BoxRec

What a wonderful fighter Louis was. Real economy of effort. Every punch counted. It's hard to pick a GOAT in the heavy division but would he be an undisputed #1 if you take away ww2? How many defences would Louis have made? Would he have slipped up in those intervening years? I doubt it. Maybe maybe 36 defences? 40?

Who would he have fought perhaps?

i suppose a better, sooner, conn rematch is an obvious one

The Conn rematch would of been immediate--- and he probably would of beaten him. Then there was guys like Turkey Thompson, Bruce Woodcock, Buddy Knox, etc. who never did get shots at the title--- and he would of beaten them. Louis, unfortunately, more than likely would of been in the fight of his life with Elmer 'Violent' Ray. The Brown Bomber, would of had to of used every trick in the book, to of beaten him. That would of been the lone exception--- and its more than plausible that Louis would of did the 25 defenses easily, and by the time he would of fought Walcott, etc. he would of potentially of had 30-40 defenses. That is, if he could of kept up with the pace, for that long. But outside of Ray I can't see anyone upsetting him.

jimmy bivins ?

and didnt louis himself say he didnt fancy southpaw melio bettina...who would have had a good streak around them years.

i had this saved here....bivins nearly got a shot in 48...i think.

i'm not exactly sure what i am reading here....bivins would have recently lost to charles around then...and its a scheduled 6 rounder....so maybe something like the the johnny davis 4 rounder when the new york commision ruled the title was at stake, when it was planned as a non-title bout.

one of you may know.

Exhibition contest is what you are looking at.

Same with the Davis contest. Commissions at different times, back then, could have judges at ringside and pencil in their scores of these contests--- though they were not for the lineal title, or considered pro fights--- when Louis went into the Army, for example, Buddy Knox managed to win the Ohio version of the world championship. When Louis fought Davis, it was for the New York version of the world championship. Which would mean, if Louis "lost" the contest, in the state of New York Davis would of been seen as the world champion--- though Louis would of been the champion anywhere else in the world.

The Bivins-Louis exhibition contest, meant, if Louis 'lost' in Ohio in this exhibition match, the state of Ohio would of considered Bivins to be the world champion. Hence, why, its labeled as being for the championship--- though it was an exhibition.

HomicideHenry wrote:Exhibition contest is what you are looking at.

Same with the Davis contest. Commissions at different times, back then, could have judges at ringside and pencil in their scores of these contests--- though they were not for the lineal title, or considered pro fights--- when Louis went into the Army, for example, Buddy Knox managed to win the Ohio version of the world championship. When Louis fought Davis, it was for the New York version of the world championship. Which would mean, if Louis "lost" the contest, in the state of New York Davis would of been seen as the world champion--- though Louis would of been the champion anywhere else in the world.

The Bivins-Louis exhibition contest, meant, if Louis 'lost' in Ohio in this exhibition match, the state of Ohio would of considered Bivins to be the world champion. Hence, why, its labeled as being for the championship--- though it was an exhibition.

yea...but reason i didnt deem it an exhibition was that when that said the title was at stake, then it wasn't an exhibition any more......in same way the davis fight WAS due to be an exhibition but its part of louis's pro record now.

cfang wrote:What a wonderful fighter Louis was. Real economy of effort. Every punch counted. It's hard to pick a GOAT in the heavy division but would he be an undisputed #1 if you take away ww2? How many defences would Louis have made? Would he have slipped up in those intervening years? I doubt it. Maybe maybe 36 defences? 40?

Who would he have fought perhaps?

A few more is the likely answer. Bivins, Sheppard, Thompson, or Ray would have been fine choices.

You dont understand what I mean.... to the other 49 states in the union, its an exhibition... only in the state of Ohio, would the Bivins contest be considered for the Ohio World Heavyweight Championship. Same with the Davis fight, everywhere else in America and worldwide would it be considered an exhibition--- only in New York would it be considered for the New York World Heavyweight Championship.

And trust... when Louis was told this.... he smashed poor Davis to smithereens. He went into it thinking, "Well hell this is just an exhibition, take it easy on the guy, after all he has a family, and its all in fun anyways," but when he was told otherwise... Louis was pissed. Same difference with a few of Max Baer's "fights"--- added on by BoxRec because of these little loop holes designed by state commissions, when to the rest of America and the world they were nothing more than exhibitions.

HomicideHenry wrote:You dont understand what I mean.... to the other 49 states in the union, its an exhibition... only in the state of Ohio, would the Bivins contest be considered for the Ohio World Heavyweight Championship. Same with the Davis fight, everywhere else in America and worldwide would it be considered an exhibition--- only in New York would it be considered for the New York World Heavyweight Championship.

And trust... when Louis was told this.... he smashed poor Davis to smithereens. He went into it thinking, "Well hell this is just an exhibition, take it easy on the guy, after all he has a family, and its all in fun anyways," but when he was told otherwise... Louis was pissed. Same difference with a few of Max Baer's "fights"--- added on by BoxRec because of these little loop holes designed by state commissions, when to the rest of America and the world they were nothing more than exhibitions.

no..i do understand....and all that makes sense how you worded it