Teddy Atlas, a boxing trainer and pundit, has picked Joe Louis as the best heavyweight boxer ever. Atlas made this call on his YouTube channel, going against the common view that Muhammad Ali is the greatest.
Atlas has spent his whole life in boxing. He's trained some big names like Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, Timothy Bradley, Alexander Povetkin, and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. He even guided Moorer to a world heavyweight title in 1994. Now, Atlas hosts a YouTube channel called 'The Fight'.
On his channel, Atlas explained why he thinks Louis is the best:
"Joe Lewis, he earned the right for me to call him the greatest heavyweight of all time."
Atlas based his choice on Louis' fight against Max Schmelling in 1938. This wasn't just any fight. It happened right before World War II started. Louis was fighting for the USA, while Schmelling represented Nazi Germany. The whole world was watching, and even the US President called Louis to stress how important it was to win.
The fight took place outdoors at Yankee Stadium. Louis knocked out Schmelling in just one round. Atlas described it like this:
"Destroyed him, annihilated him with torrential rain of brutal force, determination and focus, to the body and head"
After beating Schmelling, Louis kept fighting for another 13 years. He defended his title 25 times in a row, which is still a record for any weight class.
Most people say Muhammad Ali is the best heavyweight and the greatest sportsman ever. But Atlas thinks Louis' performance under extreme pressure, his quick win, and the historical importance of the Schmelling fight put him at the top.
You can learn more about the Louis vs Schmelling fights and their significance here.
