Joe Louis vs Muhammad Ali

[ICB]

A prime Ali (circa mid 60's) is just to quick and too great of a boxer. Ali's chin was also insane so even if Joe did get to Ali I don't see him stopping him. Ali finishes the job that the super over rated Billy Conn was doing to Louis for 10+ rounds but Ali finishes the job. W15

The kind of fighter I think has the best chance to beat Ali is guys with great long jabs (ala Larry Holmes or Lennox Lewis). Not saying those 2 would beat Ali just that those style would be harder on him. Ken Norton was life and death with and Ali that was just past his prime. Ken was very awkward and threw lots of punches.

Most people won't agree with me but I still think the version of Tyson before his life went insane (pre Spinks fight) would have given Ali a very hard fight. Mike was so fast and hit so hard I really think he might have beaten him. I'm sure Ali would frustrateTyson eventually but it's not a given he wins. If they fight 5 times I say Ali goes 3-1-1 in those fights.

I wouldn't say Muhammad Ali was past his prime in the early 70's, i mean he did have some struggles in the 60's aswell, against Doug Jones, Henry Cooper, Karl Mildenberger.

He was coming off good performances against Bob Foster, Floyd Patterson, Jerry Quarry, before he fought Ken Norton. And he did not show any signs of being past his prime in any of those fights, and after the two tough fights vs Ken Norton. He handily beat Joe Frazier in there 2nd fight.

[Master]

Style wise Ali would outbox Louis, but Louis may have fared better against some opponets Ali had a lot of trouble with like Fraiser and Norton.

[DaxxKahn]

We are talking about the #1 and #2 HWTS in history depending on the list...It is ahard call...The power and the posing pressure of Lewis or the movement and quickness of Ali.....I can not say who thinks when Ali's prime was some say beforew the exile some say after the Foreman fight is when it ended that being why he had to rely on rope a dope tactics....

A yery young Ali/Clay was easily caught and down often....Just there was not one who could finish like Joe that he faced...I would have to say If Joe hurt him good chance he finishes him....The Ali of later up until and just after Foreman would be too much for Louis....He could take the power, he still had enough speed to ghive Joe problems and take advantage of Joes lax defense and he would rattle Joe mentaly...Plus Joe could not fight backing up and if Ali had him going back at all it would be a TKO ending....Ali hit harder then many realize because he is more known for speed and over all boxing skill...he stopped some big names some ATG fighters in their prime.....Certainly some of the top 10 hwts of all time...EG Foreman, Liston, Patterson, Frazier....Joe had a chin no better then those mentioned....

This is a pick em fight for me...Whoever gets their gameplan in early will win.,...An Ali closer to the start of his prime loses to Louis...Ali closer to the end of his prime wins...They were 2 different fighters...Both were better then anyone Louis faced in his prime...

[Master]

Early in Ali's career he was put down, but once he became champion and before the exile, that would be the best Ali we saw, and that fighter would beat Louis. We may never have seen the best of Ali, which is a scary/sad thought.

[generalbulldog]

Early in Ali's career he was put down, but once he became champion and before the exile, that would be the best Ali we saw, and that fighter would beat Louis. We may never have seen the best of Ali, which is a scary/sad thought.

Agreed. The best version of Ali was 64-67, before the exile. The green and still physically maturing Ali got put down quite a bit, but not the prime one. And even the 70s version where he was past his prime physically still could take a punch. As someone mentioned, if Ali could take the punching power of Foreman, Shavers, Liston, Norton and those dangerous punchers, I have no doubt he could take Louis power.

Ali takes it for a mid round tko. Too much speed of hand and foot combined with elusiveness.

[Beanflicker]

I gotta agree that this is a nightmare fight for Joe Louis. I don't see how he wins this against a prime Ali. Ali would outbox him with his superior speed, but unlike Conn, Ali will be able to hurt Louis. I see Ali stopped Louis in the later rounds.

I would be more interested in seeing Louis vs Foreman, Frazier, or Marciano (a PRIME Louis, not the old shell of Louis that fought the Rock)

[jdonaher1]

One of the great boxing debates is what would Ali have accomplished if he never went to jail. He lost three prime years of his career. Maybe he fight Frazier in 68 or 69 and dominates him and Joe never gets respect as being a top 10 Heavyweight. What happen to Ali if he easily beats Frazier and Foreman in the early 70's? I just can't imagine Ali loses to anybody 67-70 at all unless something really unexpected happens. Maybe Ali goes undefeated and beats Joe's all time title defense record against the best heavy weight era in history. If so this wouldn't even be a discussion, Ali is undisputed best heavy of all time.