All-time great heavyweight match-up! Louis vs Holmes

Rocky Balboa · Post by **Rocky Balboa** » 01 Feb 2004, 15:29

Was just thinking about these two greats, so I thought I would post a new topic on them!

Imagine a prime Joe Louis (1938) vs a prime Larry Holmes (1982). What a competetive match this would have been!

Joe Louis was a tremendously hard-puncher, and is probably the greatest puncher in the history of the heavyweight division. Louis was a master at bocking shots. His punching acccuracy was superb. One he had an opponent in trouble, that was it! One of the things I have noticed when seeing footage of Louis, he would finish his opponent with such precision shots, and he would be so calm in the process.

Larry Holmes is one of my favourite fighters ever. He is without doubt the most underrated heavyweight champion in history. His recouperative powers have never been matched by any heavyweight in history. Larry had a piston of a jab - very accurate etc. Larry had good punching power especially in the right hand. Had great heart and determination and would out on his shield when he lost bouts (shown in the fight with Mike Tyson). Larry had what is known as 'Ring smarts'. In my opinion, Larry Holmes is one definitely in the top-4 greatest heavyweights ever!

I feel the propsed bout itself is an extremey close one. In fact, I fee it could even end in a draw! If I was forced to pick, I woud marginally pick Louis by a round 15 stoppage or decision. However, I would not be surprised if Larry won the bout.

Lets hear others views on this one!

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 02 Feb 2004, 02:38

every now and then this one comes up somewhere....a conversation with guys...on a boxing duscussion forum....and often i'm inclined to go with holmes because he was bigger than louis and did have that great jab and had heart, smarts and ability to get back up when he was down or hurt. then i dig out a tape of joe louis...or a film...and i watch him against max baer or lou nova or abe simon....and realize if in some parrallell universe this match could be made...i'd go with the brown bomber. devastating finisher, faster on his feet in his prime than given credit for...good boxer...resilient....and if holmes could keep it a long range fight louis would get him because he was perfect when he wasn't crowded. if louis would move inside the holmes jab and get to the body and then to the head, he'd beat him there too. louis was a phenomenom..he'd kayo holmes...and this is from someone who also thinks holmes was a superb and underrated fighter.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 02 Feb 2004, 08:53

I have Holmes as the Greatest HW in history, closely followed by Louis at no2.

I see Holmes jab as the key to this fight, and I see it winning him a very close 15 round decision.

wouter · Post by **wouter** » 02 Feb 2004, 09:23

Louis' jab wasn' too shabby either

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 02 Feb 2004, 09:30

wouter wrote:Louis' jab wasn' too shabby either

No, Louis had a great jab, but I think Holmes would have been more effective, with his better movement and, dare I say it?, better chin.

Both men may have gone down, but I give Holmes a very slight edge.

wouter · Post by **wouter** » 02 Feb 2004, 09:51

Holmes may have had a better chin, but he wasn't much of a puncher. I see Holmes getting in a slugging match, a la Ken Norton, and there's no way he could win that against Louis

crooked nose · Post by **crooked nose** » 02 Feb 2004, 12:25

First impulse is to go for Holmes based on the jab and ring generalship. Then I think what a finisher Louis was. Holmes could be caught and hurt - Shavers and Snipes nearly stopped him and even Cooney put some hurt on him. I think Holmes would build up a points lead but then be stopped in mid to late rounds.
If anyone has a tape of the Holmes-Norton bout, look at Joe Louis seated at ringside (in a good 70s leisure suit). I've always wondered what Joe was thinking that night.

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 02 Feb 2004, 19:20

knockout artist wrote:I have Holmes as the Greatest HW in history, closely followed by Louis at no2.

I'm sorry - Holmes had a good championship run, beat some quality guys there, but there's little that elevates him over guys like Louis and Ali. Holmes' style and relative lack of brutal ring wars means that he was still not so far from his prime when he fought Mike Spinks. I might feel similarly about Louis had he lost to the smaller Billy Conn, but Louis wound up KOing Conn, so that comparison is moot.

Unfortunately for him and us, Holmes met the young Tyson when he was old enough that it's easy to discount the loss - had he faced an acid test like that in his prime (like Ali did vs. Frazier, and did well after his prime vs. Foreman) it would've told us a lot more about how Holmes should rate among the supreme greats of all time. All we really know is that he was the best of HIS time.

Sweet Scientist · Post by **Sweet Scientist** » 03 Feb 2004, 18:37

Louis KO's Holmes sometime after the 10th...after having a degree of difficulty with Larry early...Joe Louis was the 'complete package' in my humble opinion...ideal combination of power, speed, boxing ability, etc.
Joe may have been vulnerable to a quality boxer (i.e. Billy Conn in '41) but his talent always prevailed in the end (and if you're going to mention Schmelling, don't forget their rematch!!!). Louis is my all time #1. In fairness to Holmes, however, I do indeed consider him in the all time top ten...and I do think this would be one hell of a boxing match...which Joe wins in the end.