr.

 

Look, Roy was a superior fighter to billy conn in every aspect particularly punching power, using that as a diagram I hate to say it but Louis is unfortunately losing this one, slick out fighters like Roy was Joe's number one weaknes. That being said Roy can't take much chances against a highly skilled highly coordinated legend like Joe Louis, if he came at Louis leaping towards him with both arms wide open like he did to some of his opponents then he very well may run into combination that would put him down for the count.

 

I believe you're imagining a Louis here that doesn't actually fight as you imagine. He not a fighter who puts any type of sustained pressure on his foe. It's calm and calculated, but relentless or very tiring for his foe it was not. He didn't put anywhere near the type of swarming pressure you're trying to make him do here. He plodded a lot because he wanted his feet close to set for increase stability and so he was always on balance to launch an attack. Roy isn't going to tire himself out here, because Joe isn't going to make him work as hard as your imagine. Roy's movement wouldn't allow Joe to get set much, and therefore he'd struggle to land all these combinations you speak off. This would be a cautious Roy, and that Roy was extremely difficult to tag. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree as I see Roy doing better.

 

Louis hits Roy with a solid counter shot and it's the beginning of the end for Roy. All it takes is one.

 

Yeah we’ll agree to disagree. I can’t envision Roy doing better than the legendary performance Conn put in, in a losing effort against a guy who never really challenged himself at heavyweight. It’s a disservice to Conn to think Roy can do better. But hey we can come up with any scenario we like in a fantasy match up.