Joe Louis opponents over 200 in comparison Marciano

Other can probably chime in but from my understanding the 30s-40s era was stronger for HW than the late 40s to mid 50s era Rocky fought in.

 

Because even if they fought 200 pounders at the same “ rate “, Marciano never fought men who were as big as Buddy Baer, Primo Carnera or Abe Simon let alone big men who were world class. There are some facts that mathematical gymnastics can’t change.

 

Look, he beat the best of his day. It really doesn't matter that he didn't fight the Dan Bucceronis and Hein Ten Hoffs of his day. He could have worked in Valdes, but, as I have noted so many times, Valdes was only really #1 contender for about 8 months and lost it to Moore, so no real harm done.

That being said, the list of quality guys 200 or over was thin. Louis himself, former fringe contender John Shkor, and Lee Savold coming in at 200. All had seen better days.

POST SCRIPT:
Don Cockell but that doesn't really count. Glandular problem.

 

Louis beat the better big men. The ones that made it to world class.

 

I'll chime in and say you are correct.

 

For Louis there were some slightly over 200 that were pretty good like Godoy and Baer but nothing that great. He did fight some big modern size heavyweights with some minimal talent like Simon B Baer and Carnera but they were clumsy and slow with minimal skills.
The best 200 + Marciano fought was Louis who of course was a shell of his peak self. Any other were second rate except Cockell who was ranked high. If there is great proof that he ruled during a very weak era Cockell being a high ranking contender is it.

 

I agree late fifties was strong. Early fifties a little weak but you had Charles a very good fighter but small heavyweight. He was however able to dominate what little was around at the time except Walcott who was good and though getting older he eventually beat Charles.
Then mid fifties quite weak as Charles and Walcott were really aging and Moore was only good enough as a heavyweight to beat what little was around at the time. Rocky may have been the best of that lot. He got out undefeated before the talent came in late fifties.

 

Moores opponents were either not at the title level or were big guys in a smaller era. Louis's era was bigger and the best big fighters were better then Valdes and Parker.

 

Yeah because Tony Galento was so much better.

 

Bwahahaha! The 50's were a bunch of hangers-on from the war and pre-war years, lighter guys who saw the paucity of talent in the upper division, and some shameless white dopes. The war wiped out the big boy talent either through enlistment and then GI BIll, or through death. It was the absolute nadir in the division's history.

 

Ironically, Cockell's bulbourethral glands were destroyed in this match. So, that issue with the glands got even worse.