Joe Louis vs Joe Calzaghe?

Just read the poll results...I'm frankly astonished that only 83.33% of voters for Louis by KO...

 

I agree that Calz is going to get KO'd at some time but to say this fight is absurd when Louis went life and death with Conn is just a load of shite. Joe C was very active and a great judge of distance and mixing his attack. This could be enough to untrack Louis for some rounds. Ultimately, Louis closes the show. But, hell, Pastor was about the same size as Calzaghe, and not near as fast, and he lasted 11.

I think a better way to approach the question is to ask what circumstances or approach would give Calzaghe the best chance over 10 or 12 rounds... Generally, the outcome is not in doubt, but finding a set of circumstances under which it would be reversed is at least interesting.

 

I think Calzaghe has the speed and style and ability to perhaps last a few rounds too, keep Louis from getting set, and maybe nick a round or two on the way, until the bomber catches up with him.

But then I remember that Calzaghe was on the deck in the first round against both Pops Hopkins and shot-to-**** Roy Jones Jr.

Louis would kill him.

 

Joe C was also on the deck against Branko Sobot.

I respect the Southpaw Joe C Wales but imo Louis would utterly annihilate Calzaghe.

Edit: not Sobot, Kabary Salem. My bad...those fights were so memorable I got mixed up.

 

You don't like Tyson, do you , Foxy?

 

His posts and style of debate points to that he hates successful and very highly regarded fighters.

 

The only thing more ******ed than this thread is the people that have actually voted for Calzaghe to win.

Joe Louis would end Calzaghe in the first round, with the first straight right he lands.

 

Louis has been dead since April 1981...and he'd still kick Calzaghe's ass!!!

 

Calzaghe always comes back after being tagged, even if they have to wheelchair him in to do it. My money is on the Wheelin' Dragon.

 

Which one? The so called human being, or the hugely overrated fighter?

No. I despise all s.e.x. offenders. I also don't buy into the myth of a guy who gets beaten the fvck up then KTFO in his prime aged 23, no matter what his excuse mongering fanboys might claim.

 

Ha Ha good one RJ, I agree :good

 

Bob Pastor, a fighter a few pounds heavier but nowhere near the level of Calzaghe, lasted a full 10 and then 11 of a 15 against Louis.

But I am to believe that Calzaghe has no chance gong 180 seconds with Joe...

 

By that logic Joe Louis shouldn't have first round KO's of John Henry Lewis and Max Schmeling either but he does.

Calzaghe was no defensive master and fought in an aggressive manner featuring a ridiculous workrate which meant he was always in punching range for the other guy himself. That is basically suicidal for a 168-175 pounder against someone like Louis.

Maybe if Joe had the movement of a Conn he could survive a bit but he doesn't really fight backing up that well, certainly not well enough to survive for long against Louis.

Anyway Calzaghe wasn't a heavyweight so favouring him getting destroyed by one of the most devastating and precise punchers the heavyweight division has seen isn't an insult to Joe because it's an unfair match up to begin with.

 

Calzaghe would have a good shot at pipping the 1951 37 year old Louis.

Putting Joe in with the late thirties/early forties PRIME Brown Bomber would result in a very early Louis victory.



Using the first Billy Conn fight as a benchmark is way off the mark. Conn was a natural 175 lb prime fighter. His skills were of a higher level than Calzaghe's.

 

Definitely.


All of this focus upon the mediocrity and others over his career that managed to go the distance with Louis as justification for Calz having some success seems a convincing argument.


And, though Calz struggled in a back and forth for 12 rounds with "Dynamite" David "Special Olympics" Starie looking about 2% better than that physical marvel and athletic wizard, struggled with "Killer" Kabary Salem getting dropped in the process, struggled with "Rippin'" Robin Reid to a questionable win in which 99% of the powershots thrown were caught by Joe's grill, and had a less than impressive 12 rounds with that boxing necromancer Charles "Philly's Finest" Brewer, as well as losing the first half of the fight against Mikkel "The Complicated" (aka 1-2) Kessler, or that fairly tight run with Sakio Bika, we shouldn't make too much of that. After all, if they could go the distance with Calz (and notwithstanding what we know about the benefits of having the belt org (in this case the WRRN BO) behind a fighter and how that means influence on the ref selection, the judges, the timing, the environment, etc., etc.) and make him struggle, well, it doesn't really mean he's over-rated - it means they too were a special breed and highly underappreciated for their ample boxing gifts and ring acumen.

Clearly, it is Joe's impressive body of work over rare talent Jeff "Little Tyson" Lacy, the razor-thin split decision win over 43 year old ATG Bernard Hopkins, and a unanimous decision over the late RJJ (KO'd by Tarver, Johnson, Lebedev, and Green) that demonstrates the rarity of and uniqueness of his abilities.

Who couldn't imagine that fighter giving Louis some trouble. To some degree then, we should similarly be able to see David Starie lasting several rounds with Joe Louis. Or, maybe Robin Reid taking rounds off Joe Louis. If Calz is big enough then so are they. If styles makes fights then perhaps they won't do as well. But, they all gave Calz trouble. That should be worth something too - against anyone then. Just put the picture in your mind of Kabary Salem entering the ring opposite Joe Louis. I can see it. As clearly as I can see Calz fighting Joe Louis.