Prime for Prime, tyson vs. .....

Easy to type, but the reality is, Mike could not and did not beat all of his competition in a single round. And they were guys who weren’t as great as what Joe was.

So why was that then?

Why didn’t he blow out guys like Green and Smith?

I know why, but I’d like you to tell me.

Regarding advanced skills, again, George Foreman was very basic.

What advanced skills and movement did he possess?

Foreman was one of the least skilled HW’s of all time. Yet the guy was a fearsome wrecking machine due to his style and his attributes.

So Louis had more skills than Foreman, who had success both in the 70’s and the 90’s.

Frazier was also less skilful than Louis, yet he’s another guy who found success in the 70’s.

So where’s the logic in saying that Louis couldn’t also have found SOME success in the 70’s and 90’s?

If you were a knowledgeable fan of the sport, you’d know for sure that Joe Louis would have had MIXED success in any era.

He’d have won some and lost some, just like any other HW great.

Mike Tyson would have been favoured over Louis due to styles, not just on the grounds that Louis fought in the 40’s and 50’s.

You can’t be ignorant enough to honestly believe that NO fighter from the 40’s or 50’s could have beaten a modern day fighter.

If you really believe that, then you don’t even deserve to be a fan of this great sport.

 

Mike Tyson beats Joe Louis ... Early ... Within 3 rounds ...

Louis is higher than Tyson on the ATG list but he's not beating Tyson in a fight

 

Tyson early, Louis late. Louis would do well to come I'm at 207 lbs like he did vs Buddy Baer and work on using more lateral movement.

 

Yabba Dabba Doo.

 

Been away for many years - fascinating to see my own thoughts from 10 years ago, and good to see old hands around here still punchin'.

Just to put in a word for perspective with greater age, and thus a word for Joe Louis.

I suppose with simply greater experience in life, I've a greater appreciation for any man who dominated boxing, and thus was an all-time great. Mentality is huge in this respect. The great champions were so because they had a champion's mentality, so Louis, Marciano, Holmes, Johnson, Dempsey, Tunney, Frazier, Tyson and Ali can never be written off as mere pushovers. And even among such champions, there is an elite, and Louis will forever be a part of it.

Bottom line, I now believe Louis could very well ambush an onrushing Tyson with the right cross to turn things his way early. And I have less confidence in Tyson being able to sustain his overwhelming early pressure into the middle rounds and beyond. He was no Frazier in this regard, and could sooner than later fall back into a one-dimensional mode, Rooney or not. Finally, the greatest champions truly found "a way to win", and endured. They overcame adversity. With 25 defenses throughout which he was floored several times in his illustrious career, Louis is so much greater than Tyson here. Over 12 years, he turned back all comers: huge, powerful men; scientific boxers; small powerhouses; fame and its temptations, scrutiny and racism, global expectations, time. Blackburn was one of the greatest cornermen ever, an excellent fighter himself. And Louis went on to continued success even without Chappie. Tyson's reign simply pales in comparison.

On the other hand, I remain in awe of Tyson's nonpareil skills as a pure fighter, and am reminded of how he was murder on any heavywight in the 200-pound range.

I'm not making any bold pick. I'm just saying the great Joe Louis could very well beat Mike Tyson. If Tyson doesn't overwhelm Louis early, Louis probably drowns Tyson later in the fight.