Yet a shopworn Charles went 15 with him. Ancient Archie lasted into the 9th and Don Coc Kell lasted into the 9th. Those guys wouldn't have lasted that long with Joe Frazier. Just a year later Floyd took out Moore in 6. Marciano did have excellent power but it depends on who your hitting. Knocking out Carmen Vingo might be a little easier than knocking out Jerry Quarry or Muhammad Ali. Frazier knocking Ali down speaks to his punching power more than icing a LaStarza or a shot Joe Louis. I think there power is close enough to call it a wash.
This..Frazier is faster had excellent footwork and moved his head better than any HW befor or after him. The ref saves Rocky sometime around the 10th from the brutal beating Frazier is putting on him by then beating him to the punch all night long. Not even a tough fight to pick.
No it’s NOT a wash. Joe had only one great punch and that was his left hook and he rarely knocked anyone OUT with that punch. Marciano can KO an opponent with EITHER fist and this would include left hook, right cross or right uppercut. If you are a technical boxer stepping into the ring and had a choice between fighting a one armed puncher or a guy who could take you out equally with either fist...they would pick the one armed opponent EVERY time. Far easier to defend against one arm vs two.
Let's leave Shirley out of this BWA! Sorry, I can be a really corny dude. FOTC Frazier wins an even more unanimous decision than he did against Ali, and knocks RM down at least once. Post-FOTC Frazier gets stopped in 6.
Love how everyone knocks Ezzard as “shop worn”. He was an ATG p4p king who came in top shape. Him or Moore would have been Frazier’s second best wins behind Ali. I also don’t think anyone would confuse Patterson’s power with Marciano’s. That being said this would be one hell of a fight and probably at the top of my “wish this fight could magically happen list”. That and throw Holyfield in there for a round robin
Joe was only stopped by 2 guys, both after his prime, both elite-level athletes. Joe had no problem with slow twitch, wide bodies. Chuvalo, of legendary, once-in-a-century durability, was beaten to an inglorious pulp by the threshing machine that was Frazier, stopped by his opponent for the first time, a feat only duplicated by Foreman in 93 fights. Likewise, the crafty Jerry Quarry was first halted by Frazier. Slicksters that were anything less than top-notch athletes also need not apply. Frazier stopped Ellis for the first time, Mathis for the first time... Frazier's athleticism and brutal body attack win this one. His output was just overwhelming as confirmed by the durable fighters he stopped. Just a different level athlete with speed and skill and a level of achievement unmatched by the laudable plugger Marciano.
He was. He clearly wasn't the same after Walcott 3. Prime Ezz wouldn't have lost to Valdes and Johnson.
That is because Charles was shopworn. Moore? Ofcourse he was. Being a former P4P king has nothing to do with it really. No, Moore and Charles wouldn't be Frazier's 2nd best win. Quarry was better as was Ellis, Bonevena, these guys were not at the end of the line. Moore was dominated by Patterson just a year later. Is that Floyd's best win?
No way in hell are any of them better then Moore and Charles. Quarry was a solid win but he wasn’t as good. Moore was certainly better then all of them at the time and He would def be favored over all of them.
To be fair he had a **** load of trouble with Bonavena and almost lost. And no one confuses Bonavena with Marciano. Marciano was a league above as they shared the same trainers I’ll take their word for it.
Everyone has a bad night, especially pre-prime. We can go round in circles about Lowry and Lastarza and Bonavena. I'm going by the best performances, performances which defined a prime. Look, it's not going to be an easy night on either side. I pick Frazier. That's about all I have to say.
It has been said that Smokin Joe was a converted southpaw, because at that time southpaws, like Karl Mildenberger, who was a southpaw, were being avoided like the Plague, because of their awkwardness. Even Yank Durhan eluded to the fact that Joe would have to beat Mildenberger to advance in the WBA Tournament, to find a successor to Muhammad Ali, Frazier pulled out, Oscar Bonavena, then beat Karl, by points.
This fight Prime for Prime, Rocky Marciano vs Joe Frazier would be like two mack trucks colliding into each other, because of power and size. Joe would begin the fight, coming out smoking, bobbing and weaver looking to land his lethal left hook, while concentrating his attack to Marciano's body. Rocky would be ducking, the left, trying to land his famous Suzi-Q punch to Frazier's head. Marciano hits the deck in round 4, takes the mandatory 8 count. after such a furious pace set by both, Marciano, cut and bleeding from cuts over both of his eyes, manages to send Joe wobbling to the canvas in round 10,with a vicious right hand, as Bonavena did in their first fight, on Sept 20 1966. Joe arises, goes after Rocky, blood steaming from his nose, pounding him to the body. At the start of round 13, Yank Durham, and Eddie Futch attract the referee's attention, signalling that Frazier is unable to continue the match, due to a severely shut right eye, that the orbital bone could be fractured. The ringside physician confirms this and stops the bout. Rocky says afterward, Joe Is One Of The Toughest Men, I Have Met In My Career. Joe acknowledges Rocky, and hugs him. It is a terrific fight by both.
