Experts say Louis would've beaten Mike Tyson

[uncle ben]

This article was from 1989 after his defense against Frank Bruno.

https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/20/s...eat-louis.html

Quote from article:

"The article prompted a request to some veterans of the fight world -Ray Arcel, the trainer; Barney Nagler, a boxing writer, and Harry Markson, a former president of Madison Square Garden Boxing - to imagine Tyson in matches against some past champions, but at weights the boxers fought at in their primes.

The opinions varied, with only Louis emerging as a unanimous choice to beat Tyson."

(Mods please correct if in wrong forum)

[HOUDINI563]

Anyway the article can be read? Too blurry.

[OctoberRed]

This article was from 1989 after his defense against Frank Bruno.

https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/20/s...eat-louis.html

Quote from article:

"The article prompted a request to some veterans of the fight world -Ray Arcel, the trainer; Barney Nagler, a boxing writer, and Harry Markson, a former president of Madison Square Garden Boxing - to imagine Tyson in matches against some past champions, but at weights the boxers fought at in their primes.

The opinions varied, with only Louis emerging as a unanimous choice to beat Tyson."

(Mods please correct if in wrong forum)

I'm actually shocked that they only picked Louis. Because of that post-prison run, I'm sure many would pick most of the greats to beat Tyson.

[uncle ben]

Anyway the article can be read? Too blurry.

This is the whole article

Site fees for Mike Tyson's title defenses have diminished by millions since the Las Vegas Hilton paid $7 million for his bout with Frank Bruno in February because of the scarcity of credible opposition for the heavyweight champion.

Because of that, there has been some recent speculation about how Tyson would have fared against past heavyweight champions. For instance, in the November issue of Boxing Illustrated, Bert Sugar, the magazine's editor and publisher, has conjured up bouts matching Tyson against previous champions with both fighting at identical weights.

Under that format, Sugar sees Tyson stopping Max Baer in 2 rounds and Ezzard Charles in 8; scoring technical knockouts over Rocky Marciano in 10 rounds and Joe Frazier in 5; losing to Muhammad Ali and Gene Tunney by decision, and being knocked out by Jack Dempsey in 3, Jack Johnson in 11, Sonny Liston in 4 and Joe Louis in 8.

The article prompted a request to some veterans of the fight world -Ray Arcel, the trainer; Barney Nagler, a boxing writer, and Harry Markson, a former president of Madison Square Garden Boxing - to imagine Tyson in matches against some past champions, but at weights the boxers fought at in their primes.

The opinions varied, with only Louis emerging as a unanimous choice to beat Tyson.

''I'd never pick against Joe Louis,'' said Arcel. ''He could box, punch; he could do everything. And Tyson hasn't proved himself as yet, even though his record is great.''

'Tyson almost certainly would knock down Louis,'' said Nagler, ''and Louis almost certainly would get up and get Tyson in a corner. Louis had a better left. On the basis of reach, he'd be able to keep Tyson off, and knock him out in 8, 9, 10 rounds.''

''Most of all, Louis had a very effective jab,'' said Markson. ''No one yet has used the jab against Tyson. Louis had tremendously fast hands. He'd have set Tyson up with the jab. I see Louis outpointing Tyson.'' Upcoming Schedule

The best of the big-fight lineup for 1989 includes: Simon Brown (International Boxing Federation welterweight champion) vs. Bobby Joe Young, tonight in Rochester; Evander Holyfield vs. Alex Stewart, Nov. 4, Atlantic City; Tyson vs. Razor Ruddock, Nov. 18, in Edmonton, Alberta; Sugar Ray Leonard (World Boxing Council super middleweight champion) vs. Roberto Duran (W.B.C. middleweight champion), Dec. 7 in Las Vegas, Nev., and Mike McCallum (World Boxing Association middleweight champion) vs. Michael Watson, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 9 in England.

