Who was the best: Ali or Louis?

[squealpiggy]

I think the harder hitting Louis was better all round. Ali made a lot of mistakes but could get away with it because of his physical gifts, I think Louis was the better boxer. And while Ali certainly transcended the sport in the late 60s early 70s, he didn't transcend the sport to anything close to the degree that Joe Louis's two fights with Max Schmeling did.

[TopDawg]

I will have to go with Ali, but just barely.

[RightHandLead]

I think the harder hitting Louis was better all round. Ali made a lot of mistakes but could get away with it because of his physical gifts, I think Louis was the better boxer. And while Ali certainly transcended the sport in the late 60s early 70s, he didn't transcend the sport to anything close to the degree that Joe Louis's two fights with Max Schmeling did.

Ali's fights with Frazier (1 and 3 notably) were the kind of fights that brought non-fans into the sport. He transcended boxing as political and a religious figure, too.

[mrpain81]

Naw Joe Louis had the setback to Schmeling but then came back Ko'd his ass in the first, then made 25 Successful title defenses.

A record that still stands today, Louis made like 22 out of his 25 Defenses by ko.

[RightHandLead]

Naw Joe Louis had the setback to Schmeling but then came back Ko'd his ass in the first, then made 25 Successful title defenses.

A record that still stands today, Louis made like 22 out of his 25 Defenses by ko.

To guys who weren't noteworthy (wasn't his fault)... But these 'Bums of the month' still managed to rock him every now and then.

[squealpiggy]

Ali's fights with Frazier (1 and 3 notably) were the kind of fights that brought non-fans into the sport. He transcended boxing as political and a religious figure, too.

But Schmeling vs Louis became the fulcrum of the balance of history in both fights, as they came at a point in history where the racist ideology of the ****s was about the plunge the world into the most devastating conflict that the human race had ever known. While Ali was significant in history as an indicator of the growth of conscientious objection as a political stance, Louis and Schmeling came to represent the notion of freedom and equality against the tyranny of the ****s.

[TheGreatA]

Louis did have a suspect chin but his recovery skills were amazing I don't think he was ever knocked down two times in a fight (except in the ones he lost and should've lost against Walcott).

He was very calm and usually handled business after getting knocked down.

The people who say his opponents were bums probably don't know much about his era.
Some of his opponents were bums but Max Baer, Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey, Jim Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott and Primo Carnera were all heavyweight champions at one point.

[RightHandLead]

But Schmeling vs Louis became the fulcrum of the balance of history in both fights, as they came at a point in history where the racist ideology of the ****s was about the plunge the world into the most devastating conflict that the human race had ever known. While Ali was significant in history as an indicator of the growth of conscientious objection as a political stance, Louis and Schmeling came to represent the notion of freedom and equality against the tyranny of the ****s.

The transcendence of one fight (Louis-Schmelling II) vs the the transcendece of one career (Muhammad Ali).

If you went up to a random person and asked them about Ali, they'd know what you were talking about, guarunteed. But you walk up and ask them about Louis-Schmelling, and there's about a 70% chance you'll get a blank stare.

[RightHandLead]

Louis did have a suspect chin but his recovery skills were amazing I don't think he was ever knocked down two times in a fight (except in the ones he lost and should've lost against Walcott).

He was very calm and usually handled business after getting knocked down.

The people who say his opponents were bums probably don't know much about his era.
Some of his opponents were bums but Max Baer, Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey, Jim Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott and Primo Carnera were all heavyweight champions at one point.

So the boxing reporters of Louis' era didn't know what they were publishing in the papers?

The "bum of the month term" wasn't made up by the modern man.

[TheGreatA]

So the boxing reporters of Louis' era didn't know what they were publishing in the papers?

The bum of the month term wasn't made up by the modern man.

The term was invented because Louis was so dominant he made everyone look like a bum. Just like Roy Jones.

And I did say there were some bums in his record. But I also listed some guys who weren't.

It was pretty funny when they made Schmeling to look like some racist **** when he actually helped ***ish people to move out from Germany during the holocaust.