BoxRec

15 round fight.
Id giv Tunney a good chance in this match up. Think his style would be hard for Louis. Like Billy Conn (remember?)
It's a hard call. Wat u think?

No doubt in my mind --- none --- that if Tunney can manoeuvre Louis into the same position Conn had him in, down on points running late, he'd win the fight. Tunney was a smarter, more level-headed boxer than Conn ever was. He was also a superior tactician to Conn, paid closer attention to detail in dissecting opposition armoury, & was, all-in-all, no lesser boxer. Tunney ranks above Conn as both a Light-Heavy & Heavy, in my book. Tunney is, in fact, my number-one 175lber in history.

Now, it ain't all as easy as that. Tunney was better defensively than Conn, & no less accurate or offensively versatile --- he was also a stronger puncher. However, a positively huge factor in Conn's success against Louis was his speed. Speed of hand, speed of foot, & reflexive speed. Here, Tunney gives ground to Conn. No one could ever accuse Tunney of lacking speed, but Conn was just as quick as they come. His light punches hurt Louis in rounds eleven & twelve because the champion couldn't see them coming. I suspect Tunney doesn't have quite the swiftness of Conn on any front, & that would play against him. Tunney was something more of a counter-puncher, whereas Conn showed a willingness to lead. A counter-punchers' game against a prime Louis is a fool's errand. Tunney was no fool, but I don't think he can beat Louis straight-up waiting for opportunities. Louis' economy of punches, his remarkable handspeed, & his precision make that simply too hairy a proposition. That's trouble for any man to lose such a big part of his fightplan, even someone as versatile as Tunney.

I'm tying myself in knots here, so I'm just going to go ahead & say it's anyone's fight --- truly. Possibly the most intriguing issue would be the rematch --- Louis was death in them, but no one was a quicker study than Tunney. Compelling viewing, from first bell-to-last.

Louis by KO. Tunney of course would give the Brown Bomber tons of issues with his speed and skill but like Dempsey did in their rematch Gene would eventually be caught with something big and unlike the Dempsey fight, Louis would finish him off.

I'd can't stand how Louis suddenly may lose to any elite boxer b/c of the Conn fight (not accusing anyone of that here, but I've found that sentiment), which he WON by knockout! Sure he was down on points but people talk about that fight like he really lost it b/c Conn 'gave the fight away blah blah' Bullcrap! Conn fought the 13th just like he'd fought the 11th and 12th, coming to Louis with combinations. Louis WON that fight via his pressure and countering ability, period.

As a HW I r8 Louis higher. But I feel this match could be a bogey for Louis. I dont think Tunney will win this fight by counter punching Joe. But more using his footwork to work around him constantley and not to stay flat footed and square on. Of course hees gona get taged at some point. But Gene did have a good chin.
I feel if he was taking on The Bomber heed hav a good pre fight strategy which would require him to do a ton of roadwork etc b4 da fight. Thats the theory anyway.

dempseyfire wrote:Louis by KO. Tunney of course would give the Brown Bomber tons of issues with his speed and skill but like Dempsey did in their rematch Gene would eventually be caught with something big and unlike the Dempsey fight, Louis would finish him off.

I'd can't stand how Louis suddenly may lose to any elite boxer b/c of the Conn fight (not accusing anyone of that here, but I've found that sentiment), which he WON by knockout! Sure he was down on points but people talk about that fight like he really lost it b/c Conn 'gave the fight away blah blah' Bullcrap! Conn fought the 13th just like he'd fought the 11th and 12th, coming to Louis with combinations. Louis WON that fight via his pressure and countering ability, period.

It's also never mentioned the fight was actually quite close &, in fact, competitive. Lore has Conn just about shutting Louis out before the KO.

gambler49 wrote:As a HW I r8 Louis higher. But I feel this match could be a bogey for Louis. I dont think Tunney will win this fight by counter punching Joe. But more using his footwork to work around him constantley and not to stay flat footed and square on. Of course hees gona get taged at some point. But Gene did have a good chin.
I feel if he was taking on The Bomber heed hav a good pre fight strategy which would require him to do a ton of roadwork etc b4 da fight. Thats the theory anyway.

Tunney had a great chin. However --- & I am positively loathe to bring this up, as I feel it's way over-criticised --- an ageing Dempsey did show a great HW puncher could dent him. Louis was better offensively than any Dempsey, & certainly, the one Tunney fought in 1927. Louis has the arsenal to get the job done, & there is no grander finisher in the game, period.

