We have here one of the all time greats in one corner. And the opposite corner.... we have Joe Louis. Who wins?
Skillls matters more than size. Bar a lucky punch 2 out of 10 times max, Louis carves him up like a turkey
Is Briggs better than Buddy Baer or Abe Simon, who were even bigger than him? Probably; at the very least he’s more athletically talented ... Could it matter enough that maybe he jumps on Louis and gets him out early? Possibly, with a cautious enough referee but Briggs wasn’t exactly difficult to find and Louis had pristine offensive technique and genuinely brilliant timing ... I think it’s probably even more likely Briggs imposes his size advantage right away, hurts and drops Louis but gets picked apart and knocked out trying to finish him ... Louis could wear 200-205 comfortably enough in the ring... it’s not big but it’s probably enough against a guy like Briggs ... somebody better like Lennox? I can’t see it... it’s too much to ask, because you’ve got the size combined with genuine craft and talent
It's one of these "Early or Late" sort of fights. For me, Louis would be very vulnerable early and then as Briggs tired and his feet slowed down, he'd become more and more of a target for Louis, who threw razor sharp rights. Anybody who saw an oaf like Botha find the right hand over and over against Briggs has got to think about how Briggs stands up against those sort of bombs. I can see Louis maybe get off the mat to freeze Briggs with some body shots and then just ice him with a few rights to the head. 5, 6 rounds.
Pretty much. I reckon Briggs knows he's dogmeat after 5 rounds and makes things worse for himself by going after Louis, feeling that's his best chance. Which it is, it just hastens his demise. Louis did get shocked early in a lot of fights but here's the rub...he won all of them. Buddy Baer, Galento, Arturo Godoy, Braddock gave him a hard fight but lost etc. I don't see Briggs being cagey over 11 to take out Louis like Schemling did.
Briggs has no chance. The best Louis brings skills into the ring Briggs could only dream of. Louis right cross puts Briggs down and out within 5 rounds. The skill gap is beyond enormous.
