Would Joe Louis be too small to be successful at heavyweight today ?

[Dempsey19]

Would Joe Louis be a successful heavyweight today or would he simply be too light to compete effectively against the likes of Fury and Joshua ?

[Dark Lord Al]

Some cruiser weights of today would beat Louis.
He was great in his day.

[SlimTrae]

Yes.

[Master]

Joe Louis is ATG heavyweight with his record number of defenses, consistency and what he did as a champion. He did not weigh over 200lb at his peak because he was superstitious but could hit very hard.

Wilder is not that much heavier than Louis but AJ, Lewis and Fury’s of this world are considerably heavier and would use it to their advantage.

Conversely if Joe Louis was born in this era he would be bigger so would have smashed them all.

[X]

I agree with Master. Looking at Louis' comparative size against the average person in the 1930's ..... if he was born today he would be a 6'8 monster.

A 6'8" Joe Louis utterly destroys anybody he steps in the ring with.

[Primo Carnera]

Joe Louis is ATG heavyweight with his record number of defenses, consistency and what he did as a champion. He did not weigh over 200lb at his peak because he was superstitious but could hit very hard.

Wilder is not that much heavier than Louis but AJ, Lewis and Fury’s of this world are considerably heavier and would use it to their advantage.

Conversely if Joe Louis was born in this era he would be bigger so would have smashed them all.

This is exactly the point of comparing fighters from different eras. Not only size, but technological advancements in Training and nutrition enabling guys to be quicker and stronger all have to be taken into consideration when making comparisons. So basically , give the fighter of the old days all the advantages and attributes of the modern day fighter he’s being compared with and then the question is fairer, and the answer very different.

[powerpuncher]

People forget that Louis fought big heavyweights. Max Baer was 6’3 and very strong. Primo Carnera was 6’6. He was basically the size of Wlad. Buddy Baer was the same height. Abe Simon was 6’4.

Now I’m not saying these guys were as good as AJ or Fury, but Louis destroyed these fighters. It wasn’t even close. I think he would do much better than many think. Also, he would walk through the cruiserweights of today. Even from todays standards Louis has great technique.

[oakleyno1]

Tyson 5/11
Wilder 216 lbs
Uysk will be favoured Vs all but the top 2-4 depending on opinion

Little guys as such not out of it yet!

[Ron Swanson]

Joe Louis is ATG heavyweight with his record number of defenses, consistency and what he did as a champion. He did not weigh over 200lb at his peak because he was superstitious but could hit very hard.

Wilder is not that much heavier than Louis but AJ, Lewis and Fury’s of this world are considerably heavier and would use it to their advantage.

Conversely if Joe Louis was born in this era he would be bigger so would have smashed them all.

This is exactly the point of comparing fighters from different eras. Not only size, but technological advancements in Training and nutrition enabling guys to be quicker and stronger all have to be taken into consideration when making comparisons. So basically , give the fighter of the old days all the advantages and attributes of the modern day fighter he’s being compared with and then the question is fairer, and the answer very different.

I find these amusing because people always think about the ways improved life makes better fighters but you don’t often hear how improved life makes worse fighters. People today aren’t tough, not their fault they just don’t need to be. Fighters today are very strong, very fast, and very good at what they do well. But they are not very diverse. Real inside fighting stopped 80 years ago, that art is dead. We have no clue what a Joe Louis of today would be, why would he choose to get hit in the face? Would he put on muscle, would he cut to lightheavy, would he be a rapper, we don’t know. We couldn’t possibly. Wet blanket response, but that’s what I do. He was great in his time and that’s enough

[Dark Lord Al]

People forget that Louis fought big heavyweights. Max Baer was 6’3 and very strong. Primo Carnera was 6’6. He was basically the size of Wlad. Buddy Baer was the same height. Abe Simon was 6’4.

Now I’m not saying these guys were as good as AJ or Fury, but Louis destroyed these fighters. It wasn’t even close. I think he would do much better than many think. Also, he would walk through the cruiserweights of today. Even from todays standards Louis has great technique.

Those fighters you mentioned are garbage , or do we conclude David Haye is the greatest of all time because he beat 7'1 Valuev ?

[powerpuncher]

People forget that Louis fought big heavyweights. Max Baer was 6’3 and very strong. Primo Carnera was 6’6. He was basically the size of Wlad. Buddy Baer was the same height. Abe Simon was 6’4.

Now I’m not saying these guys were as good as AJ or Fury, but Louis destroyed these fighters. It wasn’t even close. I think he would do much better than many think. Also, he would walk through the cruiserweights of today. Even from todays standards Louis has great technique.

Those fighters you mentioned are garbage , or do we conclude David Haye is the greatest of all time because he beat 7'1 Valuev ?

