--- title: "Joe Louis Quotes | QuotesBy.net" description: "Joe Louis delivers bold, gritty reflections on boxing, rivalry and the fear of facing a champion. Read all 40 quotes by Joe Louis on QuotesBy.net." image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png" --- ## Joe Louis quotes 1. > He can run, but he can't hide. (regarding Billy Conn, who planned to 'hit and run' in their upcoming match). [Permalink to quote \#1](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/1/ "Permalink to quote 1") 2. > Every man I get beat by is the hardest hitter. [Permalink to quote \#2](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/2/ "Permalink to quote 2") 3. > Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. [Permalink to quote \#3](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/3/ "Permalink to quote 3") 4. > I don't like money, actually, but it quiets my nerves. [Permalink to quote \#4](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/4/ "Permalink to quote 4") 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. [Permalink to quote \#5](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/5/ "Permalink to quote 5") 6. > I made the most of my ability and I did my best with my title. [Permalink to quote \#6](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/6/ "Permalink to quote 6") 7. > Let me tell you, that was a thrill. Now, even more, I knew I had to get Schmeling good. [Permalink to quote \#7](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/7/ "Permalink to quote 7") 8. > Once that bell rings you're on your own. It's just you and the other guy: [Permalink to quote \#8](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/8/ "Permalink to quote 8") 9. > Yeah, I'm scared. I'm scared I might kill Schmeling. [Permalink to quote \#9](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/9/ "Permalink to quote 9") 10. > You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. [Permalink to quote \#10](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/10/ "Permalink to quote 10") 11. > Your job helps your family, and your family is forever. [Permalink to quote \#11](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/11/ "Permalink to quote 11") 12. > Everyone's got a plan until they get hit. [Permalink to quote \#12](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/12/ "Permalink to quote 12") 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. [Permalink to quote \#13](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/13/ "Permalink to quote 13") 14. > Every time I hear the name Joe Louis my nose starts to bleed. [Permalink to quote \#14](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/14/ "Permalink to quote 14") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. 15. > He hit me 18 times while I was in the act of falling. [Permalink to quote \#15](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/15/ "Permalink to quote 15") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. 16. > He was a credit to his race - the human race: [Permalink to quote \#16](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/16/ "Permalink to quote 16") 17. > (I define fear as) standing across the ring from Joe Louis and knowing he wants to go home early. [Permalink to quote \#17](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/17/ "Permalink to quote 17") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. 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) [Permalink to quote \#18](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/18/ "Permalink to quote 18") 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. [Permalink to quote \#19](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/19/ "Permalink to quote 19") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. 20. > Joe Louis, to me, was the finest human being God put on this earth in every way. [Permalink to quote \#20](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/20/ "Permalink to quote 20") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. 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. [Permalink to quote \#21](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/21/ "Permalink to quote 21") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. 22. > When you're a great finisher, you'll become popular. Joe Louis was a great finisher. [Permalink to quote \#22](https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis/22/ "Permalink to quote 22") Attribution disputed; shown as originally published. ## Also attributed 1. > Every man got a right to his own mistakes. Ain't no man that ain't made any. 2. > You need a lot of different types of people to make the world better. 3. > If you got to tell them you are then you ain't. 4. > I don't like money very much, but it calms my nerves. 5. > I don't even like money. It just quiets my nerves. 6. > When I was boxing I made five million and wound up broke, owing the government a million. 7. > Every man's got to figure out how to get beat sometime. 8. > The one-time cotton picker was now the heavyweight champion of the world. 9. > 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. 10. > You have to be tough and stick it out, or you wind up being nothing. 11. > We're going to do our part and we'll win because we're on God's side. 12. > It hurt to even bump into him. 13. > Every man's got to figure to get beat sometime. 14. > Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain't going to fix them. 15. > Money can't buy happiness, but it does quiet the nerves. 16. > Why should I? When someone insulted Caruso, did he sing an aria for him? 17. > A champion doesn't become a champion in the ring, he's merely recognized in the ring. His “becoming” happens during his daily routine. 18. > The whole damned country was depending on me. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "CollectionPage", "name": "Joe Louis Quotes", "url": "https://quotesby.net/Joe-Louis", "about": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Louis" }, "hasPart": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He can run, but he can't hide. 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