JOE LOUIS:VERSUS THE ALL TIME GREATS


JEFFRIES

Louis had trouble with Arturo Godoy's crouch in their first meeting. In those days there wasn't a lot of film available in which to study an opponent and know his style. In the rematch a thoroughly prepared Louis destroyed Godoy, straightening him out of his crouch with sizzling uppercuts, and hammering him with hard left hooks and short jolting right hands. As he did so he stepped, sliding to his left and to his right, to get the best punching angles. Godoy who had never been knocked off his feet in over 70 pro fights (3 times as many as Jeff had), was dropped three times by the deadly punches of Louis. He was battered so mercilessly his face was unrecognizable. Jeffries fought out of a crouch and could be cut. He was strong, but so was Godoy. The Chilean was at least the equal of Jeffries opponent Tom Sharkey in durability and strength. Sharkey gave Jeffries two very close fights. Louis, the master-boxer puncher, would bust Jeff up with his left jab. Fighters of Jeffries day used their jabs mainly for defense. Louis jab was feared as an offensive weapon. It was as good as most of the fighters Jeffries fought right hand. Jeff also never faced an accomplished combination puncher. Louis was the best. He would box smartly and rip Jeffries to shreds. By the 13th round he wouldn't see the punches coming anymore. A devastating combination would finally take out Jeffries in the 14th.

JOHNSON

Jack Johnson was a great defensive fighter in his day. But like Jeffries he wasn't use to facing real multi-punch combination fighters. Most of the fighters of this period threw two to three punches that Jack was able to slide back, pick off and counter. He was not real elusive on his feet. Jack fought flat-footed. He also had a glass jaw. Johnson was kayoed by Klondike Haynes, a 168 pound Joe Choynski, and dropped by middleweight Ketchel. Can you picture Bernard Hopkins dropping Evander Holyfield? or Marvin Hagler decking Mike Tyson? No. The fact is Louis would be by far the fastest, most powerful and accomplished puncher Johnson ever faced. He would have some good early rounds, but eventually Louis would break him. Joe would beat Johnson to the punch with his jab, then explode in flurries of devastating punches that Johnson would not be able to defend. Joe Louis would use continous pressure and fire combinations in a progressive flow to break Johnson. Once the Brown Bomber had his man hurt....KO in 12th.

DEMPSEY

Dempsey was an exciting, determined and vicious puncher. He too fought out of a crouch like Jeffries. Jack was under-rated as a boxer. Blackburn would advise Louis to box cautiously in the first few rounds when Jack was at his most dangerous. Louis would use his superior jab to keep Dempsey at bay as Tunney did. Louis jab was much stronger than that of Tunney. Joe Louis also threw shorter punches and punched better in combination than did Dempsey. Jack's poor habit of holding his hands low would cost him severely against the Brown Bomber. Joe's strong uppercuts, hooks and combinations would take their toll by the mid-rounds. A perfect right cross like the one that destroyed Braddock, Buddy Baer, and Johnny Paycheck would deposit Dempsey on the canvas in the 8th. Jack had a better chin than those fighters and he would get up. But to no avail. Dempsey would come back punching, but fall again from the precision power punches of Joe Louis. Louis by 8th round KO.

MARCIANO

Two of Louis three losses came after an unsuccessful comeback, way past his prime, and fighting only for the IRS. The desire, the speed, and the cat-like reflexes gone. His career ended at age 37 in 1951 by Rocky Marciano. The real question is how would the Rock have done against the Joe Louis, not of 1951, but of 1938? The Joe Louis that massacred Max Schmeling in one round of  raging fury. At that point in his career Louis seemed invincible with too many weapons for anyone to handle. Louis would jolt Rocky out of his crouch with sharp uppercuts, like he did Godoy, and hammer him with crisp jabs and hooks at mid-range. Marciano decked by 37 year old Walcott, and a 42 year old light heavyweight Archie Moore would be destroyed by a prime Louis. Louis hand speed would be a major telling factor. Joe would get off to a fast start decking Rocky early like both Walcott and Moore did and finish him in the 7th by sensational Tko.

LISTON

This would be one of Louis most difficult opponent's. Liston had an incredible 84 inch reach. His jab was as powerful as Louis, though not as fast. Hand speed and superior defense would be Joe's greatest assests in this fight. Louis would keep the fight in ring center, neutralizing Liston's jab like Oscar DeLaHoya did against Ike Quartey in the early part of their fight in Feb.1999. Like Dempsey, Sonny was at his most dangerous in the early rounds. By the fifth Liston would begin to tire. Louis faster combinations would have Sonny covering up and throwing wildly. In the mid rounds Louis would take total control and would slowly take apart Sonny. Liston would quit on his stool like he did against Ali by the 9th round.

FRAZIER

Smokin' Joe was a very slow starter. It took him a few rounds to start Smokin'. This would be disastrous in a Joe vs. Joe match up. Louis would also have a psychological edge as Frazier regarded Louis as the greatest heavyweight of all time. Louis jab and combination punching would be more damaging than Ali's, who was successful against him. Frazier's chin was also vulnerable early. He was dropped a total of 9 times by the second round (6 by Foreman, 3 by Bonavena (in 2 fights), and once by Mike Bruce). Louis would be on the attack at the opening bell. His powerful double jab, right cross combination (one of his favorites) inflicting heavy damage. Louis would score three smashing knockdowns in the second. Frazier would get up every time. But the Ref would halt the bout. Louis by 2nd round Tko.

