'19 Dempsey vs. '52 Marciano.... Take it or leave it?

Chris,

Unbelievable post. Could not agree more, and could not have said it better myself.

And how many ATG heavyweight champions ducked the two best fighters of their era? Certainly not Rocky Marciano. Jack Dempsey did. In fact, Dempsey loved to fight LOSERS of title eliminators.

 

Marciano basically had two stages in his career:
pre-50s - 1952
1954-1956

During the first stage, he was a pure, one-punch knockout artist and stopped his opponents using one or just a few punches - i.e., Louis, Walcott 2x, The Kid and Layne. During this period, he threw about 40-50 punches a round, but never slowed intensity-wise, as the first Walcott bout illustrates. In the other stage of his career, he became more of a volume puncher that grinds his opponent down. This was the case most notably against Charles, Cockell & Moore.

Bottomline is that he retained his ability to stop the opponent and has scored several few-punch KOs. The same can't be said of Jackieboy.

You can talk about age all you want, but fact:

1. Walcott, Moore and Louis were still very good in their 30's;
2. Marciano's opponents were better than Dempsey's;
3. Marciano at least fought the top opposition, Dempsey avoided the two best fighters of his time.

 

Walcott and Charles both lost to Rex Layne within the window they fought Marciano. That defines where they were in their career. Louis was a shell whose legs and power were a fragment of what they were in his prime. I agree all were good for the time which proves to what degree Marciano also benefitted from the time he fought.

Name the ten best fighters Marciano fought.

Dempseys were:

Willard
Fulton
Tunney
Sharkey
Brennen
Miske
Gibbons
Carpienter
Morris
Levinskiy
Smith

 

And your relly going to argue the likes of Willard and Fulton are over Charles and Walcott?

1 Walcott would be about ten Willard's imo.

 

Are we forgetting that Charles and Walcott were past there primes.

 

And Jess Willard was in his prime also?

 

My argument regarding Marciano is that in his whole career he fought six fighters of any worth. LaStarza was a decent, small cruiserweight, not likely to make any list of top twenty cruisers. Layne was a decent 200 pound contender that is in no one's top fifty heavyweights ever. Then you have Louis, Walott, Charles and Moore. All hall of fame great fighters. All well past their primes when fighting Marciano who was the young man. They averaged 37 years of age. This is fact.

To me Dempsey proved more as an older fighter against prime greats Sharkey and Tunney than Marciano did as a young man beating great names past their prime. I pick the Sharkey and Tunney Dempsey fought over any of those four without uetion. This is simply how I see it .

I am also waiting for the list of the ten best guys Rocky fought ...

 

Can never write Marciano off completely, but I think Dempsey was just better in all the right areas. Dempsey by KO probably.

 

Dempsey's opponents barely knew how to box ? Do you know how uneducated you sound making this statement about a fighter like Gibbons ? What footage are you basing this definative statement on? There is no need to split hairs with you ... you are clearly one of the gus that believe there was a magic line that sepated a quantum leap in boxing, as if a jab and a combination started with the black murderers row ... I will only say you are very wrong. Jusr remember,Jack Blackburn taught Joe Louis. The fact that Baby Gaga is humping your leg in excitement over your post should be sign enough to you that you are way off track.

 

It would be amazing.

I think the taller Dempsey would jump all over Marciano right away. I think Dempsey's fast combinations and high workrate would serve him well in the early rounds. I also think this tactic would keep him in range for some payback from Marciano as well. Maybe, just maybe Dempsey can drop Marciano within the first 4 rounds.

After 4 or 5 rounds Marciano would still be fresh, still throwing bombs, and his workrate would actually be at it's highest. Dempsey's output would be on the decline and the snap on his punches would be on a slight decline as well.

After 8 or 9 rounds Marciano will have taken control. The fight is still close but things are going Marciano's way for the most part.

After 12 or 13 rounds Marciano is up by a few rounds and still looks good. Dempsey is starting to look pretty well beat up.

In round 13 or 14 the fight reaches it's climax, both try to end the fight and throw everything that they have left. Both men get rocked ut Marciano drops Dempsey with a great hook to the body, uppercut, hook to the head combo. Demspey is up at 8 and the fighters continue. With only a few seconds left in the round Marciano lands a great right hand the puts Dempsey down and out.

 

How do you know Dempseys opponents could barly box? Were you there?Have you seen footage of them?