Probably not. Bonavena struggled with Jimmy Ellis and Folley and Walcott at his best is a notch above both in terms of ring IQ, speed and power. If this were the inconsistent walcott around the time when he was losing to rex layne id favor Bonavena without hesitation.
Bit hard to pin a great, good and bad on Walcott in his early career but I'll say Joe that faced Marciano was putting on his last very good performance. Not great, but the styles clash helped him against Rocky imo to. So, I do think Oscar's got a decent chance, if he can rumble with a young Frazier, I'm sure he can against an almost retired Walcott. Ain't saying it's an easy fight, Oscar's no legend, he had faults for sure.. But against THIS JJW, I lean towards him being enough to get a points win. But Bonavena has to put on one of the best performances of his life to beat old mr Walcott.
He could ,but I don't think he would. TBH I'm not even sure he'd get up from that 1 st rd left hook Joe laid on Rocky.
Valid points ,people point to this fight as evidence Jersey Joe was still prime,he wasn't, but he looked very good, and part of that was down to his style shining against Rocky.imo
That's how I see it, the styles of the two, Rocky and Walcott, Joe looked a young guy in there at times. He made Marciano work for it. Up against someone else, maybe not as strong as Rock but a different style, perhaps Walcott doesn't look quite as good in there.
Oscar was basically a cautious fighter. Look at his fights against Folley (1st) and Patterson. I cite those fights because I have watched them recently. Even his second fight against Folley in Argentina must have been pretty close if it was won by a majority decision as BoxRec says. I think that means that one judge voted the fight a draw. Ringo was aggressive against Frazier only because he had to be. He had to meet Frazier's aggression head on or be eaten alive. Walcott wouldn't dream of slugging it out with Oscar except in spurts, so Ringo would revert to his cautious style and would therefore be playing into Walcott's hands. I'm pretty sure Walcott would have won a 10-rounder in 1952. A 15-rounder is more iffy, but Ringo at his most aggressive was no Marciano, so I would still take Walcott to go the distance. A pre-1951 Walcott definitely takes Ringo over a 10 or 15 rounder, IMO.
Lesser fighters had taken Jersey Joe, so Oscar has a shot. And come to think of it, I think he edges Walcott for a MD.
I think Bonavena beats Walcott, any version of Walcott. Id even take the past his prime version that gave Lyle hell to beat a prime Walcott. I dont agree that Ellis and Foley were a notch below Walcott. Layne, who was a poor mans Bonavena beat Walcott by wide decision.
Walcott was a two fisted assassin in Marciano I. He packed speed and heat in that left hook walcott was in great shape and battered Marciano around the ring in round 11 walcott beats bonavena to the punch all night for a UD
