If Louis was green against an old Schmeling in the first fight..

[fisticwarfare]

Wouldn't a prime Schmeling beat a prime Louis? Or is it the other way around?

[GJC]

Don't buy into the fact that Louis was totally green for the 1st Schmeling fight. Think he was not the finished article but he was pretty good.
Schmeling fought a great fight and finished Louis ring education

[TheGreatA]

That was the best performance I've seen from Schmeling by far. Schmeling was such a smart fighter and in my opinion was better in his 30's than he had been in his 20's. The brutal beating he gave to Steve ***** before fighting Louis is one of his best filmed performances.

Schmeling beats Ben Foord after the Louis win:

HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT - SCHMELING BEATS FOORD AT HAMBURG

Watch him KO the German champ Adolf Heuser in one round after having been knocked out by Louis:


4:17

Certainly doesn't look like a shot fighter. I believe he would have been a factor in the division for a couple of more years if not for the Second World War.

[Joey Giardello]

Besides the first louis fight, for me schmeling's best performance was when he gave micky walker a reality check that he was not a heavyweight

[boxingbuff]

Wouldn't a prime Schmeling beat a prime Louis? Or is it the other way around?

Prime Louis would destroy a prime Schmeling.

Louis was not prime in his 1st fight against Schmeling.Yes,he was awful good but not Prime.

It was kinda like Muhammad Ali getting knocked down and almost knocked out against Henry Cooper in 1963.He was not yet in his prime.Same as Louis in his 1st fight with Schmeling.

[crold1]

Louis hand't even been a pro two years...wouldn't lose again until the first Walcott fight (where he managed the decision win while getting his butt kicked). Schmeling could be up and down and could be stopped all along the way (good but not great beard); have to suspect Louis's best beats Max's.