Don Elbaum, Brown's promoter, had discussions over the weekend with Cedric Kushner, the promoter of Marlin Starling, the W.B.C. welterweight champion, about a Brown-Starling showdown. The hitch is that both promoters want Showtime, the pay-cable network, to finance the fight, and Showtime, which has Holyfield-Stewart, is not expected to finance another fight until 1990. Whether Brown and Starling want to wait that long remains to be seen.

Watson, who made an impression on the American public when he disassembled the hard-punching Nigel Benn on NBC earlier this year, could establish himself as a credible opponent for Michael Nunn, the I.B.F. middleweight champion, if he can take the title from McCallum. The alternative for Home Box Office, which has Nunn under contract, is Nunn vs. John Mugabi, the W.B.C. junior middleweight champion, who, like Watson, is managed by Mickey Duff.

Leonard, who dismisssed his corner men, Dave Jacobs and Jose Correa, after his draw with Thomas Hearns in June, is expected to announce his new corner men at a news conference in Washington tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the biggest matches already signed for 1990 are Gerry Cooney vs. George Foreman on Jan 15 in Atlantic City, and Julio Cesar Chavez (W.B.C super lightweight champion) vs. Meldrick Taylor (I.B.F. junior welterweight champion) on either Feb. 17 or March 17 in Las Vegas.

The date for the Chavez-Taylor bout depends on what Don King, Tyson's promoter, can do about Tyson's expected Feb. 11 match against Buster Douglas in Tokyo. The Las Vegas Hilton, the site of Chavez-Taylor, prefers Feb. 17, but King must persuade the Japanese promoter, Akihiko Honda, to move Tyson-Douglas to March. Then King would be able to accommodate HBO, which has the live rights to both matches and prefers not to televise them the same month. Drawing Power Disputed

King said reports of Tyson's box-office death were greatly exaggerated. King said Canadian promoters took in $1 million in first-day ticket sales last Friday for Tyson's bout against Ruddock. . . . Dennis Rappaport, a former co-manager of Cooney, signed Tim Witherspoon, the former heavyweight champion, to a promotional deal that includes a signing bonus. But a Philadelphia-based promoter, Art Pelullo, said he still holds the rights to Witherspoon. . . . Wilbert Murdock, a Bronx inventor, said he has developed a system of hand and body sensors that injured fighters can use to spar without actually making physical contact. ''When a hand sensor makes contact against a body sensor at six feet distance, you get sound feedback,'' said Murdock. Murdock's system comes with a tabulator that the fighters wear at their waist to keep score, and a $200 price tag. Steve A****o, who teaches a one-credit boxing course at Westchester (N.Y) Community College, said he has invited Murdock to test out his Computerized Shadow Boxing on the undergraduate boxers.

[uncle ben]

I'm actually shocked that they only picked Louis. Because of that post-prison run, I'm sure many would pick most of the greats to beat Tyson.

My only beef with Louis beating Tyson is how would Louis cope with Tyson's combined speed and power?

[OCPancho]

Joe would have not beat 22 yr old Mike Tyson imo .
Lennox Lewis might have beat Tyson. But, not Joe.

[KOComplaints]

86-88 Tyson would have killed Louis.

I would argue that the Tyson that fought Ruddock the 1st and 2nd time was so disgusting to look at seeing what he was. That I would give Louis a pretty good chance on beating him. Not saying he would though

[HOUDINI563]

Tyson never had the self confidence to beat Louis. Real mental case when in a real fight where he is required to think.

[Tom Cruise]

If it got past mid rounds I would give Louis a big edge, but Tyson was a destroyer and if he starts connecting then it could be over very quickly.

Louis chin is underrated (only kod as a young prospect fighting a great and as an old man fighting a great) but he could be clipped especially in the early rounds, and Tyson is no Galento or Buddy Baer.

[Tom Cruise]

Louis uppercut would be devastating if he had a few rounds to get his timing down.

Great video I posted a while back showed Tysons tendency to use the same predictable steps when coming forward and dipping his head. SRL was on comms talking about it while Tyson was doing it.

If anyone could pick that kind of thing, it would be Louis, and idgaf how good ya chin is, if Louis starts teeing up its game over