Joe Louis in the 50s instead of the 30s

He'd dominate.

 

Probably. Though, he might have trouble at the very end of the 50s with Liston, especially if Joe had held the title the whole decade.

 

I strongly believe he would have been a world champion in any era, and in this case i think once he gets a title shot in 1957, it would be against patterson.
I think the brown bomber would maul patterson and take the crown, BUT with a peak Sonny Liston in 1959 and a peak Muhammad Ali in 1964, this would not be a very long title reign.

 

He would win the title around 1957, stopping Floyd Patterson.
Then he would spend 2-3 years defending the title against the likes of Johansson, Williams, Machen etc. All of whom he'd dispatch rather easily.
In 1959/1960 he would face Liston, who would probably deal him his first loss. However it would be a close and dramatic bout (while it lasts), which would lead to a rematch, in which Louis becomes champion again.
On to another short series of title defenses, maybe a rubber match with Liston, which would be a toss up.
Then we would enter the mid 60s, with Ali entering his prime & Louis being on the slide, which would certainly lead to Ali dethroning Louis (should Liston not be the champ at the time). Louis would hang around in the division, but never regain the title, failing to beat Frazier, Foreman or Ali in a rematch.

In retro perspective the 50s would have been remembered as a much stronger era. Ali would have added another hall of famer to his already impressive resume, however his win over Liston would seem as less of a feat, since Liston had already been beaten in his prime.
The legacy of Floyd Patterson would be held in much lesser regard, only having one title reign and being dominated in his prime by both Liston and Louis.

 

Louis vs. Liston in primes, what a dream!

For whatever this is worth, Joe himself believed that Sonny would take him out in such a match-up. Not entirely convinced I agree with him.

 

Yep, I can't see Louis handling a prime Sonny Liston, he's too stationary

 

Think he has issues with the following
Marciano
Walcott
Charles
Harold Johnson
Machen
Liston
Lastarza
Issues doesn’t mean he losses. Just the styles may bother him a bit. I wouldn’t bet against him in any of them though. Marciano, Liston, Harold Johnson Charles probably give him the most trouble. Although the most intriguing fight would definitely be Satterfield v Louis! The action would be intense

 

I don't see him dominating Williams, Machen, Johannson and Folley. I think he could easily drop a loss to one of those or at least have a scare/close decision. Peak Sonny would be right in line as Joe was entering his own prime - happily, not to be interrupted by the war - if they fought in 58 or 59. I don't think I could pick a winner there.

Conceivably, they fight a trio of fights taking it up to about 62. It then resembles post FotC landscape with whoever holds the crown - for the purpose of the thread, let's assume that's Joe - taking fairly easy defences while they lick their wounds from the three wars.

With a bit of that fire extinguished, and the 60s kicking into gear with all the new temptation that would have brought, Joe has a long and frustrating night trying to catch the 22year old Cassius Clay. He loses even more emphatically in a rematch and then has a few more fights, including a humdinger with Bonavena before being matched with the unbeaten Joe Frazier for a portion of the crown Ali had vacated.

Frazier sends the 34 year old Louis into permanent retirement as emphatically as Marciano did in the real world.

Broke and owing the IRS money, Joe falls into the shadowy Vegas underworld, taking a job with the mob which really only requires him to turn up at the casinos and say the odd 'hello' but he gets himself drawn into the drug deals as he discovers a taste for heroin as well as cocaine. A little skim off the top here and there helps pay for a few luxuries but Joe ultimately pays a higher price when he takes too much off the top once too often and his body is found bloated and decomposing by his former foe and recent best friend, Sonny Liston, who gives the media the memorable quote "It could have been worse. It could have been me.'

PS: Prize for whoever knows when/why Sonny used that line in the real world.

 

I don’t disagree with that. Was just giving him the whole decade.

 

With respect, I can't see that. myself. Joe (Louis) said he hated being crowded. Joe Frazier in 68 loved crowding an opponent, especially one with slower feet than him. Frazier weathers an early storm, starts rushing Louis, puts his head on Louis' chest and pounds away.

I also wonder how great Joe Louis still was at 34. He was considerably diminished. And in this imaginary timeline, with the wear and tear of his three wars with Liston and a much more chaotic life outside the ring in the 60s timeline, that's an even older 34 year old than the one who struggled more than once with Walcott. That is telling in itself. He'd even lost his ability to dominate rematches.

 

He would reign until Liston came along,then it gets murky,imo.

 

It would be interesting, Louis also doesn't lose out to WW2 and the hundred or so exhibitions he boxed. I tend to agree Louis in his mid 30s isn't going to be beating prime Joe Frazier. Or if he hangs on way too long he's in for a rough night with Foreman in the 70s.