The best fighter Joe Louis beat

I'm not saying his compromised eyesight didn't affect him, but I read that he didn't wish to retire, rather he was forced into it, and apparently he had those issues for years but nobody knew and he was successfully defending his title in the meanwhile.
There are other great fighters who managed to cope with sight issues and still compete on even grounds with their peers, Greb being an example that comes to mind.

 

Gotta be Walcott.

 

When you’re unable to fight because you have medical officials telling you you’re unfit to do so, in the 1930’s, that would indicate a pretty serious issue. People climb Mt Everest that doesn’t mean anyone can do it. Exceptions don’t make rules. Lewis never fought again. What more proof could one need than that?

 

All the proof one would need is his boxing record.
In the year leading up to his match up with Louis he defeated Gastanaga, Elmer Ray, Jimmy Adamick and Al Gainer. Shot fighters don't get through this type of competition.
Shot fighters don't tend to have 16 fight win streaks either.
If I included his list of wins from 1937 as well then he has three extra wins over heavyweight contenders (Ettore, Red Barry, Perroni) amongst dozens of other wins.
Not everyone can climb mount Everest, except those that can. He could.

 

He literally was not permitted to keep fighting. In an age where smoking was promoted by doctors. I don’t know what more you want from the situation. Of course he wanted to keep going. That was what he knew.

 

John Henry Lewis was still fighting at a high level despite his eye impairment. His record bares that out. He was active and winning and fighting good competition. Heck he even knocked out Elmer Ray six months prior to Louis. He probably couldn’t conceal the injury from doctors any longer. It’s long been brushed off, incorrectly, as an insignificant win for Louis. That fight was a blow out because of Joe Louis. Not because of Henry’s eyes.

 

I can bring you quotes from Joe Frazier where he states that he was fooling the medical examiners by memorising the exam questions for the eye test. The same guy who these examiners would have forced into retirement kicked a 28 year old Ali's ass.
What more can I tell you man, performances mean everything. If Lewis can take care of Adamick and Gainer, he can fight.

 

Honestly this just makes the story more tragic. Like I said in my first post if he fights to 30 he could have been the GOAT of this sport.

If you look at it Louis's opponents especially the high end ones never stuck around long for whatever reason despite predominantly being under 30. And its a big reason his SOS is underrated compared to Alis.

 

I'd say Max Schmeling was his best win. Granted, Max was past his peak, but he was far from shot, and yet Louis simply tore into him.
Conn, Walcott, Carnera, great scalps. John Henry Lewis was over the hill, retiring Paulino Uzcudun was kinda cool... Dominating Baer was certainly impressive, but Max's recovering hand must be taken into account, if any this fight also proves how ironclad ole Maxies chin really was... Savold and Bivins were certainly his best comeback wins.

Max is at my 17th at HW, Joe my 1st

 

Max, Billy and Jersey Joe.

In some order.

 

In the order you named them

 

The Max Baer broken hand thing is a myth. Baer tried to use it as an excuse against Braddock but couldn't back it up. When he tried to do it again with Louis he got called out on it and didn't even bother trying to prove it.
JHL had victories over contenders a couple of months before fighting Louis, shot fighters don't do that.
We can theorize how past it Schmeling was if at all, considering how quickly he capitalized on what openings he could find. For what is worth, he got in more right hands in the first round of the rematch than he did in the first two rounds of 1936.