Why is Joe Louis so underrated H2H?

Huh? Can you explain what you mean? Wait a minute...Are you Boxed Ears?

 

199 pounds...

 

Louis is a hero, and hero's are never underrated by the general media.

An interesting point is historians who saw them all from Jeffries to Ali, didn't think Joe Louis was top three. Re-read this point again. Louis' rocket up the charts is largely due to him having the most film and those before him having very little or in some cases next to none. Today he's pretty much universally accepted as a top 4 guy

No one doubts he could punch and had offensive skills, but he was rather a mechanical like in terms of setting up his offense, porous on defense, not quick on his feet, and had a chin that could be stunned or floored by medium level punchers. Joe fought in a weak era talent wise, and only two of his 26 title defenses were vs African American's.

Overrated in the ring if you ask me, and underrated outside of it.

 

Not sure why you're rofling here, F&D. I can't see a single thing that was undeniably wrong in what JohnThomas said. Some points like Shavers hitting harder than Foreman are up for conjecture, maybe, but at no point in his post was he outrageous.

That said, Shavers and Foreman's common opponents have tended to pick Earnie as the harder single puncher.

If Ali never kayoes Ken Norton, then he doesn't '100% ko Louis', as you say.

I think JohnThomas saying that a) Ali barely moved vs Foreman and b) that the 8th round is hardly late in a fight are both valid and rebut your point that Foreman and Tyson were only stopped by 'super durable movers late in the fight'. Unless that 'super durable mover' was Buster Douglas.

And it's not an outrageous suggestion to say Louis may have been a harder hitter. Do you think Joe Frazier gets up six times after Louis has got him in trouble? Would Ali have had any success with the rope-a-dope against Louis?

I'm not voicing an opinion but your tendency to big up everything Foreman does along with your urge to belittle and insult anyone who doesn't agree with your opinion haven't served you well in this exchange.

 

Joe Louis's dominance was so unbelievable to people at that time that any little bit of trouble he had was blown up to stir interest.
They became mythologized.
He reigned for so many years, and KO'd so many challengers in mostly one-sided fights, that the memorable moments are the ones that went against that trend.
It's drama.

That might be a factor in why he's "underrated H2H".

 

That I don't believe the 3 fighters MKK mentioned would dominate Louis from distance.

 

Was ali in his prime in 1973?

 

Ali did not move much vs Foreman for several reasons.

1. A thickly padded ring canvas. I remember sparring in a ring years ago with a very heavily padding under the canvas. You literally can't move side to side without exhausted yourself very quickly.

2. George was very good at cutting the ring.

3. Smallish ring size.

The padding is the big one.

 

Louis best weight as per Louis was 202. Weight does not mean you know how to fight. Louis KNEW how to fight. Really the best in just about every category.

 

The multiple little steps Louis made to move around the ring was not any flaw to his make up as a boxer. Nor would you call it a flat footed style. It was controlled movements that positioned him to catch guys moving in either direction with a two fisted attack .
Those calculated movements enabled him to punch from a perfect centre of axis , which in return enabled him to fire off flawless shots while always in position to follow up with combos in a smooth rhythm. His arms and feet were always in perfect tune.
His plodding is mistaken for setting up attack and pouncing like a rattle snake when his movement had set up the opportunity. Something he done with blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy.

Two boxers on the scene today whose skills are praised and respected and are widely considered to be the best in the sport are ggg and kovalev.
Both move flat footed in controlled steps. Especially Glovkin .Both guys feet nowhere near as good refined as Louis.

 

Probably not. Which makes him even further from his prime in late 74 when he whupped Foreman.

Funny old game. isn't it, this boxing?

 

You can't handle the couth!

 

hes not talking up max unduly, hes telling you Louis was just out his high school. ANd in the ring with the former undisputed HW champion. why are you ignoring this.... you cant argue against it ya?

 

On film Joe Louis is the most impressive offensive heavyweight machine ever for punching technique...Everytime I watch Joe Louis film, I'm amazed. There are some I'd pick over Louis H2H...but with that said, if Louis were to hurt anyone, he is more than capable of finishing them. Louis was an ATG.