PRIME Joe Louis vs PRIME Usyk (15 rounds)

As they did with every heavyweight champion who was on a long winning streak.

 

I will not vote for Joe Louis to stop Oleksandr Usyk, simply because I have never seen Usyk stopped. Deep down I suspect Joe would stop him, but I voted Louis by decision win.

 

Usyk.

They're similar physically at their bests. Peak Usyk is 6'2.5 inches and 205lbs with a 78 inch reach, Peak Joe Louis is 6'1.5 inches and about 200lbs on the dot with a 76 inch reach.

But I take Usyk because imo has defeated opponents that share (to some extent) traits that make Louis dangerous, whilst Louis never defeated anyone that shares traits in common with Usyk. Usyk has fought people physically stronger, harder hitting, more aggressive and more durable than Joe (as well as taller and rangier obviously). He's never fought anyone as skilled or as fast a Joe though, and never dealt with a jab, counter puncher or combinations on the level of Joe's.

On the flip side, Joe has fought I think a single fighter that you could argue is similarly skilled to Usyk in Jersey Joe Walcott, but Walcott was 5'9, 17lbs lighter than Joe and made him struggle mightily. Joe's never fought anyone with Usyk's combination of size and skill, never fought a southpaw, never fought anyone with Usyk's inexhaustible stamina (****er threw 103 punches a round in rounds 10-12 of the Gassiev fight), never fought anyone with his crackhead head movement, his foot work, his lead hand control, his feints, his jab, his ring IQ and adaptability or his durability. I simply think Usyk presents Joe with more challenges than the reverse.

Also, this is extremely important and I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned once but Usyk's chin takes a massive **** on Joe Louis's chin lol. Usyk hasn't been knocked DOWN once by flush punches harder than anything Joe threw whilst Joe has been knocked down by lighter punchers than Usyk. The Idea that Joe would be a Julian Jackson-esque single punch away from beating Usyk is ridiculous. Funnily enough all evidence points to Joe being more susceptible to getting one hit knocked down from Usyk than the opposite.

I think Ali, Usyk, Tyson, Wlad and Frazier should be taken over Louis in a fight, with Ali, Wlad and Tyson being comfortable W's, Usyk and Frazier being more difficult. Then I'd give Louis the edge over Marciano, Dempsey, Foreman, Lewis, Holyfield, Bowe, Fury, Vitali, Patterson, Norton and Liston in their fights. AJ also, but I feel that's kinda obvious.