"Joe Louis was in the midst of his Bum of the Month club: a staggering run of 13 world title defences in 29 months against an assortment of stiffs, wild men and colourful characters. And when he arrived in Boston on 16 December 1940, most believed that Al McCoy would rapidly become his next victim. Only it didn't quite turn out that way. McCoy was expected to crumple under the first punch Louis tossed in his direction, the New York Times' correspondent wrote."
"Let us be blunt: this fight makes Louis v McCoy look like the Rumble in the Jungle. Whatever happens, it will degrade Joshua's reputation and damage that of his sport. How can it not, given that Paul is a 13-fight novice, who has only boxed above the cruiserweight limit (14st 4lb) once and looked ploddy and mechanical in beating a 58-year-old Mike Tyson?"
Joe Louis ran a string of facile title defences in 1940 but Al McCoy exposed vulnerability by using a crouching, bobbing, weaving style that frustrated the champion. The Louis–McCoy contest ended amid jeers despite Louis keeping the purse. Anthony Joshua faces influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami, a contest likened unfavorably to that historical mismatch. Jake Paul is a 13-fight novice who rarely fought above cruiserweight and appeared ploddy when defeating a 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Joshua retains power and championship experience, but a likely three-stone weight advantage and sanctioning of the bout raise concerns about reputational and safety consequences for boxing.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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