FOREMAN

Foreman like Liston was a great puncher in the early going, even more so than Sonny. Foreman in his prime had the highest knockout percentage of all heavyweight champions and is grossly under-estimated by many boxing historians. Foreman's most glaring weakness was he tired badly after 5 rounds in his first career. A smart boxer who could avoid his savage blows like Gregario Peralta, Ali, and Jimmy Young could survive and have a chance to outbox him. Louis was a smart, patient fighter, but not as elusive as the above boxers. George, however, did throw wide looping punches, while Louis threw dynamite shots that often travelled only a few inches, but were fast and powerful. Louis would make George pay for his mistakes. Both men would land with serious body punches. Louis would duck, slip, block, and parry many of George's wild shots and counter with crushing blows of his own. If Ron Lyle could knock down George twice then Joe Louis could keep him down. The fight would be tense and see both men rocked by hard punches. Louis would explode with a destructive straight right with speed (that Ali proved George could be nailed with), a flurry of devasting punches would deposit a stunned Foreman on the canvas for keeps in the 5th.

MUHAMMAD ALI

Louis had the tools to upset even the "Greatest". Ali (and Holmes too for that matter) had trouble with Ken Norton's jab and style. Like Louis, Norton was not particularly quick footed. Louis would present many of the same types of problems; the counter-jab, body punching, and inside pressure. This combined with the threat of Louis greater power would give him the edge. Eddie Futch, has been quoted as saying that Louis, a master boxer-puncher, would be able to "capitalize on the flaws in Ali's style". I am reminded of the story Billy Conn told about how Ali came up to Joe, while they were dining at a Las Vegas restaurant. Ali began to rib him saying "you should be glad you wasn't around in my time." To which Louis looked up at Ali and said "If you even dreamt it, you better wake up and apologize!"  Louis would find the openings and eventually be able to land power shots like he did against Billy Conn, and Jersey Joe Walcott. Ali had a great chin. Since Ali was never knocked out in his long career the fight could be expected to go the distance. The decision would be close much like the Ali-Norton trilogy. A thoroughly prepared Louis gets the decision.

HOLMES

As noted above Larry Holmes had trouble with Ken Norton. What really bothered Larry was pressure on the inside. Mike Weaver, and Tim Witherspoon, gave Larry real trouble. He also never gave either a rematch. Larry was a good boxer but not as good a mover as Billy Conn. Louis would put the pressure, on going to the body with savage blows, and prove to be by far the quicker and more powerful puncher. Larry had a bad habit of dropping his left after jabbing, a mistake which nearly got him kayoed by both Earnie Shavers and light-punching Renaldo Snipes. Shavers was too slow and too tired to follow up, while Snipes just didn't have the power. Louis had the complete package; stamina, speed, power and killer instinct. Louis would spot Larry's vulnerability to a straight right and finish him. The devastation would be as convincing as his loss to Mike Tyson. Joe Louis wins by crushing 7th round Ko.  

TYSON

Long before Mike Tyson terrorized his opponents, Joe Louis intimidated his foes, often having them beaten before the opening bell ever rang. It was the Bomber's mean and lean appearance that would inspire champions from Marciano to Liston and Tyson. The speed and power of Louis punches are on a level equal to that of Tyson. There are alot of similarities. Both were great two-handed punchers. Both outstanding combination punchers in their prime. Both debilitating counter-punchers. If one took Tyson and added to that a punishing ram-rod like left jab, concentrated focus, tough ring tenacity, the willingness to listen to one's corner, heart, and the ability to come from behind and win one would have a near unbeatable heavyweight. One would have Joe Louis! Louis would outclass a prime Tyson the way Holyfield did a fading one. Louis would block his tele-graphed hook all night as Evander did, slam home straight right counters, and catch him with uppercuts as he moved in. Tyson would be picked apart. Tyson fights poorly when things don't go his way. Louis would discourage him, batter him and Ko him in 10 rounds.

HOLYFIELD

Evander is a warrior and he would come to fight. That's bad news for the RealDeal. Louis was faster, a much stronger puncher, and had better endurance than Holyfield. Evander had a tendency to fade late in a number of his fights, especially against 42 year old Holmes, the equally elderly Foreman, and also against Moorer, and Bowe. Louis, unlike Tyson, would work the body. This is the strategy Riddick Bowe employed to defeat Holyfield, winning once by knockout. Louis was a great body puncher. He would rip ferocious hooks, and short rights to the body to set up his head snapping uppercuts. After three rounds Holyfield would begin to weaken. His heart and strong chin would allow him to remain erect for a few more rounds. A savage combination, punctuated by a wicked right uppercut and explosive left hook would level Holyfield for the ten count! Louis by ear shattering knockout in the 8th.

Joe Louis at his best could beat any heavyweight champion who ever lived!

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