my top 35 heavyweights of all time

[butterfly1964]

Holmes also never fought Michael Dokes or Greg Page, two of the more talented heavyweights fighting during the Holmes era.

Then again outside of a legally blind light-heavyweight (John Henry Lewis) Louis only fought one black heavyweight (Walcott) during his 12 year reign. Interesting how Jeffries, Johnson and Dempsey are criticized for drawing the color line and Louis whose reign was much longer and active than those three isn't...

that's one of the reasons i rank louis lower than most people would.

[smasher]

that's one of the reasons i rank louis lower than most people would.

Black heavyweights have dominated boxing for close to 100 years since Jack Johnson became champion. Marciano, Dempsey and Tunney are the only 3 white guys who could possibly deserve any consideration as top 10 ATG HW Champions in the last 100 years.

Strangely then that in the Joe Louis era quality black heavyweights suitable for a title fight oppurtunity seemed to mysteriously vanish for 12 years while Louis granted title fight oppurtunities to white stiffs like Jack Roper and Tony Musto......

[butterfly1964]

Black heavyweights have dominated boxing for close to 100 years since Jack Johnson became champion. Marciano, Dempsey and Tunney are the only 3 white guys who could possibly deserve any consideration as top 10 ATG HW Champions in the last 100 years.

Strangely then that in the Joe Louis era quality black heavyweights suitable for a title fight oppurtunity seemed to mysteriously vanish for 12 years while Louis granted title fight oppurtunities to white stiffs like Jack Roper and Tony Musto......

yeah, and that ****** "bum of the month" club. fighting people like buddy stinkin' baer, and still buddy managed to knock louis out of the ring, lol!

[Yogi]

And what black Heavyweights did Louis duck again?

Late 30's/early 40's there wasn't that many black fighters that were even ranked inside the top ten, as Toles & Franklin are the only two I identify...Louis already beat Toles, who was never ranked higher than 8th pre-war. Whereas Franklin got up there in the rankings at the end of '41, but was quickly knocked out of that spot after going on a streak of getting KO'd. It wasn't til when Louis was off to war when we saw an increase in black talent in the division (Bivins, Ray, Sheppard, Thompson, Murray, etc.) and after the war Louis twice fought the best & highest ranked black contender that was available, Jersey Joe Walcott.

Judging by the fact that more than half of Louis' defenses came against fighters ranked inside the top three, I don't think it's fair to say that he ducked anybody from his era.

[smasher]

yeah, and that ****** "bum of the month" club. fighting people like buddy stinkin' baer, and still buddy managed to knock louis out of the ring, lol!

Boxing was the one sport where black athletes could participate in professionally against whites. Every other major sport was segregated then so it would make sense that a black athlete looking to make money would gravitate towards boxing. As this was the depression era with jobs being scarce for whites much less blacks there had to have been plenty of active black heavyweight boxers during this time. So why didn't any of them get a title fight oppurtunity against Joe Louis???

[butterfly1964]

Boxing was the one sport where black athletes could participate in professionally against whites. Every other major sport was segregated then so it would make sense that a black athlete looking to make money would gravitate towards boxing. As this was the depression era with jobs being scarce for whites much less blacks there had to have been plenty of active black heavyweight boxers during this time. So why didn't any of them get a title fight oppurtunity against Joe Louis???

well, maybe cause alot of them were in other weight classes, but that is a very interesting question.

[BKM-]

Joe Louis is the greatest, he would've beaten every HW ever. His competition was excelent but still, why the **** are you looking at that anyway. Dumbass top 35s if you're gonna judge like that imo.

[Kid Achilles]

Boxing was the one sport where black athletes could participate in professionally against whites. Every other major sport was segregated then so it would make sense that a black athlete looking to make money would gravitate towards boxing. As this was the depression era with jobs being scarce for whites much less blacks there had to have been plenty of active black heavyweight boxers during this time. So why didn't any of them get a title fight oppurtunity against Joe Louis???

Name some of these black top contenders who were better than the white fighters that Louis was fighting on his way up and during his early years as champion. Just saying "they must have existed" does not prove anything unless you can provide some names and their ranking during the years Louis ducked them.

[butterfly1964]

Joe Louis is the greatest, he would've beaten every HW ever. His competition was excelent but still, why the **** are you looking at that anyway. Dumbass top 35s if you're gonna judge like that imo.

if i were a tyson fan i'd despise you. you have tyson in your avatar, but pick louis to beat him.

[BKM-]

if i were a tyson fan i'd despise you. you have tyson in your avatar, but pick louis to beat him.

Yeah, and i think Tyson could beat him too in a few fights. You can't judge a fighter's place in history very high because you love him.