Joe Louis Quotes

Joe Louis delivers bold, gritty reflections on boxing, rivalry and the fear of facing a champion.

40 quotes

1. He can run, but he can't hide. (regarding Billy Conn, who planned to 'hit and run' in their upcoming match).

2. Every man I get beat by is the hardest hitter.

3. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

4. I don't like money, actually, but it quiets my nerves.

5. I hope they're still making women like my momma. She always told me to do the right thing. She always told me to have pride in myself; she said a good name is better than money.

6. I made the most of my ability and I did my best with my title.

7. Let me tell you, that was a thrill. Now, even more, I knew I had to get Schmeling good.

8. Once that bell rings you're on your own. It's just you and the other guy:

9. Yeah, I'm scared. I'm scared I might kill Schmeling.

10. You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

11. Your job helps your family, and your family is forever.

12. Everyone's got a plan until they get hit.

13. There is no such thing as a natural boxer. A natural dancer has to practice hard. A natural painter has to paint all the time. Even a natural fool has to work at it.

14. Every time I hear the name Joe Louis my nose starts to bleed.

15. He hit me 18 times while I was in the act of falling.

16. He was a credit to his race - the human race:

17. (I define fear as) standing across the ring from Joe Louis and knowing he wants to go home early.

18. I just give lip service to being the greatest. He was the greatest. (Note: this quote is sometimes said to be about fellow boxer Sugar Ray Robinson)

19. Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Rocky Marciano is second only to Louis. Where do I rate Ali? Somewhere below me. I beat him, and if I could beat him, no doubt Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano could have beaten him.

20. Joe Louis, to me, was the finest human being God put on this earth in every way.

21. There's never been a boxer better than Joe Louis. You'd take one shot from him and you were sure he'd have seven or eight more coming for you. Certainly Muhammad Ali was the greatest man ever to fight, but not the greatest boxer.

22. When you're a great finisher, you'll become popular. Joe Louis was a great finisher.

23. Every man got a right to his own mistakes. Ain't no man that ain't made any.

24. You need a lot of different types of people to make the world better.

25. If you got to tell them you are then you ain't.

26. I don't like money very much, but it calms my nerves.

27. I don't even like money. It just quiets my nerves.

28. When I was boxing I made five million and wound up broke, owing the government a million.

29. Every man's got to figure out how to get beat sometime.

30. The one-time cotton picker was now the heavyweight champion of the world.

31. I can show you how to box. I can teach you every technique and trick I know, but I can never make you a fighter. That comes from inside, and it's something no one else can ever give you.

32. You have to be tough and stick it out, or you wind up being nothing.

33. We're going to do our part and we'll win because we're on God's side.

34. It hurt to even bump into him.

35. Every man's got to figure to get beat sometime.

36. Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain't going to fix them.

37. Money can't buy happiness, but it does quiet the nerves.

38. Why should I? When someone insulted Caruso, did he sing an aria for him?

39. A champion doesn't become a champion in the ring, he's merely recognized in the ring. His “becoming” happens during his daily routine.

40. The whole damned country was depending on me.