Is Joe Louis Still Overratred.

[Ivich]

To me nothing is more obvious than that Louis has been traditionally underrated. I am not convinced Baer could even beat prime Schmeling. Who did Louis ever beat that was as good as Schmeling? Answer: No one. Louis clearly lost to Walcott. and was given the decision anyway. Besodes, is Old Walcott as good as prime Schmeling.

Louis had mighty slow feet. There has been loose talk around the forum about how fast his feet were when he was younger and wanted them to be. Just talk. No one has backed the contention up with film.

Some Louis fundamentals were very sound. But still, from what I have seen Louis has his work cut out for him even making the top 10 heavyweights AT comfortably.

If Louis' feet were so slow it's a puzzle how he managed to connect solidly with such a huge percentage of his punches?Louis "clearly lost to Walcott?"Since nobody alive has seen the complete fight I wonder how you arrived at that opinion?I'd say the Walcott Louis fought was at least on a par with the Schmeling Louis faced.With the exception of a Southpaw Louis faced all styles and shapes and sizes he lost 3 fights, one when he was just beginning to hit his peak and underestimated his opponent,1 coming back after 2 years retirement, and 1 when he had no longer had any business fighting.Eddie Futch rates Louis,Ali and Johnson in no order as his 3 top all time heavies.

[QueensburyRules]

If Louis' feet were so slow it's a puzzle how he managed to connect solidly with such a huge percentage of his punches?Louis "clearly lost to Walcott?"Since nobody alive has seen the complete fight I wonder how you arrived at that opinion?I'd say the Walcott Louis fought was at least on a par with the Schmeling Louis faced.With the exception of a Southpaw Louis faced all styles and shapes and sizes he lost 2 fights one when he was just beginning to hit his peak and underestimated his opponent and 1 when he had no longer had any business fighting.Eddie Futch rates Louis,Ali and Johnson in no order as his 3 top all time heavies.

- - Gotta understand Leffy sometimes posts without his dentures that makes him all cranky. Wif a good set of dentures in place, Leffy as good a gold

[QueensburyRules]

Another question I find interesting is whether there was any real HW contenders during the Wars years who got screwed out of their shot at the title?

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any worthy contenders during the War years that missed out.

- - A bunch that the usual suspects say Joe ducked, ie Bivins, and a half dozen other fringe black contenders that were knocking each other over like bowling pins in between making Joe duck em while Joe was in the Army fighting exhibitions for our soldiers.

I worked with an ex Navy heavywt division champ serving the Pacific Theater. Silver haired Mr. King by my time was blind in one eye and limited in the other yet was a scratch golfer. He fought Joe in such an exhibition on deck and he swelled in pride after all those years in remembrance of the Honor. Joe was so much more than just a boxing hero as what he represented to our fighting men.

Joe also reputedly fought an exhibition in a naturally formed grassy bowl in the English landscape a couple of days before Normandy, maybe a 100,000 servicemen both American and Allied.

[ShoulderRoll]

Joe's record for consecutive title defenses has proven difficult to break as is.

If he hadn't lost all those years to WW2 then I suspect he would have put that mark way out of reach. He was a special fighter.

[QueensburyRules]

Joe's record for consecutive title defenses has proven difficult to break as is.

If he hadn't lost all those years to WW2 then I suspect he would have put that mark way out of reach. He was a special fighter.

- - Need a special bookmark for this occasion, ie the first time I've ever agreed to anything you say

[Ascended]

Joe's record for consecutive title defenses has proven difficult to break as is.

If he hadn't lost all those years to WW2 then I suspect he would have put that mark way out of reach. He was a special fighter.

Faced novices no one made mid using those obsolete tech and flaws in 70s even,of course it's difficult to break Joe's record

[QueensburyRules]

To me nothing is more obvious than that Louis has been traditionally underrated. I am not convinced Baer could even beat prime Schmeling. Who did Louis ever beat that was as good as Schmeling? Answer: No one. Louis clearly lost to Walcott. and was given the decision anyway. Besodes, is Old Walcott as good as prime Schmeling.

Louis had mighty slow feet. There has been loose talk around the forum about how fast his feet were when he was younger and wanted them to be. Just talk. No one has backed the contention up with film.

Some Louis fundamentals were very sound. But still, from what I have seen Louis has his work cut out for him even making the top 10 heavyweights AT comfortably.

- - Leffy and MonkeyMan gave each other hoof and mouth disease from kissing…ugh…

[ShoulderRoll]

Faced novices no one made mid using those obsolete tech and flaws in 70s even,of course it's difficult to break Joe's record

What? Can you type that out in English please?

[Willie Pep 229]

- - Leffy and MonkeyMan gave each other hoof and mouth disease from kissing…ugh…

What happened to Lefty and Jab?

[Slugfester]

There are plenty who overrate Louis and plenty who underrate him right here.