Joe Louis: A Retrospective

[BROOKLYN CESAR]

He is a Legend!!! Ali wouldve been his *****!!!

[StarshipTrooper]

Louis had it all. In the ring and out, he was everything you could ask of an athlete. People accused him later of being too soft spoken, too comfortable with whites, but in reality he was just as important if not more important than the outspoken Ali for the civil rights movement.

Without Louis, there is no Muhammad. Ali never woiuld have enjoyed the support that he did if Joe didn't pave the way for him. It took a guy like Joe Louis to break through in the name of reason and tolerance.

Maybe there is a place for militancy ala Ali, but I find quiet dignity ultimately gains more respect and more importantly works on people's consciences. People said much the same thing about Floyd Patterson but during the height of the civil rights movement Floyd went to Alabama and drank from a "whites only" water fountain. Floyd looked up at the people outraged over such a violation and said quietly "tastes like the same water" and shamed them into silence.

Poet

[Mike Tyson77]

A great fighter, an even greater man.

Poet

That's what I always said about Louis.

[butterfly1964]

during the height of the civil rights movement Floyd went to Alabama and drank from a "whites only" water fountain. Floyd looked up at the people outraged over such a violation and said quietly "tastes like the same water" and shamed them into silence.

Wow, I never knew that.

[Panamaniac]

Anyone who checked the 4th. option wandered into the wrong website, if he is of this planet at all. That said, I have Louis as the 3rd. greatest p4p of all time (behind only Robinson and Armstrong). Needless to say, he's my #1 heavyweight. In his day, he was the posterboy for the sport.

Need I say more?

[QueensburyRules]

Louis had it all. In the ring and out, he was everything you could ask of an athlete. People accused him later of being too soft spoken, too comfortable with whites, but in reality he was just as important if not more important than the outspoken Ali for the civil rights movement.

Without Louis, there is no Muhammad. Ali never woiuld have enjoyed the support that he did if Joe didn't pave the way for him. It took a guy like Joe Louis to break through in the name of reason and tolerance.

- -Well, Ali with NOI was for the status quo segregation, but after the death of Elijah he walked back from that.

Joe: Truman requests his input on integration of the military after Joe mustered out. Martin Luther and Nelson grew up listening to his fights, his KOs, and his dignified interviews to prove there's a way forward for the underclass that they were part of. Joe ran interference for hot tempered Jackie and nightlife Sugar Ray in the army that kept them out of the clink so they could muster out with honor in difficult times.

Moreover, had we been there then, he'd have done the same for us even if he had to knock some sense in us.

Joe stands alone at the top of the Pantheon of hvywts and humanity, the one and only.

Very underrated sense of humor too.

[cfang]

How many defences would he have made without ww2? 40? More?

[QueensburyRules]

How many defences would he have made without ww2? 40? More?

- -Joe'd have gone until he could knock the jibberjabberwonkywonky outta young Clay before the straight away express tangent into Valhalla.

[them_apples]

Joe Louis at his very best in his prime beats 99 percent of heavyweights

[Dr. Z]

Joe Louis at his very best in his prime beats 99 percent of heavyweights

Lots of lineal champions, in their prime beat 99% of histories heavyweights.

Louis for his time was the best. However footwork, defense, and fight time adjustments were not his thing. Had balance issues. Chin was not the best.

He fought in a time with no skilled big guys ( super heavies ) who could both box and hit and lost or came close to losing to men his size, and smaller with speed and skills, but generally not power. Louis has 25-26 viewable films which I have seen and that is the story.