And most HWs today are garbage. Max Baer was actually legit and very strong. And saying that Haye beat Valuev proves that smaller fighters can beat bigger fighters. I’m showing that Joe Louis in fact did beat bigger fighters. It’s not as if there were no giant HWs at his time. It’s just your perception on who is good and who isn’t. Valuev was basically Primo Carnera of today. And Valuev did well for himself.

I’ve seen lots and lots of Louis fights and I’ll tell you what, his technique is amazing. No HW today is better than him. You could argue that maybe size would be his downfall, but Wilder is out here knocking out super HWs while he is light for the division. I don’t see why Louis couldn’t do the same thing.

[Primo Carnera]

People forget that Louis fought big heavyweights. Max Baer was 6’3 and very strong. Primo Carnera was 6’6. He was basically the size of Wlad. Buddy Baer was the same height. Abe Simon was 6’4.

Now I’m not saying these guys were as good as AJ or Fury, but Louis destroyed these fighters. It wasn’t even close. I think he would do much better than many think. Also, he would walk through the cruiserweights of today. Even from todays standards Louis has great technique.

Those fighters you mentioned are garbage , or do we conclude David Haye is the greatest of all time because he beat 7'1 Valuev ?

And most HWs today are garbage. Max Baer was actually legit and very strong. And saying that Haye beat Valuev proves that smaller fighters can beat bigger fighters. I’m showing that Joe Louis in fact did beat bigger fighters. It’s not as if there were no giant HWs at his time. It’s just your perception on who is good and who isn’t. Valuev was basically Primo Carnera of today. And Valuev did well for himself.

I’ve seen lots and lots of Louis fights and I’ll tell you what, his technique is amazing. No HW today is better than him. You could argue that maybe size would be his downfall, but Wilder is out here knocking out super HWs while he is light for the division. I don’t see why Louis couldn’t do the same thing.

Easy Tiger. Now take that back!

[Spicoli]

Size is overrated. That's what she said . The field over the last 30 + years is littered with guys 165 to 190ish who packed on a few pounds and competed at heavy. I don't doubt for a minute Louis would pick up a belt or 3 and maybe that's in large part to the wba having 101 available. But seriously his talent, skill and commitment compared to many of todays heavies puts them to shame. And I guarantee he wasn't shoving a suitcase of illegal banned substances in his arse and veins to help him along. Let Louis land a right hand on Wilder..going backwards like the slow motion glacial mass that is Breazeale did and see how that goes. We seem to always speak of yesterdays fighters like they're on some literal evolutionary chart and came to the ring in loin cloths and carrying clubs. This sport is more mental than physical too. It's a two way street. I'd say if many of todays comforts, politics in the sport and everything being at a fingers touch were stripped away from todays fighters and they were dropped into yesteryear v top guys they'd be in for some real trouble.

[X]

I don't agree that Max Baer was garbage. He was a big guy, fantastic athlete with a shattering right hand. A 1930's Wilder except he could box too.

I couldn't say for sure, but I definitely do not automatically subscribe to the view that everything modern is somehow 'better' than what has gone before. It's a bit solipsic and very disrespectful and naive if the past. Life wasn't really in black and white and slow motion.

Nutrition, science and wealth have certainly changed the way people train now compared to the old timers .... but nobody can tell me that any modern Fighters trains harder or tougher than, say, Rocky Marciano. Those guys didn't use PEDs.

Life was harder then, people were hungry and poorer and maybe even more desperate. Slick, pure boxers like Ray Robinson, Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Jim Corbett were actually tough and violent motherfuckers who would eat the Adrian Broners of the world for breakfast. They fought every few weeks, 15 rounders, no standing counts, little referee interference. Muhammad Ali, the quintessential 'beautiful' boxer was one of the hardest and toughest people you will ever have heard of.

What is certain is that there was a lot more competition. You can be a ranked heavyweight much more easily now than at any time in the past because there are simply less fighters.

Heavyweights stay down quite easy now. Wladimir, even Lennox did. James Jeffries fought on after 7 knockdowns, shattered orbital, broken arm, broken ribs and jaw and several missing teeth.

Jack Dempsey was a truly violent and ferocious beast. He fought grown men in mining town bars for a few cents when he was in his teens. Does anybody really think Audley Harrison beats him just because he is bigger?

Niw, there is no way I am saying that ALL old timers would have beaten today's fighters, and that modern guys are all garbage etc etc ....... but I am definitely challenging the view that ALL modern fighters are somehow generally better and would beat most of the historical guys.

[El Kabong]

If he had the healthcare, diet, etc of today's athlete then he'd probably be around Lennox/Evander size.

He wasn't a small man and his stamina and punching power would still see him effective.

Greatest heavyweight champion of all time!