With that said, Tunney did to Dempsey --- twice --- what Holmes did a pair of times with Shavers. Neither deserves as much scrutiny as they receive for single knockdowns, even if both were heavy.

It's such a close fight, for mine. I actually refrained from voting.

Louis liked to step in, set, and fire. Tunney could have had success relying on movement and his fast, hard (under-ratedly hard, IMO) lead left hand. Louis had a great lead left himself though, not to mention a real quick straight right hand, which is why a fight with a fast, defensively talented, and defensively minded boxer like Conn or Tunney would always be close either way, notwithstanding that 'boxers' are often reported to have been Louis's weakness. Still, my guess is that, if Tunny were patient and kept his head, he could out-box Louis over 15-rounds, say 5 or 6 times in any 10 fights, especially considering he was so durable (counting both stamina and ability to take a punch). Hard fight to call, IMO.

...dempseyfire's account of the louis/conn fight is right on!

This is an easy one for me. Tunney easily if it goes the distance. Louis by KO if he gets a lucky shot in like he did against Conn. Conn dominating Louis gives us insight I think how it would have went. Tunney was better than Conn in almost every way.

Badhusker wrote:This is an easy one for me. Tunney easily if it goes the distance. Louis by KO if he gets a lucky shot in like he did against Conn. Conn dominating Louis gives us insight I think how it would have went. Tunney was better than Conn in almost every way.

One scorecard even, two slightly in favour of Conn. The, "Conn dominating Louis" myth is just that --- a myth.

Point taken on the dominating comment. I should have just said ahead, and on his way to a win by decision. My point is that Tunney would have done at least as well as Conn in my opinion.

Badhusker wrote:Point taken on the dominating comment. I should have just said ahead, and on his way to a win by decision. My point is that Tunney would have done at least as well as Conn in my opinion.

Very plausible --- see my post near to the thread's starting point. I can't think of a single fighter, though --- Tunney included --- who I would expect to beat Louis easy. This is a pick 'em fight.

I dont know if Louis could kayo Tunney, but I do think Louis would slowly break him down to the point that following the 10th round that Louis would win the last four or five rounds and win a split or majority decision....a rematch is in the clause, and as we all know Louis was DEATH in rematches!

....i think tunney is the only heavyweight champion who preceded louis who has the chance to beat him. good chin, good training ethic, good boxer. i think louis would win, though. much of it would be a battle of left jabs, and louis had the best left jab in heavyweight history.

jaclem2 wrote:....i think tunney is the only heavyweight champion who preceded louis who has the chance to beat him. good chin, good training ethic, good boxer. i think louis would win, though. much of it would be a battle of left jabs, and louis had the best left jab in heavyweight history.

Surley u can't think it was better then Holmes jab?

...yes..i think it was better than holmes' jab.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

Badhusker wrote:Point taken on the dominating comment. I should have just said ahead, and on his way to a win by decision. My point is that Tunney would have done at least as well as Conn in my opinion.

Very plausible --- see my post near to the thread's starting point. I can't think of a single fighter, though --- Tunney included --- who I would expect to beat Louis easy. This is a pick 'em fight.

Might be a pick 'em, but if I'm lined up against a wall and get whacked if I pick wrong, I'm picking the Brown Bomber.

gambler49 wrote:

jaclem2 wrote:....i think tunney is the only heavyweight champion who preceded louis who has the chance to beat him. good chin, good training ethic, good boxer. i think louis would win, though. much of it would be a battle of left jabs, and louis had the best left jab in heavyweight history.

Surley u can't think it was better then Holmes jab?

I'd think just the opposite. Holmes' jab is better? I don't think so. Louis' jab was faster, every bit as accurate, & absolutely was a more punishing blow.

Great left jabs at Heavyweight = Louis>Holmes.

...once again irene displays his erudtion...

jaclem2 wrote:....i think tunney is the only heavyweight champion who preceded louis who has the chance to beat him. good chin, good training ethic, good boxer. i think louis would win, though. much of it would be a battle of left jabs, and louis had the best left jab in heavyweight history.

Tunney imho is one of those types who is BOTH over-rated and under-rated. I dont see him being a top 10 or even 15 heavyweight as far as champions go, but as a 175 pounder and at the p4p level he is among the elite. I think he's a man who could have given Louis some trouble, and would have given a guy like Ali trouble---but I dont see Tunney beating Louis or Ali or even Holmes. He was good, yes, but as a heavyweight he was no Ezzard Charles, let alone near the abilities of Ali or Holmes.