Is Joe Louis still a top 5 heavyweight H2H if you give him modern training and nutrition?

Don't need to change a thing about him and he'd be in the running for #1 cruiserweight H2H.

 

If what Frazier wrote about his own conditioning training is accurate, it was basically all genetic gift, because he just did the standard stuff fighters do. He didn't go above and beyond for his stamina training or anything. Just happened that if he trained like he was supposed to and showed up fit, he'd have better stamina than just about everyone.

 

Wouldn't surprise me. Though I imagine sparring in Frazier's style would be a better workout than usual.

 

Well if it wasn't size you were talking about, then the fighters today will have the same issues fighters back then had dealing with him, that being that his combination of hand speed, power, accuracy and skill would be unmatched.

I'll put it this way, you agree that his contemporaries weren't losing because of Louis' size but because of specific exceptional attributes he possessed, what makes you think fighters today won't have the same issues given that size was never the deciding factor? Keep in mind that extra size will make it significantly easier for Louis to land at full force on less mobile opponents and we have enough footage to see what that looks like.

This last bit isn't even based on Louis, it's a mythical image you've made in your mind of a slow plodding moron with big power and fast hands who somehow got through 12 years worth of top contenders because they were primitive or severely under equipped.

Louis moved his head every time he threw a punch.
Here's a short example of him doing it in his prime:

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Here he is slipping jabs while way past his prime (this whole fight is basically Louis stalking, slipping and jabbing, you can find examples in every minute of the fight but you can just see this moment at 7:20)

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Static head, sloppy defense, plodding feet Louis isn't a real thing.