Joe Louis was lucky that Jack Johnson wasn't around!

He ducked Lem Franklin

 

I don’t know if he ducked him but I agree that franklin should have gotten a shot especially since Abe Simon who lost to Franklin twice got a shot at Louis twice

 

Oh I like that. Really.
Notably if we take into to what Tunney said about 15 rounds of Holmes vs Norton.

 

Johnson had other reasons too, including being soundly rebuffed when he endeavoured to offer his services to train Louis.

 

If he didn't want Louis to become a champion, why would he offer to train him with a view to him achieving that very thing?

 

I never suggested that Johnson did not want Louis to become champion.

Louis was developed very well under Black, Roxborourgh and Blackburns direction, groomed one could say with one purpose only, the title.

So with such astute backers/managers and trainer allied with incredible talent, Louis was likely to be the champion anyway if things worked out, Johnson wanted to be a high profile part of that.

Yes Johnson was able to continue to live well on the back of having been the only coloured heavyweight champion, however if inevitable going to happen ie Louis likely to get the title, wise and determined Johnson sought other ways to remain high profile, namely attempting to become the trainer, which as you know was not in anyway part of the Black/Roxborourghs plan, and Johnson sure would thrown those famous commandments into disarray that Louis was expected to live by.

 

Dempsey
Louis
Marciano
Liston
Ali
Frazier
Foreman
Holmes
Tyson
Lewis
Vitali
Fury


I'm probably missing some.

 

Not really.

 

You should eliminate every name after Dempsey but add Frank Bruno, Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall and maybe, just maybe Herbie Hide.

 

Explain yourself!!!

 

I don't have to - Louis fought more ranked opponents than any other champion in the history of this division. Acting like he ducked anybody is foolish. It's like saying that Ali ducked Machen.

 

Louis ducked Galento until the public demanded the fight.

 

I think the question is who was better/more skilled relative to their own contemporaries in their own era. besides Louis and Ali I don't know if there are any that can rival him in that criteria

 

I know you didnt I was responding to the poster you were replying to.

 

Johnson wanted Roxy and Black to ditch Blackburn.