Head to Head Marciano against anyone under 190lb

I think Andre Ward beats them both, actually.


Just out of morbid curiousity -- would you favor Ward over, say, George Chuvalo or Bert Cooper?

 

I think I would at least have to see him fight somebody significant at cruiserweigth, before I was prepared to make that leap.

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Marciano ,along with Langford and Dempsey is a very heavy nights work for anyone in that weight class.

 

Yes, the division improved considerably after Marciano. Marciano's reign was probably the low point of the last 114 years for heavyweight boxing. Coming off a very good crop of fighters in the 30s I can only assume ww2 thinned the ranks somehow. Patterson was more skilled, and faster than Marciano, but his fragile chin made him less effective. Patterson's opponents were definitely better than Marciano's: Ali x2, Liston x2, Quarry x2, Ellis, Johansson x3, Bonavena, Machen, Chuvalo, Cooper, ancient Moore. Yes, Sonny Liston's resume is better too since he fought Ali x2, Patterson x2, Machen, Folley, Valdez, Williams x2.

 

If he has the force to pinata a 300 lbs heavy bag he has the power to shatter the jaw of a man any size. Being bigger does not automatically give you better punch resistance or a harder shot.

Wach may be the biggest guy is boxing but he couldn' snap a twix.
Byrd was 30lbs over Rock and he had puddings for fists.

 

Dempsey broke 7'2" 300lbs Ben Wray's jaw in 2 places with one punch. Did Marciano ever inflict the damage that Dempsey did to Willard?

 

Rocks supreme strenght would overcome Dempseys early onslought. Tieing up his arms, using elbows while driving savage uppercuts up the centre. Dempsey wouldn't just be able to have it all his own lay and lay into Rock like some people are suggesting.
You had to box and move against Rock. Stay there too long and you end up sleeping with no teeth or in poor Carmine's case -in a coma.. The punching power was too sharp and powerful.

 

LaStarza both arms were broken from hits. Arm bones>>>jaw bone.

 

Dempsey had faster hands and faster feet.

 

His over-sized heavy bag was a marketing gimick.

Not 100% of the time but in general, yes it does. That's why we have weight classes.

That's probably more the fault of his technique than his muscles.

He had pudding for fists because he was a light heavyweight fighting super heavyweights. Remember he picked up his Olympic silver medal as a middleweight. If he hadn't packed on some extra artificial weight to compete in the higher divisions he probably would have had plenty of pop for a guy his size. You are just re-inforcing my point. He didn't have impressive power against big guys who were naturally way bigger than him, and Marciano likely wouldn't either. Good power at 190 isn't good power at 220.

Incidentally, Chris Byrd has the same height and reach measurements as Jersey Joe Walcott; and if you care to extrapolate from that, you can make the assumption that Chris Byrd's career is what Jersey Joe's would look like if he fought in Byrd's era. They both even started out their pro careers in the 160s weight range suggesting that if Byrd had fought in Joe's time he would be closer to a natural weight around 190.

 

Who was Byrd ever knocking out cold in the lower weights?

Walcott was a sharp accurate puncher. He could turn you over with a single punch. Stiverne is a fat HW. Stripped down would he lose that power. I don't think so.

 

Byrd KO% 46.81
Walcott % 45.07

Looks like of the four fights Byrd had against sub 200 lb fighters he KO'd two of 'em, not counting his 275-19 amateur record. But he also KO'd twenty guys above 200 pounds. Walcott fought 15 fights against guys over 200 pounds and got 6 KO's.

 

Byrd has a weak record below HW. He was fighting guys no better than myself in hotel lobbys.

Guys were a lot more durable in JJWs era.

 

Cannot understand for the life of me the preoccupation on these forums for Chris Byrd by some people. Seriously, Rocky, Dempsey, Langford....and Byrd?!? GTFO.

 

From an article by Bill Ross over at the other boxing forum "The Style and Substance of Jersey Joe Walcott"

I'd post a link to the article but I believe we are not supposed to even mention the name of that other forum.

While Walcott was doing that Chris Byrd compiled a 275-19 amateur record fighting guys like William Joppy and winning a silver medal in the Olympics. You be the judge which is more impressive.