Tunney vs Marciano

It probably does hinge on what you think of him. I find him a tad over-estimated, myself.

 

Have you read his book?

 

I haven’t, no.

 

He really comes across as balanced and as honest as the day is long. Not the usual hyperbole from days of yore and the likes.

 

I mean, we also have the footage, though. Walcott put up a great fight for the stage of his career he was in, but he looks plainly better to me against Louis. What can you do.

 

It is in my DNA to pick Rocky Marciano over Gene Tunney, but I would make that pick anyway.

 

There's a lot of variables and old film and the naked eye can be awkward. Louis was comparable to the version of Holmes that was beaten by Michael Spinks. It was far from the best of Louis fighting Walcott where as Marciano was young and coming on like a freight train against Walcott. There's plenty of factors in play.

 

Agreed about Louis’ age & career state - counter-balanced, of course, that he had more Boxing knowledge in a finger than any version of Marciano.

 

Knowledge is great but Marciano ended up with a perfectly workable and extremely effective style based on his own needs. Angelo Dundee has raved about what he could do many times within his own skillset.

 

Yes, Walcott looks more aesthetically pleasing with his legs against Louis. You have to take the facts here though.

A 1952 Walcott was still good enough to win 2 fights against a 29 year old hall of fame champion Ezzard Charles.

so prime or not, the 1952 Walcott was a great fighter and scalp on anyone’s resume

 

Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight of all time, but for an apparent big Louis fan… I’m surprised at your extreme dismay of Marciano. Louis was glowing in his praise of Marciano as an ATG and one of the greatest.

I’d pop in the film one more time of Marciano. Watch all the subtle things he does in his crouch. He mastered the art of making his limitations an asset…fighting smaller and lower. He really was adept at moving around in unpredictable motions in that crouch and throwing two fisted haymakers from many different hybrids and angles

 

I am not detracting from Marciano when I say he is far, far below Louis. I am expressing my high opinion of Louis. & I’m not disputing Walcott was a very good to great scalp - but I don’t believe he’s the same fighter he had been several years earlier. He pulled together a final, great performance. Not dissimilar to Ali against Frazier in Manila.

 

One of Tunneys trainers lived into the 1960’s. He was quoted as saying:

“It’s not understood today but Tunneys right hand was as feared as Listons”.

 

Hi Buddy.
I well believe it, at the time Tunney was derided, many saw him as a " fancy dan " what didn't help his cause was his love of the arts, his command of English, and the fact he was an avid reader of Shakespeare, the boxing fraternity, and the world at large didn't like this, they wanted fighters to be like, Ketchell, Nelson, Wolgast, battlers that scorned defense, and we're all about attacking, and ferioserty, the overly cautious ( as they saw it ) Tunney was a complete disappointment on many levels, what was not apparent in the early stages, but became such as he matured, was that Tunney was a stoic, disciplined, iron man, who was a lot tougher than he looked, the unmerciful beating that Greb handed out in their first fight, would have given most boxers thoughts on a another line of work, not Gene, he was at William Mouldons office the next DAY , his countenance already bruising and swollen, to put up a bond, and sign papers for a return with the firecracker that was Greb, much to the windmills surprise, the man himself said that Tunney was a rare breed, tough as nails, and possessed a heavy and hurtful punch, in particular to the body, where Leonard had told Gene to concentrate on, to slow the speedy Greb down, and Harry had predicted the result of his title fight with the champ Dempsey " the fight game don't realise how tough Gene is, and he hits plenty hard to deter and hurt Jack " so yes Tunney was not just a good boxer, one of the best, he was also tough and tenacious fighter, with a rock solid chin, and guts in abundance, maybe the newer members, who are not versed in Tunney's overall being, should bear the above in mind when drawing conclusions on his standing and ability, and just to dip into another thread for a second, I believe he would have outpointed Marciano.
stay safe H, chat soon matey.

 

If Tunney could outbox and avoid Dempsey, he'd avoid Marciano