More Skilled, Joe Louis or Floyd Mayweather?

[Perfect Plex]

For pure skills.

[JAB5239]

For pure skills.

Overall, everything included its Floyd. To bad he'll never even get a whiff of Louis' greatness though.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

It's very difficult to separate men at this high a level in the sport (& the annals of history, in the case of these two), but I do think there'll be a somewhat unfair bent in Mayweather's favour, because people often associate defense & defensive fighting with a higher skill-set. While defense is a more difficult discipline to master than offense, this is not necessarily the case at all.

I don't know who I would call more skilled (& it would equally difficult to split them on talent), but for the closeness of the subject, they sure are a lot further apart in proven greatness than they should be. People don't credit Mayweather enough, in my view, for the first-half of his career --- it definitely put him on the path to all-time greatness, but the second-half of his career, while by no means poor, certainly does not become a boxer of his abilities, which is a great shame.

Interestingly enough, I can recall a young, hungrier Mayweather stating after an initial title defense (I think it was the Manfredy fight?), "one down, twenty-five to go!" in reference to pursuing Louis' record. He meant it, too.

How times change.

[Great John L]

I think Joe is more sound but Floyd looks better because he is so graceful.

[cameronpaul]

i would say floyd easy, for the main reason that i think lighter weighted fighters seem to have better technqiue. same in all sports. plus quicker reflexes.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

i would say floyd easy, for the main reason that i think lighter weighted fighters seem to have better technqiue. same in all sports. plus quicker reflexes.

Reflexes are not a skill, though...& who could ever fault Louis on the subject of technique!? He's the equal in that regard of any man who ever laced 'em up.

[cameronpaul]

ill have to watch more of his fights, only seen a few highlights of him to be honest, any good ones you'd recomend?

[Barn]

ill have to watch more of his fights, only seen a few highlights of him to be honest, any good ones you'd recomend?

Louis vs Buddy Baer most definitely.

[JAB5239]

Louis vs Buddy Baer most definitely.

I think its one of the Buddy Baer fights he throws a triple left hook that is just utterly amazing in its speed, power and accuracy.

[check hook]

For pure skills.

pure textbook it's Louis, but Floyd is much flashier. What i mean by this is that Louis threw every punch the way it's intended. Left hook with arm parallel to floor and palm facing inwards etc etc.

Floyd is very text book at times also, but not always. Floyd does however posses certain skills Louis did not.