Joe Louis v Muhammed Ali?

Question

the fight takes place on 22 June 1938. Louis is champion and Ali is challenging for the title. Louis has seen Ali fight and so opts for an 18ft ring (the legal minmum) and makes sure the ropes are good and tight. How does the fight pan out?

Answer 1

Ali would KO him somewhere between the 3rd and 5th round.  Ali was much bigger and much faster.  It would probably have looked a lot like Ali's first fight with Sonny Liston.

Answer 2

Joe Louis! Too tough and could take a punch from anyone in the ring!! Not many people talk about it but Joe Louis was a fast Heavyweight. A very close second to Ali.

Answer 3

Ali by KO in the 5th.

Answer 4

ali by decision, but louis is dangerous 'till the end.

Answer 5

Ali K.O. first round

Answer 6

These two are #1 and #2 on my all time heavyweight list. Generally speaking, a great boxer beats a great brawler. Louis was more than just a brawler but he did have flaws. As it has been mentioned the Conn fight was indicative of Joes problem with speed. Ali had the best speed in heavyweight history. Plus more power, better footwork and a better jab than Conn.  Joe had a underestimated jab as well. Joe's chin was good, but not in Ali's league. Two Ton Tony Galento knocked him down twice. During Ali's peak years only Frazier knocked Ali down and that was for a 2 count.  Louis had better power than Frazier. His power was more along the lines of Foreman but his delivery was shorter. He didn't wind up the way Foreman did. He had short powerful punches.

This would be the ultimate heavyweight matchup. I think the deciding factors would be Speed and Chin. Ali has both over Louis. Nobody ever KO'D Ali. He was in there with guys that could punch with similair power to Joe. When he was older he let some of those great punchers beat on him and they didn't KO him. But we are comparing each guy at their peak. I don't see Joe wearing him down, because Frazier & Foreman didn't and that was after Ali's peak. Liston didn't come close and that was probably before Ali peaked.

To say Ali would be wore down, you'd need to show evidence of that happening in his fights (during peak yrs) It never was a issue.

To say speed would be a issue you'd need to see evidence of that being a problem with Joe. Thats why the Conn fight is so important.

This would prove the boxer beats fighter theory again.

Ali by unanimous dec!

Answer 7

LOUIS HIT HARD.. AND HAD GREAT COMBOS I THINK LOUIS WOULD TAKE ALI TO A DECISION

Answer 8

I would have to say Ali, as long as he was in his prime during his first reign as champ, too much speed and accuracy for Louis although his power mite cause Ali a few problems. I think Ali has one of the best chins I have ever seen and from what I read about Louis he was vulnerable at times to a good shot, which Ali definitely had.

What a fight that would have been, Ali to win maybe on points but I guess we can only dream about it.

Answer 9

Joe Louis,at the 14st or so weight,would have ko'd Ali no problem!None of the 'rope a dope carry on and boreing people,Lois would eventually catch him with one to many jabs and ..................bang........bang bang...........lights out for Ali!!

Answer 10

It seems everything is in Louis'  favor.

Both Ali and Louis stand well above the rest of the champions in division history.    

A phone booth would certainly suit him.  The rings were'nt even that small for many of his fights.  All things normal,  I would go with Ali on this one.  He posesses all of Louis' weaknesses.

As great as he is,  Ali will not likely win a phonebooth slugfest with Louis.    This is a very rare situation but we'll go with it.  Ali held his own in the trenches against Joe Frazier.  But Louis is no Frazier.  He hits harder with both hands than Frazier does with his best, the left.  Louis is more a boxer who can punch, than a puncher with skills.  However, he will be more of a pressure fighter against ALi.

Answer 11

Louis looked bad for 13 rounds against a quicker Billy Conn.

Louis strength was his power, Ali's ability to take punishment, was beyond reproach. He took the best Frazier, Liston, Foreman and Shavers had to offer. He was only knocked down once in all those fights. He was up at the count of 3.

  As far as the rope-a-dope, a peak Ali didn't use or need it! It wouldn't happen! He came up with that idea when he got older and could no longer dance & move as fast!

  As far as Ali being KO'd, he faced the four bangers that I mentioned, 3 of them past his prime when he was slower yet they couldn't KO, him. To think Joe would, catch him and land a bid enough blow to KO him while he was at his peak. Would be a lot to ask.  Keep in mind Joe had a problem with Conn's speed, and Ali was much quicker and stonger.

Answer 12

Great match up between two all time greats.  Speed advantage would go to Ali and Louis has the power advantage by a good margin.  Ali could take a punch a little better than Louis but I don't think he would have been able to take too many from Joe.  Joe has the harder jab and is also pretty quick himself with getting off his punches while Ali has the faster jab.  Joe beat people like Schmeling, Braddock, Baer, Sharkey, Conn, and Walcott during his career and was the champion for nearly 12 years and 25 title defenses.  Ali beat such notables as Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Liston, and Patterson during his great career and won the title 3 times during his great career.  Ali used to also use a lot of psychology prior to fights and even during.  This would not work against the great Joe Louis.  I look at it this way, if Frazier and Norton could beat Ali, so could Joe who was a much better boxer and have dynamite in both fists too.  The smaller ring and the tight ropes certainly would be to Louis's advantage as Ali would not be able to just lean on the ropes and Louis would be better able to cut off the ring from the elusive and fast Ali.  I think the early part of the fight that Ali would land more jabs but Louis would land a good volume of his own and would cause more damage.  Ali knows right away that he can't trade punches with Joe so he moves and boxes effectively.  Louis would cut off the ring and catch Ali on the ropes especially as the fight moves into the middle rounds which causes Ali to hold. Repeatedly he is told by the referee to stop holding behind Joe's neck.  Ali would try trash talking Joe but it would not work as Joes's concentration is too great for that to work.  It would be evident during the fight that Ali was landing a higher volume of punches but Joe was landing the more telling and harder shots.  Also it would come to the judges attention that Joe was constantly pressing forward and carrying the fight to Ali.  In the 13th round Louis would land a terriffic one two combo and sends the great Ali to the canvas for the first time in the fight.  Ali who was as good at taking punches as any fighter who ever lived would hold on till the bell.  This would surprise Louis as he was known to finish a fight once he hurt an opponent.  Ali would surprisingly win the next round while clearing his head boxing beautifully.  The final round would find both men nearly exhausted from the punishment they have dealt each other during this classic fight.   At the end both men shake hands, hug in ring center and acknowledge the others greatness.  One judge has it for Ali but the other two award the decision to Joe Louis by split decision.

Answer 13

It is difficult to even compare these two, they are truly the two greatest heavyweight champions of all time, and it was what they did outside the ring that made them great as much as there great talents in the ring.  They are my two favorite fighters, bar none, so it is tough to pick a winner.

That said, Ali would have been quick enough to win a decision against Joe, and tough enough to last the distance against Joe, even in a smaller ring.  Joe would land enough to stay in the fight, but the flash and hand & food speed of Ali would make even the great Joe Louis look slow.  Instead of cutting off the ring, Joe would look like he was following Ali around, and eventually Ali would pile up enough points to win a decison.