Rocky Marciano vs Joe Louis

[KidJackal]

I know Marciano holds a win over a faded Louis, but who wins prime for prime in your eyes and how?

I fancy Louis to get to Rocky and take him out around the 8th, walking on to Louis is a bad idea, no matter how solid your chin is.

[RememberingC.S.]

Tsk. Joe Louis himself said that he would have lost against Marciano even if he was jounger.
Nuff said.

[guilalah]

I picked 'draw', not that I think that's how the fight would have turned out, but because I really don't have a favorite in this match-up.


This is Joe Louis, recorded interview, from the Murray Warner Alltime Heavyweight Radio Computer Tournament:

Murray Warner Computer Tournament

Louis-Fitzsimmons post fight interviews
(plugging the Marciano-Baer contest)

Comments begin at 1:03:15 (as found on the
Ali-Marciano Superfight dvd extras:
Audio Fights -- Luis/Fitzsimmons)
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Superfight-Marciano-vs-Ali/dp/B000A7DVO0"]http://www.amazon.com/Superfight-Marciano-vs-Ali/dp/B000A7DVO0[/ame]

Interviewer: Joe, what about a fight between Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano?

Joe Louis: Well, I could say that very easily. Marciano beat me . . .

Interviewer (interupts): Oh, yeah, now that wasn't when you were at your best. I'm talking about when you were at your best, twenty-eight years old.

Joe Louis: Oh, I don't know. Marciano's the type of fighter I think is good enough and strong enough and takes a good enough punch to fight anybody.
I don't think that no one, (unclear word) either Dempsey or me, could say "I could beat Marciano".
I think the fight could be . . . It's close, it'd have to be a close fight, because he's too strong, and he could take a good punch, and he just . . . you just can't say that I could beat him.
I'd like to say that I'd fight him, all right, but who would win, I wouldn't know; but I'd like the pay for the fight -- I think it would draw money, though.

[BillB]

Originally Posted by RememberingC.S.

Tsk. Joe Louis himself said that he would have lost against Marciano even if he was jounger.
Nuff said.

Marciano named only two fighters he wouldn't want to get in the ring with on their best day: Joe Louis and Sonny Liston.

[Brownies]

People who fought Marciano sure had some nice things to say afterwards. Louis and Moore clearly respected him more after meeting him than before. I think they know better than most of us...


I still pick Louis by UD, because I've got the feeling he'd be able to land a huge left hook a la Walcott early , take enough rounds until the championships rounds where Marciano would have to create another miracle. Hard task against the Brown Bomber.

[mr. magoo]

By the time they fought in 1951, Louis had clearly lost most of his reflexes, hand eye coordination, stamina, punch resistance, etc. He still managed to give Rocky 8 rounds, and from what I've heard ( never saw the fight ) even stole a round or two. given that his best hears were arguably from like 1937-1942, he was a decade past his best. That said I think a fully charged Joe Louis would have had an excellent chance of taking this. I picked him by stoppage, but Rocky's style and power would still give him problems.

[SuzieQ49]

Originally Posted by mr. magoo

By the time they fought in 1951, Louis had clearly lost most of his reflexes, hand eye coordination, stamina, punch resistance, etc. He still managed to give Rocky 8 rounds, and from what I've heard ( never saw the fight ) even stole a round or two. given that his best hears were arguably from like 1937-1942, he was a decade past his best. That said I think a fully charged Joe Louis would have had an excellent chance of taking this. I picked him by stoppage, but Rocky's style and power would still give him problems.

So you pick Joe Frazier to beat Joe Louis, but Marciano to lose to Louis?


* I think Louis knocks out both of them, has an easier time with Frazier

[mr. magoo]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ49

So you pick Joe Frazier to beat Joe Louis, but Marciano to lose to Louis?


* I think Louis knocks out both of them, has an easier time with Frazier

Yep,

Similar styles but with some different tools and key details that would make for two different fights.

[Bummy Davis]

tough fight for both men prime to prime, Louis said I never liked to be crowed and think I would always have trouble with Marciano....Marciano thought Louis was the greatest Heavyweight of all time but really did not think anyone could beat him. I agree with Rocky, Louis was the greatest but hard to see anyone having anything but a hard time with Marciano or knocking him out but if anyone could beat him it would be Louis but it would be a very tough fight, especially after round 8

[PetethePrince]

Originally Posted by BillB

Marciano named only two fighters he wouldn't want to get in the ring with on their best day: Joe Louis and Sonny Liston.

Source

[PetethePrince]

Originally Posted by SuzieQ49

So you pick Joe Frazier to beat Joe Louis, but Marciano to lose to Louis?


* I think Louis knocks out both of them, has an easier time with Frazier

I tend to think Marciano has a greater chance against Louis than Frazier, as he does against Liston & Foreman also. Frazier is definitely better against boxer-movers, though. The Ali, Holmes, & Tunney types.

I've consistently picked Marciano before in this matchup, but Louis should be the favorite. I think it could be a real brutal fight. Very bad and damaging.

[Mendoza]

Originally Posted by KidJackal

I know Marciano holds a win over a faded Louis, but who wins prime for prime in your eyes and how?

I fancy Louis to get to Rocky and take him out around the 8th, walking on to Louis is a bad idea, no matter how solid your chin is.

Louis said he could not beat Marciano, because he did not like to be crowded. Louis like many boxer puncher's was at his best when he had space. It should be noted that Louis had some trouble in the first fight with Godoy's crouching style.


Marciano not only had a crouching style, he liked to fight up close, threw many punches, and hit hard.

[Stevie G]

Louis by middle to late rounds tko. There would be a lot of thrills,spills and fluctuating fortunes along the way,though. I see both men on the canvas enroute to Joe's better boxing and cleaner punching seizing the day here. Probably just about level on points at time of stoppage.

[doug.ie]

and don't forget that when they did fight in 51...not only was joe physically past his best with a LOT of miles on the clock....he wasn't motivated..at all.
he actually hated boxing by that time...and the only interest he had in it was the money he needed...opponents didnt motivate him

[RockysSplitNose]

Originally Posted by Mendoza

Louis said he could not beat Marciano, because he did not like to be crowded. Louis like many boxer puncher's was at his best when he had space. It should be noted that Louis had some trouble in the first fight with Godoy's crouching style.


Marciano not only had a crouching style, he liked to fight up close, threw many punches, and hit hard.

I think Louis is overly criticised for the 'don't like people crowding me' thing - certainly in the 2nd Godoy fight he looked as good as ever in taking Godoy apart he looked to deal with the crouching and ridiculous aquatting from the knees and bending over at the waist touching the floor thing pretty amazingly in my view - his uppercuts and combos were second to none and he was also able to nail the half crouching head down Tony Galento with wicked shots with enough leverage to knock his 235lbs off his feet into the air and down at one point - this is Joe Louis we're talking about? Yes a crouching aggressive fighter is an awkward guy to fight coming in all the time but Joe Louis I one of the greatest heavyweights of all time I don't see Joe Louis just being over run because he can't cope with a crouching style - this is a guy who retired with a what was 55-1 record with 49 men unable to finish the fight against him and the only time he did get upset it was one I the biggest upsets in history and took a sustained drubbing from a pinpoint puncher to stop him