Peak Louis vs Peak Marciano.

No love here for Marciano? Better solid chin, more or less around the same in power. Good stamina, noted willpower and heart, surely Rocky has a good case for a victory here?

 

Nearly, based on those!

Factor in Louis's confessed hatred on infighters, and perhaps he is getting somewhere?

 

That's what I'm thinking.. Marciano fought the type of crouching and swarming style that Louis said himself gave him trouble. Tony Galento wasn't exactly Rocky Marciano but there were a few similarities and Two ton put Joe on the deck.. Factor in Rocky's power, chin and persistence and I don't think it would be a short night. Louis could very conceivably get decked a time or two. Overall I'd pick Louis to break Rocky down and stop him mid to later rounds as I can see Marciano sustaining a lot of cuts and other facial damage throughout this brutal contest.. But I'm actually quite surprised that so many here are making this to be a walk in the park for the Bomber.

 

Joe Louis for me was the greatest Heavyweight ever but it is not to say he would not have trouble with the elite, he was after all human, Joe Louis himself said he always had trouble with those who crowed him and Marciano did that well. I have to laugh at those who say Marciano was bruised with jabs, a few red spots but he kept coming in with power shots and KO'd an old but still able Louis. There is no way this is an easy fight for either man prime for prime, its funny how I see the same guys saying Holmes would still be tough for Ali even though Ali was completely shot against Holmes.

Louis was great and I favor him but I would not bet against Marciano, he may be a bit more reddened and a bit more bruised but no doubt he is a bit more dangerous than Arturo Godoy and Tony Galento. Funny how some pretty smart boxing guys on ESB undermine the Marciano machine, I do not.

 

by no means a walk in the park but i am going to pick joe by stoppage in the tenth, with marciano quite busted up and maybe lacking vision too.

 

Also Louis would not pik himself against Marciano, he DID against Ali.
Louis is better overall & H 2 H with a range of ATGs.
But Rocky has a style that could take him, & recall that he was not yet at his peak of skills yet when they fought.

 

Your bringing up Arturo Godoy as an example of problems Joe Louis would have with a Rocky Marciano of somewhat similar size and style [crouching position], is a valid point Iv'e always considered. Godoy was as tough as Rocky but minus the crunching power of Marciano for sure...
Speaking of Godoy, one afternoon at Stillmans Gym ,Godoy soon to retire, walked past me inches away, and his face was so scarred with past stitches I had never seen before or since. Looked like he never dodged a punch, but would be a tough hombre in a street fight...

 

I love Rocky Marciano, but the thread question demands an honest answer.

 

burt, Chile borders Argentina...and my theory is that there's something in the air, or in the water down in those parts that breeds some of the toughest hombres in the whole history of boxing.

 

I think you're right janitor...but nevertheless, he should never have hung around for Charles and Marciano.

 

rc, good theory. Argentina for whatever reasons produce the
toughest and hardened fighters ever. Why ? Who knows, but
maybe life on the Pampas is very tough, just like our old
Western cowboys of yesterday...Every nation produces some tough fighters, but in all my years of observing fighters Argentina
fighters seem to excel in tough brawls...U ever see a Willie Pep
type Argentinian boxer ? Well I haven't....

 

It wasn't that bad.

You don't miss shots and immediately be in position to swing more with terrible balance.

 

Marciano was told by his corner it was time to end it shortly before he did.

Marcaino had too much respect for Louis. He didn't want to fight him and didn't want to hurt him.

 

Joe Louis' combination punching amazes me...I think Louis would stop Rocky...

 

I have to laugh at those who deny Marciano was marked up against Louis.

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"A few red spots":yep:roflatsch
There's a photo in Skehan's biography of Marciano it's between pages 276 and 277 It shows a smiling Rocky,[ minus his bridge,] it was taken in Rocky's dressing room immediately after the Louis fight before he was patched up,his right eye is closed and discoloured,the accompanying caption is "Rocky grins happily through a right eye battered by the Brown Bomber's famed left jab".

For the record I believe Marciano had the heart of a Lion, was a fine champ, and was a good and decent man who was refreshingly , indeed you could say devastatingly honest in interviews .
It's a shame those who place him on a pedestal,[a pedestal this modest man would have personally have been uncomfortable being placed on ,]don't have the basic honesty to admit he was a human being who bled and was cut/bruised and lumped up in fights and not Clark Kent's alter ego.