Joe Louis was a very skilled boxer

Louis KO Lewis

 

Fixxed

 

He is one of the greatest offensive fighters of all-time. I don't rate his defence though. He has a poor guard, plodding footwork and limited head movement. his chin wasn't great either. Anyone great fighter who forces him to fight off the backfoot beats him, in my opinion.

 

Technically I agree with you. The only problems would be his lack of size and speed(overall, though he put combinations together excellently). A guy like Wlad has the huge size advantage with likely even power given the size differential, and is a better pure boxer, as Louis was prone to being outboxed due to his lack of speed. Also, while Wlad is troubled by the smaller swarmers with power, Louis's game would be very suited to his style.

Technically on the offensive he was great, though I agree with Jack he was a bit lacking defensively. The problem really only has to do with his speed and general pace, which would play a factor. Some people may say the same about a guy like Napoles(would be right in very specific cases), but he had the ability to turn the pace up with his footwork and workrate a lot moreso than Louis did. Louis's pace IMO wouldn't cut it against someone like Tyson or the best Super Heavies. Just my opinion at the moment.

 

Joes Technique was second to none, he was a devastating banger who could render you unconsious with very short punches. The speed issue is what would have been his downfall today.. He boxed in an era where a lot of fighters employed textbook styles and were quite stiff and ridgid...

In Joes day he was the BOSS..... Today he would still be hard to contain but easily beaten by much larger men just because of biology and the fact that evolution has formed a larger and more advanced type of athlete..

But never better by any means........

 

His footwork, handspeed, jab, of course, EVERYTHING was great about Louis in that Baer fight. I think Joe just got so enamored of his power that he became the shuffling, stalking destroyer we've always known him to be since that fight with Max Baer.

 

Jose Napoles could either knock you out with one shot, box you, or back off on the power just a bit to put a methodical. steady beatdown on you like he did Curtis Cokes. Any way, he was indeed smooth as butter, and with the exception of his tendency to cut, was the greatest welterweight of all, maybe with the exception , MAYBE...of Ray Robinson. What would it be, sugar or butter?

 

You are wrong. Haye KO2 Louis. :good

 

Wait a minute sweet pea. are you actually trying to claim wlad beats joe louis?

 

Why not?

Height advantage, reach advantage, defense advantage. Pretty much equal power, and Louis is willing to fight Wlad's fight. Unless Wlad sticks his chin out there I see him outboxing Louis. Surely you don't see it as an amazing feat to "outbox" Louis, as he was pretty prone to it, though he'd usually catch up and stop his opponent sooner or later. But, with every disadvantage possible, how does he win aside from landing a monster blow on Wlad if he slips up? Wlad is very defensive minded and unlikely to make a mistake like that, while Louis is not a swarmer or fast attacker. He is methodical just like Wlad, unfortunately he's facing a much bigger, defensive fighter with great power of his own who could make Louis pay if he's not careful.

Styles make matchups. Obviously though, Louis rates FAR higher as an ATG.

 

How big was Joe in his prime? A small heavyweight by today's standards?

A fundamentally sound, defensive minded boxer-puncher 6'5 and above would jab the hell outta Louis. It would not be a gimme fight for Joe.

 

O my dear lord, I dont even know where to begin. Wlad has officially become one of the most overated h2h heavyweights of all time.

 

Not really. I don't even rate him that high. I know there are certain styles that would blow him out of the water. I just don't see how a much smaller fighter with lacking defense, conservative offense(by this I mean he wasn't a true pressure fighter or swarmer, which seems to throw Wlad off), and a slow pace like Louis would be able to take Wlad off his game.

The only advantages I give Louis are in terms of in-fighting. So if the fight got close and was not broken up, Louis could damage him to the body. Wlad has a tendancy to cling and hold on in close though.

But tell me how you see him going about it, because as I see it, aside from that last bit which could come into effect, Wlad has the style to outbox him.