In the spirit of the Willard v Walcott post: Charles was floored 8 times in 8 rds by Lloyd Marshall, floored 7 times in 10 rds by Jimmy Bivins. Ezzard was kod with one punch by Walcott.:think I say Firpo hit harder than all those three. Indeed Firpo hit hard enough to knock Dempsey right out of the ring,which is of course the obvious motive for this post! Charles takes the first round with cautious boxing as the Argentinian misses badly . Charles elects to be more adventurous in the second round and lambasts Firpo around his fleshy midsection, lowering his left to hook to the body Ezz leaves himself open to the Bull's right hand and he launches it in an irresistible arc, it connects flush on Charle'ss mandible and he is out before he hits the ground. 2nd RD KO For The Wild Bull Of The Pampas. And Remember You Saw It Here First!
firpo was a big old lump....let me put that into some kind of perspective with these two photos... charles and marciano.. https://www.facebook.com/classicbox...41829.435965623215123/493631710781847/?type=1 marciano and firpo.. https://www.facebook.com/classicbox...5623215123/571196139692070/?type=1&permPage=1
Charles would outclass Firpo, Charles could fight well from the outside and well from the inside. He does not have to make this fight a war. Firpo was strong and could punch but Charles had warrior experience and could do it all.
I would put my money on Charles. Seriously, I wonder if Firpo could have even a 50% winning percentage against Charles' opposition. For example, Charles beat Maxim five straight times. How many victories would Firpo manage in five shots against the polished Maxim who also had a top level chin (Kearns said Maxim took a punch better than Dempsey in his opinion). I could see Maxim sweeping Firpo.
Charles was there to be hit with a wild right hand and that's Firpos only hope here. Charles generally was fairly stationary side stepping rather than dancing left to right. I can see Charles out boxing Firpo and coasting to a decision and this would be the probable outcome. However there is a chance that Firpo lands a haymaker that ends the bout at any time....so a punchers chance. Pick here is Charles W15.
Charles was small, not exceptionally strong and got hit at heavyweight .. he had his hands full w Rex Layne, a slow, clubbing sort of one handed heavyweight with not much else .. Firpo was a wild man for sure but had a terrific chin, monster power and a huge heart. He was much bigger and stronger than Charles .. this would be a wild fight .. I don't know but it would be fun ...
That's some size difference between a young Rock and old Firpo. I know who my money would be on were they to engage but those hams...yikes. A fight between Charles and Firpo would be interesting for as long as it lasted. You'd have to favour the Cincinatti Cobra to confuse the Argentinian bull with a clever matador routine though if Luis managed to ping his jaw with that right it wouldn't be terribly shocking. Put Firpo in a ring with anyone and there could be trouble.
"one-handed fighter" Layne shows a good left jab and a good right cross on film. Also I think Layne looks much quicker than Firpo. "terrific chin" I thought Firpo was once KO'd by a 167 pound fighter in one round. He got KO'd by Dempsey. Other than old Harry Wills, who exactly did Firpo last against to prove he had a terrific chin? Willard?
Layne is as over rated here as Firpo is under rated. His chin being proven enough against Wills who was a murderous puncher.
Who won those fights? My point is Charles's chin was not Chuvaloesqe[ made that up] And Firpo , whatever his other deficiencies may have been was a heavy duty banger.