Holyfield says Joe Louis couldn't make it in boxing today

[Banderivets]

I believe that many athletes today are better then those of the past. Everything about every sport improved.

Guys are stronger, faster, bigger.

The technical aspect of sports has evolved too...

Be it basketball or boxing.


We appriciate the classics because they put on a show, but does anyone see why we got the show in the first place. It wasnt because guys had greater technical ability or speed, its the complete opposite...all those mistakes they commited was what made the show.

The Thrilla in Manilla aint exactly a boxing clinic.

People need to realise this and move on.

[KabukiJoe]

"Jesse Owens couldn't even make the Olympic team today. It's the same with boxing. I always just look at Joe Louis, I say, You know what, he kind of slow. I'd tear him up.

People say, Joe Louis had twenty-five consecutive wins as a champion. That's because they didn't have videotape. You couldn't pick up his style unless you was in there with him."

http://www.esquire.com/features/what...-0109?src=digg

This was a recent interview too (October 29, 2008). Anyone agree?

...an interesting statement...I love Holyfield and he's one of my favorite FIGHTERS...if you look at this statement like most people on here as a women would, "does this dress make me look fat?", then of course you'd get upset about it...let's look at it objectively...would Holyfield beat Louis in his prime vs Louis in his prime?...probably...the difference in training and conditioning alone would allow Holyfield to out work Loius over 15 rounds...and have any of you seen Holyfield at his best?...I have and he's one of the greatest when he was in his prime...his problem was not being a true heavyweight and fighting true heavyweights...anyone that doesn't realize this is not qualified to even post about this...there's way too many smart ass kids coming on here and posting about stuff they have no clue about other then what they read on the net...now, time for time, meaning everything is equal between these 2, I would also give to Holyfield simply because he can take a beating and I don't think Louis could stop him...I mean no other heavyweight out there can take the whoopin that Holyfield can and continue to fight...and thinking about this, I don't think he's ever been KO'd...looking at Louis' record I see that he really isn't big enough to give it to Holyfield either, he was not much over 200 is a lot of his fights and pound per pound, Holyfield is better then probably anyone out there at heavyweight...I really think Holyfield would be able to beat Louis simply because Louis wouldn't be able to stop him and since they are very close in size, he couldn't hurt Holyfield because no one ever has that was his size...other then Bert Cooper, but that was a fluke...


Kabuki Joe

[Khmelnytsky]

man i'v never had much respect for Ali nor seen him as a Demigod like alot of folks and those videos add fuel to the fire

1st he talks about Dempsey's size, just under 6'2 187 - 192 - Ali early career weighed 195-206 frequently

2nd he condemned Johnson and Dempsey's punching technique along with their size, i wonder how Ali feels knowing that in spite of such a "primitive" technique and a height and weight disadvantage Dempsey hit twice as hard as Ali?

3rd he said they "hit like women" well first off i'm sure Ali knows since he loved to beat women and is a piece of ****
second - Dempsey, Louis, and Johnson were much harder men and somone like Dempsey would turn ali into a woman

"Boxing has three minute rounds, gloves, and a referee, that's not real fighting" Jack Dempsey

[cuzfozzy]

Ali started the era where boxers fought with their mouths and not their fists
pre-Ali the fighters did their talking in the ring ...

[TheGreatA]

We appriciate the classics because they put on a show, but does anyone see why we got the show in the first place. It wasnt because guys had greater technical ability or speed, its the complete opposite...all those mistakes they commited was what made the show.

The Thrilla in Manilla aint exactly a boxing clinic.

It was two past prime fighters giving it their all... Ali had many boxing clinics in his prime which were criticized for being boring.

I have never seen any heavyweight as talented as Ali before or after.

[THRILLA77]

I agree with holy

[Benny Leonard]

And he took The best punch that Ernie Shavers had to offer.

The fight would not be competitive. Ali would do what Billy Conn did but better.

I would favor a Prime Ali over a Prime Louis as well.

[Allucard]

"Jesse Owens couldn't even make the Olympic team today. It's the same with boxing. I always just look at Joe Louis, I say, You know what, he kind of slow. I'd tear him up.

People say, Joe Louis had twenty-five consecutive wins as a champion. That's because they didn't have videotape. You couldn't pick up his style unless you was in there with him."

http://www.esquire.com/features/what...-0109?src=digg

This was a recent interview too (October 29, 2008). Anyone agree?

Very good point but still i'll consider Joe (that one, not the fraud) to be one of the greatest of all time.

[TheGreatA]

I would favor a Prime Ali over a Prime Louis as well.

I agree but Joe laid down the blueprint on how to beat Ali which Frazier followed.

“The kid has speed and there’s no one around to outbox him, and the opponent who tries is in his grave. Especially in the middle if the ring. I’d see to it that Clay didn’t stay in ring center. No. He’d be hit into those ropes as near a corner as I could get him. If he stayed on the ropes he would get hurt. Sooner or later he’d try to bounce off, when he did he would get hurt more. I’d press him, cut down his speed, and **** him around the ribs. I’d punish the body. “Kill the body and the head will die”, Chappie use to tell me. It figures. Sooner or later he’d forget about that face of his and he would start dropping that left hand like he did against Mildenberger and Chuvalo. Those fellows got their openings by accident, and fouled it up. I would work for it and wouldn’t reckon to miss when it arrived. Cassius Clay is a nice boy and a smart fighter. But I am sure Joe Louis would have licked him.”

I wouldn't count him out.

[Fulcrum29]

yea that's the problem is that Oldyfield doesn't realize if they had videotape then Joe Louis would have access to it as well so who's to say that he wouldn't have destroyed his opponents even faster and more brutally than he already did?