Rocky Next Morning After The Louis Fight

You are leaving out an old man. I view it as a stepping stone/right of passage. I do agree he was better than anyone Patterson fought as champion as D’Amato made Floyd duck all the top men and justified him fighting an absurdly poor level of opposition for years. That’s it’s own disgrace.

 

Yes, Louis was an old man.
I do usually disqualify all wins against old men from being described as great in any sense but today I was being kind.
You're right, not a great win at all.

 

Why doesn't the image markup work here?

Was there a spam problem?

 

Not meaning to derail your thread Mcvey but how was Cuba?

 

Good man, glad you had a nice time!

 

And I will say as SQ has for years that while faded Louis was still, big for that era, had a good, hard jab, a ton of heart and an it / you never know factor that separated him from most fighters of that age .. he just wasn't the same Joe Louis ..

 

It should also be pointed out that 37 or not, Louis in his whole career only lost to very top level fighters. Other than Marciano, only Schmeling and Charles.

I think one would be hard-pressed to find many "victims" over the generations who didn't lose to fighters of less quality than that.

 

I read a story about a guy that got into it with Rock before he made it big. Said he was hit in the mouth, his lips up to his nose was numb for several days.

 

So let's put that into perspective.

All three of these men won the lineal title, without winning it from Louis himself.

All three still sometimes feature on top 20 all time heavyweight lists.

It seems that even a shot Joe Louis is not an insignificant obstacle!

 

and your opinion now on the weather for the Johnson-Willard fight?

 

That would be my take on it. There are old guys who have been laid off and haven't been fighting. There are old guys who are losing to lots a guys. Louis was neither. He clearly wasn't what he was, but he wasn't losing, and so I would consider him still a dangerous opponent.

 

And yet one of the smallest fists of the heavyweight champions

 

I agree.
I don't think anyone ever claims he ever was the same Joe Louis.
But to be fair to Marciano, why should his opponents be judged on how they compare to PRIME Joe Louis (even if they are Joe Louis ?) ?

Not a great win maybe, but how would 1951 Louis compare to other "old men" on heavyweight resumes ?
For example, the old Holyfield who Lewis beat ?