Joe Louis tells how he would beat Ali

Moore never fought Louis.

 

Ali's best weapon here would be his right hand, which in combination with his reflexes and foot speed would be finding its target over Louis' jab. I don't think Ali's jab would trouble Louis as much as Louis' jab would trouble Ali because it would land on Louis' rear glove most of the time.

Scenario 1: Ali comes out quick and builds up a huge lead over 8 rounds, by the time he slows down, Louis is already too far behind to build up a lead and loses on a decision. Alternatively, Ali wears him down with right hands and clinches and knocks him out in the 10th round or later.

Scenario 2: Louis' prophesized tactic to beat Ali actually came true when Frazier and Norton followed it to a T.
He employs the same stalking methods with heavy emphasis on body shots that tire, slow Ali down and allow Louis to build up a lead. Ali tries to regain energy on the ropes but instantly realizes what a terrible idea it is to let Louis pick his shots like a puncher's bouffe.
Ali is too far behind on points and his rally in the last rounds isn't enough to win this one. The judges vote for Louis with tears on their faces, as they have to commit the cardinal sin of letting Ali lose a decision.
Alternatively Louis takes it out of the judges hands and after wearing him down past the middle rounds puts a beating on Ali so bad that the referee jumps in and stops the fight, to the annoyance of Ali who keeps insisting he can go on.

50-50 match though I personally favor Louis. Handled Pastor, Farr, Conn, Ramage and Walcott too well for me to buy into that speed is his kryptonite.

 

Charles and Walcott, though not to the degree that Schmeling managed.

 

Ali had one of the great counters over the jab among HWs, I'd say. His pull counter is a classic.

 

Yeah, I just added Walcott. Had a quick peak at that.

 

No judge of the day would’ve had any trouble marking Ali up as a loser on points in the 60’s.

 

Good point

 

I know what you meant though. If Ali could last the distance after the Foreman fight, he’d only have to show up to beat Louis, using 70’s judges.

 

He also said even in his own prime he didn't think he'd have ever best Joe Louis ..

 

If you're trying to insinuate that Ali is as good of a counter puncher as Schmeling you are dead wrong.

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Do you think Joe Louis was dumb/slow enough to get hit with these?

 

And Williams had a bullet in the gut to boot.

 

Ernie Terrell was a good boxer and he got stung by those pull counters. Joe Bugner was Ali's sparring partner, must have seen a million of those pull counters, and still got hit with them. Holmes had a point when he said Ali was the first boxer who could fight backing up.

 

I’m among what seems the minority who see a very close fight and possible win for Louis.

I’ve referenced the performance of an older, past his best Folley vs Ali before.

Folley fought like a much more basic version of Louis - minus the power in both hands.

He didn’t actually follow Ali around - Ali moved around Zora who held ring centre and tracked Ali.

Folley didn’t just have notable success with catching Ali with some right and lefts - when he caught Ali, a number of times he caught Ali cold - on his unprotected chin.

Zora didn’t find Ali to be a completely wraith like target, impossible to nail.

Even if the same punches connected, I can’t see prime Louis going down and ultimately being KO’d as Folley was.

In my eyes, there was a clear point in the fight when Zora began to tire - and Ali stepped up his offence when he recognised Folley getting tired and the drop in Zora’s own output.

Ken Norton had a very good, hard, fast and accurate jab and it gave second career Ali many problems. I think Louis’ jab would too - and even more so.

 

I No doubt your tale. People nowadays have forgotten how important Joe Louis was for the african american community and what a source of pride and inspiration he was back then, when segregation was still alive and well in Amerikkka.