jersey joe walcott in the 70s

Lyle was not really a killer puncher look over his career and you will see that. I have seen him fight live many times. Lyle may have been one of the better punchers Foreman fought in career 1 but Lyle was a big strong guy but not really a puncher....Walcott fought punchers and beat many of them

The key is see how many KO's Lyle had when he moved up in class...I saw him get dominated by Quarry in the garden...Foreman avoided the real punchers in career one...Lyle was not of the elite punchers of the 70's

 

Jersey Joe Walcott might actualy have done a lot better in the 70s.

His talent would have rapidly been noticed, and he would have been carefuly managed as a possible future champion from his profesional debut. He would have had the benefit of the best trainers and huge sums of money would have been spent bringing out the best in him.

Walcott would just have been a better fighter period.

Obviously there are no soft touches among the 70s champs, but if he was younger than Ali and aged better, then he would be poised to take him at some point.

 

HE maybe a worse fighter due to him not mixing it in the same opposition regularly and not being as hungry or mature......then again he may have been better with the earlier push not having to work a 9-5 etc......

 

That is the other side of the coin.

Walcott, like Jack Johnson, developed his briliant style because he was forced to take fights against fringe contenders, while he couldn't even get enough food for his family.

 

At his absolute plateau, I could see him giving Ali a migraine due to styles, outscoring Foreman, giving Shavers a thrashing, and meeting his match in Norton.

I think Frazier would truck him past 7 rounds though.

 

Walcott has Patterson's number on every level, pure boxing skill, speed, power and ring craft. I'd expect an easy points victory and just as likely a KO by the great Jersey Joe!!!

 

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Walcott weighed 192 for Abe Simon when he was weak from starvation. For Ten Hoff, he scaled 201. As the referee for Ali-Liston II in Lewiston, he is not exactly dwarfed by Muhammad or Sonny. JJW competed in an era where the conventional thinking was that a great heavyweight needed to be as light as possible for optimal performance, and even Frazier said on camera early in his reign that he'd like to come in at 199 for an upcoming defense. Ali came in at 201 for the 1966 rematch with Cooper, and 204 for Mildenberger.

For decades, the prevailing HW wisdom was to aim for a weight of no more than 195-200 pounds. Until the 1970s, this bias hurt the reputations of any champions who weighed significantly more (Jeffries being the exception that proved the rule), and it was opined that Louis (at 198 for Max Baer), Johnson (at 192 for Burns) and Max Baer (at 197 for Campbell) were at their best under or right around 200 pounds. Many here think Bethea was Liston's best showing, when Sonny weighed 203 or 204.

At 213 for Marciano, Louis was described as "fat and balding," and Johnson "hog fat" for Willard in Havana.

I don't know how much Walcott weighed by the time Lewiston rolled around, but I think it's a very safe guess he would have exceeded 200 pounds by a considerable margin if competing during the 1970s, and still be completely void of loose or hanging flesh.

 

This is a good post ...

I clearly see Ali and Frazier ahead of Joe and I believe Norton gives him hell but I see Joe being able to do a number on most of the other guys ... I like him over a 70's Patterson but I think a prime Floyd had the speed and power to hurt him ...

I'm one guy that thinks the 70's has become slightly over rated ... I like the 90's with Tyson, Holyfield, Bowe, Lewis better ...

 

Very accurate assessment,imo.

 

Walcott would be very good in this era.

Just as far as styles are concerned, I think he would have a helluva chance with a faded Ali, and would have a great shot at outpointing Foreman too. Especially if he meets the Foreman Young faced.

Of course he would beat the other contenders you mentioned like Young, Norton, Lyle, Bugner, Shavers, etc.

A prime Holmes against Walcott would be an interesting chess match. I'm on the fence with this once and against Ali, I don't know if he would win or not. But it would be a great, closely contested fight.