Joe Louis was to the heavyweight boxing championship title in the 1940’s….that Jack Johnson was to the 1910’s…..that Jack Dempsey was to the 1920’s….that Rocky Marciano was to the 1950’s….that Muhammad Ali was to the 1960’s and 1970’s….that Larry Holmes was to the early 1980’s…..that Mike Tyson was to the late 1980’s and early 1990’s…..as he dominated the heavyweight division of boxing
Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), best known as Joe Louis….was an American professional boxer who held the world heavyweight championship from 1937 to 1949…..and is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time….who was nicknamed the “Brown Bomber”. Joe Louis’ championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months….during which he participated in 26 championship fights…..with a 27th fight against Ezzard Charles as a challenger to Charles’ heavyweight title and so is not included in Louis’ reign. Louis was victorious in 25 title defenses….a world record second only to Mexican lightweight Julio César Chávezwith 27.
In 2005, Louis was ranked as the #1 heavyweight of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization….and was ranked #1 on The Ring magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time….but to my way of thinking….the era in which Louis was dominating did not have anywhere near the number of great heavyweights that the golden age of boxing (1964 – 1995)…..which was the era which Muhammad Ali dominated…..that is why Ali ranks # 1 on my all-time heavyweight champion.
Simply put…..the guys that Ali fought like Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Jimmie Ellis, Jimmy Young, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Trevor Berbick, Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson & Earnie Shavers,….were better than the guys that Louis fought like Max Schmelling, Max Baer,Jack Sharkey, James Braddock, Abe Simon, Billy Conn, Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott.
