Like I said, Rocky broke blood vessels and chipped bones in lastarzas arms. medical reports confirmed this.
OK, I misunderstood you BUT he was far from being the strongest. Pound for Pound I would agree. I read all the reports, But still Roland had a bad arm going into the bout (I hurt that arm in training). After he blocked a shot his arm was done and so was he. Listen, Rocky was a Great fighter, a Great puncher and all that, but IMO Frazier was just a little bit better.
I love smoking Joe and rate him high but I can not see him getting past the type of power Marciano generated, I think it boils down to that in this fight. Frazier himself said Marciano and Louis were the 2 fighter he would concede to. Frazier had 1 brilliant fight at 26-0 the FOTC, I dont think he ever fought at that particular level again for whatever reason. Marciano can take Joey's power but I am afraid the relentless power shots to a fighter that is easy to hit like Frazier would be his undoing vs the Rock
Yes, but Frazier was a better all around fighter than George Foreman. And yet in head to head competition. Foreman still blasts Frazier out everytime.
Frazier had several good wins. Quarry, Ellis, Chuvalo and of course Ali. Like I said, I can't see Rocky beating Ali and Frazier did. That is why I rate Joe a little better. Again, Rocky is no George Foreman
I also think that Frazier's power was as good if not better. Even guys like Teddy Brenner and Clancy said that. Frazier faced the harder punchers and stood up to all but Foreman. Rocky never faced anyone close to Frazier.
Rocky was punishing LaStarza from saying he was punch drunk. As his friend Nicky Sylvester says. "Rocky kept him up in the 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th round... Rocky demolished him" Apparently LaStarza needed reconstructive surgery to his arms because of the broken blood-vessels (According to Duva). Let's not forget he knocked Layne out cold, and knocked a few front teeth out to boot.
Maybe I'm not giving Frazier enough credit. He seemed to use it very intelligently there. But Stander fights really stupidly with his head down just trucking forward. He was so open for it everytime and never adjusted... he made Frazier look like Ali towards the end. I counted 31 uppercuts in that Stander clip. I'll do a quick count for probably the Charles fight. Okay Great A, I picked two random rounds in the Charles fight. I didn't even pick the 15th round 100+ punch display by Rocky. I picked round 4 and round 6. Rocky throws a lot of hook-uppercuts, so I didn't count all of them. Just ones that were more obviously uppercuts. In those 2 rounds I counted 34 uppercuts. At one point Marciano used the left uppercut 3 times in a row. So yes, Rocky used it more overall.
I know Duva better then anyone on this site. I have ring announced and MC'ed for him many times, enough said. LaStarza fought 6 months afater he fought Rocky, if he had all that damage I don't think he would have come back so fast.
Your a man who loves reviewing historians opinions. Jack Dempsey said Marciano is "The hardest one punch knockout artist of all time." Jack Kearns, Dempsey’s old manager, said “When it comes to one-punch hitting, this kid is better than Dempsey and Louis” (see Durant 1976 p 119). Red Smith said Rocky “is known as the best one-punch hitter of them all” (see Litsky 1975 p 220). Let me ask you Henry, When did Frazier ever knockout a top rated fighter for the 10 count with one punch? Rocky did it to Layne and Walcott, and even matthews(2 hooks).
I don't see Marciano throwing that many uppercuts. [dm]x5svbd_rocky-marciano-vs-ezzard-charles-i_sport[/dm] Footage of round 4 from around 3 minutes. In round 6 he goes on a rampage but most of the punches he throws are looping shots that I wouldn't classify as uppercuts, aside from the brilliant one at 6 minutes and some at the end of the round. No question about Marciano's punch output being superior though.
I have all the statements that boxing people have stated, and I do take them into consideration. Harold Lederman told me that Layne was very overrated. If Frazier hit Layne or Walcott with his best punch they too would be counted out, and God help Matthews if Frazier hit him. Both Joe and Rocky had Great punches but I just feel that Joe's was a little better, and you say Rocky's was. No one really knows for sure but with the speed of Joe's left hook and the extra 20 pounds, I have to go with Joe.
Rocky averaged only 34 punches a round against Walcott. He did average more against Charles and Moore but Frazier's output was just as good if not better throughout both careers.