Could Joe Louis have been a dancer?

[Method Checker]

Did he have the feet to be able to dance around the ring like Ali?

[TheGreatA]

All I know is that while training with Holman Williams, Joe Louis was known to move around the ring more, but Jack Blackburn wanted to turn him into a more flat-footed puncher.

I guess this film of him fighting Max Baer early in his career is the closest we will get to Louis being a "dancer":

[MonsieurGeorges]

He had great footwork but his style was based around coming after you with the jab, countering and setting up the knockout. He didn't need to dance because he could counter and walk guys into shots so well. He usually wanted you to come to him so he could hit you with something vicious that you didn't see

I'm sure if he wanted to be flashy and move around a lot, Sugar Ray could've shown him a thing or too. He had the skills and the power to knock em' all dead so why waste time moving around?

[Silencers]

I would seriously doubt it, Louis had fast hands and had good footwork but his feet weren't quick.

[Marcov]

I would seriously doubt it, Louis had fast hands and had good footwork but his feet weren't quick.

I was wondering if this is based much on the Conn fight? I was wondering because much earlier in his career he was a very fleet footed boxer. Perhaps not like Ali but he was more of a boxer.

He also was very good at cutting off the ring due to the fact many of his opponents ran. But that was later in his career as a became a feared puncher.

[Silencers]

I was wondering if this is based much on the Conn fight? I was wondering because much earlier in his career he was a very fleet footed boxer. Perhaps not like Ali but he was more of a boxer.

He also was very good at cutting off the ring due to the fact many of his opponents ran. But that was later in his career as a became a feared puncher.

Not at all. I've watched pretty much all Louis' career. His feet might not be very slow or anything but I never thought he had fast enough feet to be a guy to move around the ring like an Ali, he wasn't built like a guy who was meant to move around either.

But yes, Louis was very good at cutting off the ring, as I said, he had very good footwork.

[mickey malone]

Louis didn't dance a lot, but he was incredibly light on his feet.. his 'creeping death' style relied on smooth gluiding feet, slipping in and out with fleetly co-ordinated shuffling movements as opposed to energy consuming dance moves, which would have ultimately, worked against his natural killer instincts..

[BritishBoxing92]

Did he have the feet to be able to dance around the ring like Ali?

LOLOL......erm nah he wasnt That fast...he didnt float like a butterfly or sting like a bee rofl...

[cooper5]

Lots of times fighters adapt a style based on their abilities. If louis didn't have power and a good chin he might have adopted a different style. Ali didn't have alot power relatively, he had a great chin but had to face guys like Liston, Frazier and Shavers. Wouldn't last long against guys like that without his movement. Louis was powerful and people had to do the running against him.

[sleazyfellow]

Reminds me of that classic tyson thread about being fleet of foot lol.

But yeah the closest you'll see of that is his fight againt max baer, which I think is he best performance.