Nikolai Valuev Meeting Joe Louis' s Title Opponents..?

Then why are you wasting your time on this forum?

 

Value wasn't crap, but he wasn't very good either. He knew how to box but his awkward size and build actually limited him, it was almost as much a struggle for him to get in good shots on his opponents as it was for them to reach his dome.

Being a German based ABC Champion in the Klit era with King having no intentions of unifying, he was more like the Champion of a farm league than a true top fighter of his era. He didn't exactly get tested against the cream when they were cream, with maybe the exception of Chag and Haye, two fighters HE struggled against and lost the decision to.

He was defeated by Chageav clearly. A soft built lefty technician with little power who in truth is closer to 5'11" than his listed height. He had close ugly matches with a very washed up Holyfield, a timid Haye who stunned him, declined John Ruiz, and Larry Donald.

His most impressive wins was a workman decision over the hot/cold former belt holder Sergei, and his stoppage of Two Guns a solid fringe contender who came out aggressive. I think these are the fights I point out to show Valuev had real skills, but again, his own size limited him.

I have little doubt Louis massacres him. Of Louis title opponents: Value beats the worst of them.

The better technicians like Godoy, Pastor, Walcott, and even Conn beat him, and likely without much trouble.

I think the big punchers like Abe, Buddy, Nova, would bust Valuev up. There's a reason he was kept clear of truly dangerous punchers by King. He is too slow and awkward to brawl with them, and he would get beat up. Barrett had no problem scoring on him, good puncher, but not dangerous like these guys.

I feel the Galento who showed up game for Louis" title is a toss up.

 

I think that he only fought three.

 

There is another factor that is being overlooked.

Valuev was only fighting at world level for about four to five years.

That is actually not bad, but certainly no indicator that he could do it over a twelve year span.

 

Seriously? Primo was nowhere near the level of a well trained boxer, he was just a really big man for that era who couldn`t punch, he was hypejob.

 

Neither Valuev or Primo could have stayed top 10 contenders over a 12 year span, as sooner or later the quality of competition would lift out of the respective lulls each fighter benefited from.

 

Carnera was ranked from 1929-1936, and the quality off the opposition actually got softer after he dropped out of the top ten, owing to the second world war.

So no, I don't agree with you.

 

There were other boxers Carnera's size in that era and none of them accomplished anything notable.

 

You know my position of this, but even if you were rights about him, you still wouldn't be worthy to clean his spit bucket!

 

People like calling Carnera a hypejob and circus act, but how would you describe Valuev? He was managed extremely carefully, he was known strictly because of his size and he beat nobody notable throughout his prime. People keep mentioning Holyfield or Ruiz but they don't add the stage of their careers they were in.

I see absolutely nothing to suggest that Valuev would fare well against Louis competition. He'd beat some weaker opponents because he wasn't terrible and his physical advantage worked against lower tier opponents, but he'd have no shot at beating better Louis defenses.

The question should be who was the best fighter Louis defended against that Valuev would beat. I think someone like Galento is a fair choice, although I'm not sure if he should be favored over Tony.

 

Valuev was by far the more protected fighter. Like I pointed out he was more like a B league Champion, fighting the rejects. Chag and Haye was the only time he faced relevant fighters of his era and he lost his belt both times. Not much of a legacy.

Ruiz, Holyfield, Donald, McLine, Sergei, and even 2 Guns were old news when he beat them. These were gate keeper fights, a true Champion or contender was expected to make a statement with. Nobody was impressed with these wins at the time...hell, many thought Donald and Evander beat him. The Barrett fight was laughed at despite the finish, it was a clumsy mess.

Primo mixed it up with the best of his era, and managed a genuine title win. Primo could match any of Valuev's best wins, but I can't say the same for Valuev.

Primo is levels above Valuev.

 

I was beginning to think that people had forgotten!