Joe Louis past-prime in 1941? Claims "tiredness" for Billy Conn fight

Maybe some of that has to do with what I've read of him "drying out" to an extent for that fight. It was written that he felt the need to scale in under 200 pounds for Conn somehow, otherwise it might "look bad" because Conn was so light himself. It would look less like him being a big bully against the much smaller guy if his weight started with a "1" instead of a "2."

 

And not to wax too poetic and socially-conscious about it, but just being Joe Louis at that time had to be exhausting as hell. He was carrying a lot of weight around that had nothing to do with his ring schedule. It would take its toll on anyone.

 

Now there's something you won't see from anyone nowadays. A heavyweight making himself smaller for a smaller opponent for the purpose of being "fair."

 

Agreed,

Keeping active is of the utmost of importance. But TOO much activity and defending a title as often as he did has consequences too. The human nervous system can only take so much. That and the distractions and stimuli that he was subjected to outside the ring can drain a person.

 

Good Stuff ! Thanks for the info.

 

I have seen mutterings like this before.

To put 1941 into perspective, he fought seven opponents, and I think that all but one of them were ranked.

The general pattern seems to be that he is taking top 10 guys a month apart, but allows himself three months between the #1 ranked contenders.

On that basis, we might expect something to give simply based on schedule.

Was the writing on the wall even then?

Hard to say, because the war enforced a long layoff, but I think he would have burned out quicker without it.

 

Sal, I've read this exact same thing, it was in Louis' autobiography and I'm pretty sure I myself have posted on this subject previously. Louis was determined to come in with his weight 1**, not 202, 203 or 204.

 

Aha! Vindication!

 

Never paid much attention, but I just noticed that a lot of Louis's best wins, ie. Schmeling, M. Baer, Braddock, Carnera, Sharkey, Conn I and Godoy II were all fought under 200 lbs. Interesting.

 

Here to help, fella!

But seriously, Louis came across as very sincere in his book, he certainly did not try to put himself over as squeaky clean, it was a real "warts and all" account of his life. The book was released a year or two before his death, I have no reason to doubt that what he said was true.

PS I've just read the article McGrain posted in full...what a great, dignified humble guy Joe comes across as in the interview...no side to him, no pretentiousness, no flash.

 

I've always supported this hypothesis McGrain (I'm sure I have some posts saying the exact same thing about his stale Ness but without a first hand source). Also I think his weight shot up to the high 20x's after the bum of the month tour; I would have to look back but I think that fighting so often was artificially keeping his weight lower than where it should have been.

You can see this effect Ali during his first reign when he fights Chuvalo and Henry Cooper less than two months apart; Ali weighed 214 for Chuvalo and 201 for Cooper. I think all the running and just the constantly being in training would wear you down, because every fight is a big fight an important fight.