Meet the greatest heavyweight champ of all time

LoveUniHateExams

And no, it wasn't Muhammad Ali.

By most objective measures, the greatest heavyweight champ of all time was a guy called Joe Louis.

He reigned for nearly twelve consecutive years (June 1937 - March 1949) and made a record 25 successful consecutive title defences.

Since 1949, every heavyweight champ has tried to break or even match this record. All have failed. That's how good Louis was.

His title fight record was 26 wins, 1 loss (a points defeat to Ezzard Charles - Louis was forced back in the ring in 1950 to pay off his considerable debts).

As a fighter, his strengths vastly outweighed his weaknesses.

When Louis was still a contender, ex-champ Schmeling KO'd him over 12 rounds in 1936 but Louis got his revenge in 1938 - a first round KO. If you want to see a first round massacre, just search Louis-Schmeling 2 on youtube.

Louis had a great combination of fast hands, accurate punching, and explosive punching power. He was also very patient, waiting for the best time to strike.

What a fighter …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AgS7Mfl1Pw

RubaDub

Joe Louis, that's what my father told me. He thought he could beat Ali.

It's just so hard to compare athletes from different eras. Even in baseball, Babe Ruth would likely not even get a try-out on a team today. Could you imagine him doing a 40 yard dash? Yet he is considered one of the best baseball players ever., at least in his time.

In NBA basketball, Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in one game (and no 3 point shots like we have today). Yes, he was about 7 feet tall and everyone else was about a foot shorter at that time. Today, there is nothing exceptional about being 7 feet tall.

It is an interesting debate over a few brews.

Rub a Dub

LoveUniHateExams

It is an interesting debate over a few brews - yes, it certainly is.

Ali was a great fighter, no doubt about that - he had a great chin, fast hands, was mobile and had uncanny reflexes.

But he was nowhere as consistent as Joe Louis - that's just a simple fact.

And, TBH, my favorite fighter, Joe Frazier, beat a prime Ali in 1971.

I also feel that Ali had a lot of syrup ladled on him, as it were, because he had the title taken from him in 1967 and was punch-drunk in his later years and people felt sorry for him. Most, if not all, boxing experts from the late 70s onward spared objective analysis of Ali's boxing abilities because Ali took too many punches and developed Parkinson's Syndrome.

I think you're trying to measure heavyweight boxers' greatness the way we measure 100m sprinters' greatness, and you just can't do that. Usain Bolt is the best 100m sprinter of all time because he ran 9.59 secs.

With hw fighters, it ain't so simple.

The heavyweight division was relatively small in Joe Louis's day. It got bigger in Ali's day … and it's even bigger today.

Tyson Fury is a current hw champ. He stands at 6 feet 9 inches, has a reach of 85 inches, and weighs 256-272 lbs. Does that make him a great fighter? IMO, I don't think it does.

eyeuse2badub

Some times the "greatest" arrive on the scene before their time but at the time they truly we're the "greatest". I loved watching Joe Lewis box!

just saying!

Jofi_Wofo

Even Usain Bolt benefits from contemporary track surface, foot wear, nutrition and athletic science.

I don't know much about competitive sprinting, but I did read an article about how today's running tracks are constructed differently than those of several decades ago, leading to a speed advantage for today's athletes. After converting for that advantage, Usain Bolt's records are just about even with, and maybe even a bit slower than, records from early in the 20th century.

RubaDub

Tyson Fury is a current hw champ. He stands at 6 feet 9 inches, has a reach of 85 inches, and weighs 256-272 lbs. Does that make him a great fighter? IMO, I don't think it does.

L U H E ....

That makes my point. Head to head, would a 200 lb. Joe Lewis have a chance against at 6' 9" with a 85" reach Tyson Fury? There is no comparison.

It would be like comparing any NFL team today to a team when the guys wore leather helmets. It would not be a contest. Imagine today's wide receivers who run 4.5 40's against some chunky cornerback from the past. It would not be a game.

But that does not take away their greatness at the time they competed.

Rub a Dub

LoveUniHateExams

Head to head, would a 200 lb. Joe Lewis have a chance against at 6' 9" with a 85" reach Tyson Fury? - yes, a 6 feet 2 inch, 204 lbs Joe Louis would certainly have an excellent chance of beating 6 feet 9 inch, 260 lbs Fury.

Of course, I could ask a similar question: Would 210 lbs Muhammad Ali have a chance against 6' 9" Fury? Yes, of course Ali would have a chance.

You can't say there'd be no comparison simply because Fury is a big guy.

Do you remember 7 feet 1 inch, 300 lbs Nikolai Valuev? Well, 6 feet 3 inch, 215 lbs David Haye outpointed the gigantic Valuev.

Although, I agree with you to an extent, it is difficult to compare fighters from different eras. One aspect to consider is their fight records, what records they set, etc. In this aspect, Louis's 25 successful consecutive title defences stands supreme.

RubaDub

L U H E ...

It would really be interesting to see two "punchers" in their prime, Joe Louis and Mike Tyson, fight each other.

Imagine what they would charge to watch that on pay-per-view!

Note: Imagine in the new system when we will all be in our prime and they can schedule such an event with a suggested donation for the entrance fee.

Rub a Dub

LV101

Joe Louis lived here and his little boy went to school (late 70s/early 80s) where my family member was Principal. Heard nothing but good things. Tyson - another local yrs. ago. Some wild cards in the fighting arena - not referring to Louis.

LoveUniHateExams

Imagine in the new system when we will all be in our prime and they can schedule such an event with a suggested donation for the entrance fee - Lol! XD

Meet the greatest heavyweight champ of all time

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