You guys...lol. I'm just wondering where he said it at all. I assumed it was his autobiography but it wasn't in there.
Joe also allegedly said that because of this, Marciano would beat him even in his prime. I'm just trying to find out where he said it. My apologies.
Joe Frazier, which is why I consider him the greatest infighter of the HW Champions. Marciano had his punching room smothered away by Charles early in their first bout, and admitted in a voice over of the footage not liking that. Tommy Gibbons pulled the same trick on Dempsey. Burns would be my second choice among HW Titlist infighters. I give the edge to Smoke because a great short hook beats an excellent cross in close quarters, requiring less room to unload, and readily uncorked in multiple numbers with less risk of getting countered. Jack Johnson was very good at ripping through right uppercuts in the clinches. (Among non-heavyweight champions, Langford was terrific with his hook at close quarters, something most of us have seen in Jeannette X.) I'd have to dig out the book I read it in. I recall the Bomber as being quoted saying that to somebody in private conversation, but can't remember the name of the individual he said this to. Easy to accept this as his attitude though when looking at Godoy I. Frazier and Langford would have given him a lot of headaches.
Hydraulix, it just occurred to me that one possible source for this comment published during Joe's lifetime might be in Everett M. Skehan's 1977 account of Marciano's life, "Biography of a First Son." Now, I do NOT currently have this particular one in my library, but there are a number of posters here who ought to, and should be able to quickly confirm whether or not this account of that quote by Louis is in there.
I was looking for the first fight so I could post it up. Only could find his voice-over in the second fight. At least someone else heard it too. :good In the second fight (voice-over) he complained about Ezzard tying him up. Joe Louis had trouble with Godoy in the first fight...absolutely...that's why the second fight was just as important to see if Louis could adjust, and he did. But he was youthful back then. Agree with your point of view with Frazier as well.
:good Okay, thanks. Eliminating Skehan's biography as a potential source is useful to the process. Now, it might indeed be some publication I do have in my library. It would certainly have a lot more credence if it was something published during the Bomber's own lifetime, rather than an easily fabricated posthumous quip.
I seem to remember someone saying that this quote appeared in Sports Illustrated ? It's definitely a hard quote to pin down. Louis's post-fight remarks called Marciano a better puncher than Schmeling, and tipped him to be champion, if I remember rightly. Those are the points I remember anyway, and were widely quoted by reporters of the time - I believe they appear in Everett Skehan's Marciano biography. I don't think I've ever actually seen the other quote anywhere other than they internet - and it is rarely sourced, though I vaguely remember someone citing it as something from Sports Illustrated.
Louis said in response to fighting Marciano in Louis's prime if he thought the results would have been different and Louis said he would have always had trouble with Marciano because he did not like to be crowded...but of course Louis was very modest.
