Ingemar Johansson vs Rocky Marciano 1959

Marciano by TKO. early.

 

No way of telling... The biggest missing factor is what kind of shape Marciano would have been in, and how well he could still perform at that age and after so many years of inactivity.. Someone will no doubt mention his later exhibition against Ali and somehow try to to tie that into the discussion by saying that " he looked good" in that showing, but I'm not sure how much it reveals..

 

The big "X" factor would be "how much did Marciano have left?" in 1959. Ingo was a somewhat mystery figure...almost like a bright, new and shiny 1959 sports car in that year..and the previous year as well, and who knows?

 

Marciano was wearing down when he was training. Without any tune-ups, and with the back and headache problems he was suffering toward the end of his run, I think Ingo- a practicing professional with big time punching power and nifty footwork- wins this in rather embarrassing fashion for Marciano.

 

Seamus nailed it. This is how I see this fight ending as well. Good thing Marciano decided against it.

 

This is a realistic post that I agree with unreservedly.
Marciano tried to get in shape but realised it was a no go and gave up.

We should be thankful that he did not let his heart rule his head.

If he came back he would be embarrassed by an inferior fighter.

 

INgo would have likely been too much ... a 59 Ingo v.s. a 52 Marcano results in about a KO w for Marciano under six ..

 

I guess Marciano knew it wasn't a good go or he'd probably have done it, you know? But, we have to admit he still had a big puncher's chance with this guy.

 

delete

 

I just started following boxing. I remember picking up a copy of the great mag RING,& it had a story on that fight. I feel at that time Ingo would have been too much for Rocky. think it would have been a little like jeff coming out of retirement getting slaughtered by johnson.:tired

 

Boxers who retire at the top are rare...even rarer are the ones that stay retired.

 

The consensus at the time is that even an aging, comebacking Marciano would have destroyed Johansson. That's what I've read; that nobody in boxing believed Johansson could hang with Marciano, even in 1959.

 

The consensus was that Paq would destroy JMM last night.

Ingo was underrated at the time. Marciano's decline was also. He just wasn't that good in his last year as champ. The Cockell thing was damn near embarrassing and the Moore performance was not at his top level. He was on the downside and knew it. A few years more would not have helped. That just wasn't a style made for a long shelf-life.