Joe Louis's record on the p4p scale

Truthfully, I have him in my top 10 pound for pound. As you already mentioned, his longevity and number of title defenses are bested by none. His record against ranked opposition and the claim to have beaten some 6 past, present or future world champions is incredible.. Joe Louis's record exemplifies the very best in professional boxing.

 

Yeah, I feel there's a good case to be made to have him top 10 p4p. There's mainly two things that count against him:

1. He doesn't have a win over a really great fighter. This could partly be because his dominance was thus that none of his opponents had the opportunity to become great, though.

2. He reigned in an era where black fighters still were restricted from competing on equal terms. Very few of his opponents were black, even though blacks started to dominate the division almost immediatly after his reign.

These are probably the only factors that I can see keeping him out of the top 10.

 

I have him placed at 8.

 

I agree with your statement about the inequality of black fighters getting a fair chance. But, as for your claim about him not facing a truly great fighter, I think Max Schmeling, Joe Walcott, Max Baer and Jack Sharkey were certainly very good or even great fighters. Just my opinion.

 

I ave never had the time nor the patience to post a top 50, but I certainly would not put him in the top 10 fighters ever p4p, I cant see how that can be argued, the depth in talent is far greater for the smaller men, you are more likely to come across fellow greats if your a welterweight or a middleweight for example.

Louis is undoubtable an all time great but he certainly not top 10 p4p.

Muhammad Ali for me is the only heavyweight that can be ranked in that bracket.

 

HWs in general have become biased against in the P4P scale, the HW division is usually the hardest with the largest weight range.

However ranked contenders isn't the be all and end all, the best of Louis's opponents weren't the greatest, his era wasn't the strongest and he struggled with certain styles. Hence he isn't my top HW or top P4Per

 

Those fighters, especially Walcott, were all very good, but not quite as good as the wins most other top 10 fighters have. Charles has Burley and Moore, Duran has Leonard, SRR has Gavilan, Leonard (if he's even top 10) has Duran, Hearns, Hagler and Benitez, Greb has Tunney, Langford has Wills and Gans, Ali has Liston and Frazier etc.

 

Doesn't everyone?

 

He would almost definitely make my top 10 pound-for-pound.

 

Good list.
But I'll declare SR Leonard wouldn't even make my top 20.

 

Louis did very well against larger men. I would give Louis beating up Carnera and Baer similar credit to a guy hopping up a weight class to take someone out. It's not comparable to Duran Leonard but maybe the fights with Joseph Nsubuga and Wellington Wheatley. Proved he could hang with super heavyweights the same way Duran proved he could hang with welterweights.

 

Louis' record is almost null on a p4p sense , beating bigger bums and having trouble vs smaller overrated fighters .
Losing 2 Schmelling was his defining moment .
Schmelling was a bum .
Louis outside of my top 100 , and unlike others whom might use this combination of words "top 100" , i actually compiled such a list .

 

post it up, franky boy