Joe Louis vs Vitali Klitschko

Vitali is big like many of Louis' opponents. However, he has more ability than those guys did. Boxing is a matter of human evolution. To think that none of today's fighters would at least trouble some boxers of the past would be foolish.

However, Joe Louis did have something that most boxers since didn't have. He wasn't a very bright person, like Jack Johnson often said. However, no one learned from his mistakes better than Louis did, at least when it came to boxing.

Louis would get in close, where Vitali doesn't fight well. If he can keep you outside, Vitali would beat you all night long. The problem is that he's very slow and often drops his hand after throwing the jab, a mistake that cost Louis the first fight with Schmeling.

Louis' hands are much faster than Vitali's and neither has good foot work. There won't be a lot of searching in this fight. Although Vitali is tougher than his brother, Louis would have a tougher time with Wladimir than with Vitali.

Vitali has never had to fight at a fast pace. Lennox Lewis was, by far, his toughest opponent and Chris Byrd was a distant second. Both fights were fought at a slow pace with Vitali doing as he pleased. However, the thing that still sticks in my mind is how Vitali quit. He was clearly winning the fight. Afterwards, Vitali admitted to having trouble with southpaws. It was later revealed that he had a shoulder injury as well but that wasn't his claim before others pressed on the issue.

I could see Vitali pawing with the jab and Louis wasn't very difficult to hit because he didn't move his head much. However, Louis was a master at blocking punches and he would block enough to get inside, where Vitali isn't very comfortable.

Vitali is often given credit for being tougher than his brother but the truth is that he was rarely tested because his competition almost never got inside. He might be tougher than Wladimir but we really don't know because all we have to go by is the Lewis fight.

Vitali is indeed tough and he would certainly beat his share of great heavyweights. He makes the Top 15, IMO, but I don't think he would beat Louis.

I know Joe is smaller but that wouldn't make much of a difference. Louis is still the greatest finisher in the history of the division. He also makes the best use of his power.

Vitali would win most of the early rounds but Louis would never give up or become discouraged. One is the smartest man outside the ring and the other is the smartest inside it. Louis would figure a pattern and he wouldn't be intimidated by Vitali's size. Louis never knew that type of fear.

Once he gets inside, in round 8, Louis lands a solid combination to the chin. Vitali is shaken, backs off (like feather fisted Byrd was able to do) and attempts to cover up.

Louis pursues and lands another solid right, sending Vitali to the corner. Another right puts the big man down in a neutral corner.

Up at six, Vitali moves forward but is met by a series of body punches and, two lefts, a right to the chin, left and a final right that puts him down for the count.

It appears that Vitali might be able to rise but he rises slowly as the referee waves off the contest.

Louis by KO in 8

 

I'm referring to Joe Louis, not Lennox Lewis.

 

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