BoxRec

Who would win this match up?.... great fight!... I think Johnson would be too wily for Joe, he was a craftier and faster boxer and I see him winning on points!...... views anyone?...

I agree Silkov. Johnson manages to do what Conn couldn't quite manage. Johnson was a decent puncher who had KO power but chose to be more defensive.

I've also posted before that I think Jack had a point to prove becasue he was so unpopular and Joe was so loved. Johnson was perhaps the most technical of all the heavyweights and I think he'd spoil Louis' attacks and land effective counters throughout, winning a close but not controversial decision.

I like Joe Louis...Johnson was fast...but Joe wasn't slow either, he could fire off fast combinations that carried more power, Joe had a jab, Joe could box, and Joe could hit...Jack Johnson would have been the pick of most of the old timer authorites that saw them both, and I'm certain they had all the right reasons...but I'm going with Joe Louis on this one...I think he had all the tools to beat Johnson...and even if Joe was the underdog, underdogs do come through sometimes...and when was the last time you heard of an underdog as good as Joe Louis? Yes, I know Billy almost beat him...but I think Joe would really be ready for Jack Johnson...for one thing, when Joe was the champion, Jack Johnson was viewed as the #1 all time heavy...a little added motivation for the Brown Bomber...it would be like fighting for the title all over again...don't sell Joe short because of a few flash knockdowns or being outboxed through 12 in a close fight...Joe always got up...and generally finished off the other guy...he was never outboxed through 15 in his prime, so Jack would have his work cut out for him...I wonder what the odds would be on a fight like this?

..jack johnson is one of the most difficult champions of the past to put in fantasy matches with more "modern" fighters because in his day they trained for distance and endurance...and johnson for that reason spent so much time holding....more than the others...because he was a fine boxer and was able to sneak in little combos and then hold again. often his opponents got exhausted just trying to tug away and mount an attack and then his hand speed came into play. i don't know that he was particularly fast on his feet. he didn't move around , stay outside and jab like the later speedsters. no way could that kind of style been able to go so many rounds.

put into 15 round contests. again..hard to say....but i have to go with joe louis. put louis in the longer matches era...i'll still go with the bomber...because i don't think the fights would have gone that long.

I've always leaned in favor of Louis when considering this match--but just barely. Louis could have his problems with slick boxers, and while Johnson was no Conn movement wise, he was every bit as slippery. Add to that the fact that Louis always said he had trouble with guys who crowded him--would that including holding, as Johnson was so adept at?--and that Johnson also had some power and lots of plain old toughness to go with those skills, and I can actually envision several ways in which Johnson could win.

I'll still stick with Louis, but if they fought ten times I'd pick Joe to come out ahead 6-4 or maybe 7-3. A very close call.

It would be interesting to know if Joe Louis expressed any opinion on who would win. I would think Jack Johnson but am interested in why people would pick Joe.

Johnson didn't just train for endurance . . .he fought many 6, 10, and 15 rounders as well as longer fights.

He also was quick on his toes . . .look at the Ketchel fight. At one moment (I think it's the 10th round or so) he's even dancing on his feet side to side.

Louis to me is the greatest HW ever but I'll have to concur with Louis's trainer Blackburn and say Jack outpoints him.

..yes, my old dempseyguy....johnson did engage in some short fights...but then again...so did the bomber.....ko1...ko1...ko1...ko2...ko4....etc. plus louis could step around a bit himself.....look at the max baer fight as one example.

blackburn said he favored johnson over louis because he thought johnson had better balance..and films do show him perfectly posed, when it was balance problem more than a vulnerable chin...in my opinion...that was the reason for some of louis' knockdowns.

as i said...johnson one of the hardest of all to judge.....but i do give louis the edge.

I think Jack would have too much speed and cleverness for Louis.... I could even see Johnson Koing Louis.

Very interesting match up, given the state of the relationship between Blackburn and Johnson and some of the comments Johnson made re: Louis... I see this being very tactical pitting Johnson's defense and oddly, power against Louis's speed of hand and his ability to land combinations. I think a single punch at a time type of fight favors Johnson as does an inside wrestling type of bout. Louis wants a bit of room and exchanges because I think he would prove to be the faster better puncher but he'd need to always be alert to getting countered with something hard and hurtful. That is why I think the power of Johnson would play a greatre role in the fight than that of Louis...Close UD whichever way it goes.

Jaclem wrote:...johnson one of the hardest of all to judge.....

Totally agree...I've said before that I rate Johnson around #3...but he could be higher if there was better footage of him...it's very difficult to study those old, grainy, jittery films...not quite in 'real time' speed... that were hand cranked when they were shot...

A person can pretty much see what Louis could do on film...excellent crystal clear footage...

Not neccessarily the case with Johnson...you can see he was obviously something extraordinary...you can see he was fast...but it's hard to pinpoint just how fast...I've seen some footage I believe was computer enhanced...but it's still not anything close to clear and precise...and the film speed had to be guess work...

If Johnson got himself into prime shape, I would fancy him to take this one.