The Louis that fought Rocky was not shot.

Calling Cesar Brion and 1951 Omelio Agramonte "high class" seems a bit generous but ok. Hard to imagine this caliber of opponent lasting anywhere near 20 rounds each against the Brown Bomber version of Joe Louis though.

 

And how far he'd declined by the 1950s...

 

Louis wasn't shot ,but he was a far cry from the Brown Bomber, no right hand. just a jab and hook.His legs went on him and Rocky did what up and coming hungry contenders are supposed to do, he closed the show.

 

If anyone bothers to see how good Jimmy Bivins still was AFTER fighting Joe Louis in the film against Charley doc Williams you realise Louis was better than people make out.

If anybody bothers to watch Cesar Brion against Charles AFTER Brion fought Louis you can see that Louis beat a guy who was a handful for an elite guy.

I hope somebody can be bothered to Watch Louis in the second Cesar Brion fight and compare it to Charles against the same guy.

No matter what. Louis was half the man of his very best. But at half as much he was always elite in the division at worst.

 

Marciano-Louis....Oct.26, 1951...the passing of the torch....it happened before this fight...it happened all through boxing history...and it's gonna happen in the future...if this is the"dump on Marciano because Louis was past his prime when they fought"....then it's time to cherry pick fights with Ali...Tyson....Liston...etc.

 

He was MILES away from being an elite fighter at this stage tho.

 

He was not shot. He was a shell of his prime. His legs were slow, his punches were slow, he could not land or deliver with power .. after Walcott not only did he only have a few stoppages but in the stoppages put very few men on the floor at all .. he had , for that time, size, some strength, a still dangerous jab, ring smarts and guts .. it was enough to get my small or old second rate opposition but not against a prime Marciano .. I would not compare him to the Ali that fought Holmes but the one that fought Spinks .. that's the closet ..

 

Who's dumping on Marciano because of this? The debate centers around someone trying to make Louis out to be something he wasn't when they fought.

 

He beat the EU version of the world champion, he matched Charles effort against Brion, he improved on Charles effort against Beshore, he beat 8 guys in ten months.

In all other circumstances Anyone who beats #1 contender, #7 contender and holds wins over the current champion is ELITE.

You cannot pick apart the era because Charles,Walcott, Marciano, Bivins are rated as great fighters.

Satterfeild, Baker, Baksi, maxim they would appear in any top ten in any era.

 

He was pretty far gone.

 

Louis was still good, but past his best. Anyone who thinks he was completely shot needs to explain how be beat a very good Jimmy Bivins, and Ring Magazine Ranked Savold and Brion. Granted the talent wasn't very good in
in the times, but Louis was still rated.


1950 1951 1952
Ezzard Charles, Champion

1. Joe Louis
2. Lee Savold
3. Joey Maxim
4. Clarence Henry
5. Bob Baker
6. Rex Layne
7. Jersey Joe Walcott
8. Jack Gardner
9. Lee Oma
10. Rocky Marciano

Jersey Joe Walcott, Champion

1. Ezzard Charles
2. Rocky Marciano
3. Clarence Henry
4. Roland LaStarza
5. Karel Sys
6. Joe Louis
7. Cesar Brion
8. Joe Baksi
9. Bob Baker
10. Johnny Williams

Rocky Marciano, Champion

1. Jersey Joe Walcott
2. Rex Layne
3. Ezzard Charles
4. Bob Dunlop
5. Clarence Henry
6. Johnny Williams
7. Roland LaStarza
8. Heinz Neuhaus
9. Karel Sys
10. Jimmy Bivins

As he aged you could say he Louis fought a bit smarter with his jab, but Louis lost his velocity in his punches which is where he generated the majority of his power from. I'd say it was a good win for Rocky, as he ended it with a no doubt type of KO.