'80 Lawrence Holmes Vs. '53 Rocco Marciano in a 15 rounder. WHO?

No, but due to their size, strength and power, they'd be Rocco's toughest opponents ever had "Weaver and Shavers" of '79 been that way in 1953....

MR.BILL:deal

 

I doubt they'd be tougher than a Jersey Joe Walcott or Ezzard Charles

 

Holmes in a clear UD is the most probable outcome, unless it gets stopped on cuts.

 

That's open for debate-----BUT NOT NOW!:-(

MR.BILL:hat

 

marciano was also able to manage with the likes of 6'4'' shkor. he knocked him out too. all 230lbs of him.

Historicaly Holmes and ali were the exception to the rule, heavier 6 foot plus heavyweights never previously had any kind of edge over classic jack dempsey and joe louis sized 190-200 pounders nor would they at any other time if all the natural 200 pounders kept within a natural optimum fighting weight.

marciano drew stylish boxers into the fight he wanted to have. Holmes could brawl with the best of them and was always drawn into a fight. size and reach would never come into it.

IMO Its a tough fight for both. you cant count either man out entirely.

 

Marciano would have wiped the floor with both. neither would have got past charles anyway.

 

I admit, Buzzard Charles was slick as whale **** on a friggin' iceberg in his heyday of the late 1940s and very early 1950s, but at 183 pounds or so I never thought he was very physically strong or powerful as a heavyweight.... Sure he decision a tired and slowed Joe Louis in '50 and beat Joe Wally two times by decision as well, but I'm not sure Charles with his size and strength would do all that well with many of the post 1960s heavyweights of greater size and good skill, along with power....

I rate Buzzard Charles right around # 14 or so in the ATG class of champions and ex-champions, etc.... He, nor Joe Wally, crack my top-10....

MR.BILLbbb:hat

 

the way charles handled big heavyweighhts like joe baski, elmer ray and on film against coley walace kind of proves to me charles would have been a lock against many bigger heavyweights from later decades who never made it as champion.

 

Lawrence wins big and easy. I see Lawrence dominated with his jab, footwork, and incredibly fast hands. By round four, Rocco is bleeding. By round six, one of Rocco's eyes is closed, and the other swelling. By round ten, the referee intervenes and declares a TKO.

 

deleted.

 

Sometimes the fighter from the earlier generation isn't the better fighter. Holmes would beat Marciano

 

Holmes for sure, prolly wide UD.

 

True.... However, 90% of these dream fights are based on favortism.... Fans and folks in general seem to bet and choose fighters in which the era they themselves grew up in....... With me, Larry Holmes was champ during my high school period... I saw him defend his title for years and that is why he ranks high up on my list....

MR.BILL:hat

 

No one knows who will win, I see it 50 50, and it I think a lot of people in this dream match up are selling the Rock short with "Holmes for sure" and and Holmes on cuts and way ahead on the score cards.

I think people are selling the tko thing way too much, Marciano in 49 fights was only close to being stop on cuts 1 time. Charles, Walcott, Moore were all cutter fighters, and yes they open the cut on the right eye of Marciano, neither of em made it close to being a tko in there fights. Charles got close with the nose, but that was a 1 in a million chances.

I dont think Holmes would stop Marciano on cuts were others had failed. I also think the fight with be a close one on the cards, give and take either way. I see it a fairly close fight. Holmes is not going to walk all over Marciano like he did with Cooney or Shavers imo. And Holmes did struggle with way lesser fighters.

 

Fair points, Dempsey.......good

BUT! Folks can laugh or cry---I care less, but the June 1982 version Gerry Cooney at 225 pounds was well trained and motivated by Vic Valle........ Point is, that Cooney, despite being green as a pro, had risen to the occasion and fought L. Holmes like a top contender should do.... In a time machine, Gerry Cooney of 1982 with his size and power would be KING KONG for '53 Marciano........ I'm not sold Marciano based on his aggressive style to fight, would succeed in a time machine with '82 Cooney....... SERIOUSLY!!

MR.BILL:bbb