could any mw have knocked out jake lamotta by the count?

No.

 

Maybe none over 15 rounds. I'd give the best chances to Ketchel, Fitzsimmons and Langford.

 

Not that I would favour this to actually happen, but I can imagine it all coming together on one night for Rodrigo Valdez, dropping and then stopping LaMotta. Really, I'd expect them to split a series by decisions, but then Briscoe probably thought he'd never be knocked out either.

A clean knockout though... Don't think there's anyone.

 

I'd say Briscoe was easier to hit than LaMotta with solid punches. If Robinson couldn't accomplish the feat in 6 fights, Valdez probably doesn't in 3. Robinson did stop LaMotta but never knocked him down even when he had LaMotta defenseless for two rounds.

The only time LaMotta got knocked down, was when his conditioning had suffered severely against a far younger light heavyweight puncher Danny Nardico, and even then it took a case of holding and hitting to put him down when LaMotta was stumbling backwards.

 

I would suggest that while Robinson was obviously a more skilled hitter, he lacked the penetrative power of Valdez. He may have that extra clout, like what Bob Foster had to knock out (a faded) Dick Tiger.

 

Jackson would be capable of it..come on guys...you know that anybody, when hit properly can be knocked out. Jackson, if he hit Jake with a bomb that he didn't see coming well enough to prepare for it...the rolling, swiveling neck reaction all fighters are supposed to do to "ride with" the impact..and for that matter, a lesser bomber than Jackson could accomplish the trick..but...it would depend on LaMotta's ability to intercept the incoming missile like he was so good at. Only Danny Nardico was able to sneak that infamous bomb in on Jake, and even then he rose before the 10 count..so that one lone incident showed that Jake could negotiate the best bombs that his opponents could dish out for 98% of his career..but it wasn't all due to the impregnibility of his mandible..but his ability to do what all fighter are taught to do (sometimes in vain).and that's to roll with the punches..that ability of Jake's, along with his naturally concrete whiskers, allowed him to be percieved today as "indestructible"..to be on boxing's Mount Rushmore of great chins.

 

I'm not sure I'd rate Valdez's power that highly. We saw Robinson flatten the iron-jawed Gene Fullmer after all, among others.

 

I don't give much chance to Valdez either. But I do give a chance to Sam Langford.

 

Bob Fitzsimmons knocks him out cold for the 10 count.

I think tommy Hearns is a decent chance. Quite a few have a reasonable chance.

 

I saw LaMotta,couple of times,and to me he had the best chin ever,but a Harry Greb took shots from heavyweights and SHOOK all the blows off, so one never knows.
But from what I have read from decades of boxing lore, I think a Ruby Bob Fitz,at 160-65
had inhuman power for his weight. He could have kod LaMotta,with a punch in the "slats" ala Jim Corbett,his demolition of Maher[2], Gus Ruhlin, Tom Sharkey,Ed Dunkhorst[300
pounds],his battering of a prime Jim Jeffries,etc. When hit on the button by a Fitz, even the Bronx Bull goes to sleep.

 

Dempsey took a terrible beating from Fitzsimmons for 13 rounds and retired on his stool. He weighed 147 pounds.

 

Bob Foster at lightheavyweight..I know jake battled his share of 175 lb'ers.

 

Really? I've always thought the notion was that Valdez was one of the hardest middleweight punchers alongside Eugene Hart, Florentino Fernandez, Eduardo Lausse and others. In other words, the Shavers/Lewis equivalent in middleweights. I'd agree with that notion, as on film Valdez has credentials; if not through an excessive knockout percentage then just visible, raw power. He was quite a tight puncher (mostly) with solid technique and, though lacking a real body assault, strikes me as one of the most dangerous middleweight punchers of all. I personally think he would have slugged it out with, and disposed of, the likes of Fernandez and Henry Hank.

I really do rate Valdez. To me he's very impressive on film. Like I said, I don't believe he would stop Jake LaMotta (as in his prime LaMotta was tough to hit cleanly and applied quick pressure - as opposed to slow pressure like Bennie Briscoe), but he's the one person I can think of who'd at least have the best chance.

On Robinson's middleweight punching, I'd say he still had the speed, accuracy and technique to be classed as a great puncher at the weight. He had power, too; but being naturally lighter than a true middleweight like LaMotta, his shots wouldn't have the same effect. It's natural to assume this as LaMotta had a huge (almost disproportionate) skull and Robinson's arms were slim.

The Fullmer knockout is a great achievement nevertheless.