Would Joe Louis Have To KO Holmes?

First reaction is yes, he'd need a knockout. The only scenario I see of Louis winning a decision is Joe drops Larry once or twice and Holmes somehow survived, but rising off the canvas in front of Joe Louis is a lot different than getting off the mat against Renaldo Snipes and Mike Weaver.

 

Not necessarily.

Holmes is a much bigger target than Conn. Holmes's tendency to hold his right hand low and occasionally dropping his left hand after jabbing would leave him open to both Louis's left hooks and right hands.

Louis would struggle with Holmes's movement but even prime Holmes had many moments where he fought relatively flat footed.

It is very conceivable for Louis to win a decision with him perhaps scoring a knockdown.

 

Interesting question ,on the face of it you might think that Joe would.
I would expect the bigger Holmes to pile up points with his jab,but Larry could be vulnerable to right hands over his low left.I don't see Louis ever stopping Larry,but its quite feasible he might score one or even two KD's,which would keep him in contention on the scorecards with10-8 rounds.
Louis himself was a good boxer, he certainly wouldn't be overmatched in that department, I'd give Holmes the edge in a pure boxing contest,but it wouldn't be any shut out.
Holmes would need to keep it at long range and work behind his jab,Louis would be looking to close the range,and get to work with his fast combos.Louis was always looking for the ko, so he wouldn't need to change his style.Holmes hit hard enough with his right to keep Joe honest,the Bomber wouldn't be able to just walk in with impunity,and at close range Larry's right uppercut would come into play,the danger would be Louis' fast hands and the possibility of a left hook coming over the top of Larry's momentarily low right hand as he employed the punch.
I look forward to others take on this.

 

God no, he could never win on the cards against Holmes. Are you insane?

He would have a very, very tall mountain to climb.

If Marciano couldnt carry Holmes jockstrap, what would Joe Louis ever hope to do??

I think Holmes would decimate him either way. Just too many punches from range, too many punches in bunches.

Louis would give a valient account of himself, but it would all be in vain. I think Holmes would TKO Louis in under 8 or 9 rounds, whether fought in 1942 or 1982

 

peak Vs. peak...
I don't see Joe outscoring Larry.
And considering when and how Larry was knocked out the only time in his career, I don't see Joe knocking Larry out.

 

Marciano's style ,or the lack of one ,was the complete antithesis to Holmes.Holmes was ,"a one two puncher,"usually the left jab followed by another jab or a right cross,he wasn't a combination puncher.

 

In many of these prime hypothetical fights, to pick a winner, we would need to see a series in order to be sure (with the fighters at their best for every fight).

In series of 7 prime to prime fights, I think we would roughly see Larry Holmes win by Decision three times, Joe Louis win by Decision twice, and see Joe Louis win by Stoppage twice.

In other words I think Larry has the edge in fights that go the distance, but it is not a huge edge, and Larry does not stop Joe Louis in 7 tries; and I think Joe Louis can win some of the fights that go to the cards, and Joe Louis can also win by stoppage sometimes.

So, I am going with Joe Louis to come out ahead in a series.

 

Joe Louis could do some real damage to Holmes if he fought aggressively like he did in the Schmeling rematch, and that would be the only way that Louis would beat Holmes, he would have to implement Frazier's style in a way.

Outboxing Larry Holmes would be suicide.

 

I think Joe Louis is one of only two heavyweights (besides Frazier) who would stop Holmes. I see Larry giving Joe fits early on, but Louis getting his act together by the 10th or 11th and eventually overwhelming him with those insanely powerful combinations.

 

I don't think Louis could outpoint Holmes no I think Holmes is bad style match up for Louis he has good movement a significantly longer reach and the more static Louis would struggle at range vs an outboxer like Holmes.

Would Louis stop Holmes ? Possibly Louis is one of the best finishers of all time and Holmes could get himself in trouble. And whilst Holmes had good recuperative powers he never did it against a finisher like Louis who may not let Holmes off the hook.

So if Louis were to win it would be by stoppage definitely not on points IMO.

 

You know nothing about boxing history...go back to the "General" forum...