What if Louis fought on like Holmes?

**** no.

 

Maybe because he was a shell of himself four years prior, and had nothing but a right hand? But yeah I’m sure four years of aging, and taking beatings, would’ve made him a better fighter.

 

Holmes had a much better style to carry him into his 40s + Holmes still had the desire to compete, Louis was only fighting for the money and it showed in his fights in the Charles fight onwards.

 

Not a bloody cat' in hell's chance!

 

Marciano should have given Louis a rematch. Louis wasn't ready; Marciano took him by surprise.

 

I've faith in his power but the late 40 so that's all he had left.

 

Although it was not to the degree we saw in Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis did show some signs of Pugilistic Parkinson's Syndrome. He also had some drug problems and we are not really certain when that began. Also, different people age at different rates in general. I do not think Joe would have had a lot of success continuing on in boxing. He may have still managed a few wins against some contenders, but not for long and at what cost?

 

It would not have been pretty.

He took a lot more damage than Holmes in the course of his career, and was a lot less elusive.

He likely already had some degree of brain damage by the time of the Walcott fights.

By the time he retired he was losing to men like Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano, and the day was probably not far off where he would have lost to the tier of fighters underneath them.

Sure he could still have made money beating guys like Cesar Brion, but eventually one of them woudl have beaten him.

After hat he is just a stepping stone for up and coming fighters.

Far better for him, and probably for us as well, that he retired when her realized that he woudl never be champion again.

 

I’d have to look at who was ranked in 1956 but I don’t think his chances of beating any serious contender would have been good. Too many of his most important tools were gone or so diminshed. Holmes at least still had a good jab, decent right, his chin and a little mobility. That and he was also carefully matched .

 

He is long gone by then.