1900 "Jeffries vs. '53 Marciano." Who takes it?

I would think mix fighting would be over wrestling.

 

Marciano didnt look like a slob in that football pic though.

 

I wrestled collegiately for a Divsion II top 25 team, and have wrestled ever since I was 7 years old in highly competitive tournaments. I was never a boxer. I was a wrestler. I must say, wrestling is up there with the toughest sport ever. When your so tired you can't even breathe and its ot and you need that takedown to reach the finals, you really have to dig deep mentally to set up that perfect shot and finish it. Boxing at times is more of a marathon, but wrestling its like a sprint. In a tournament, when those 7 minutes of wrestling are up, my whole body is beaten up so badly i can't even move. Then I have to go out there and wrestle 5 more gruelling matches just to place! Boxing it's one fight and your all done.

 

Bigger? Yes. Stronger? Yes More durable? Probably.Harder puncher? Nothing on his record indicates this to me.More skilled? I doubt this too, probably about even ,with any edge going to Rocky.

 

I also did wrestling ( Three 2 minute periods = 6 minutes ) in high school and some gym boxing in college.

Here's the main difference.

Wrestling is more of a drain on stamina. Boxing is more of a drain on your body the day after you get hit.

Based on what I saw, injury is more likely in Wrestling. In amateur or gym boxing, the ref really watches out for you. In Wrestling, I seen guy's take a beating from start to a technical 15-0 fall.

 

Interesting fight.

1900 .... there's a difference between early 1900 and late 1900.

Early 1900 is the Tommy Ryan Jeffries with an still not 100% left (it had to be reset, and was in a cast for several weeks, after Jeffries-Corbett I), a croucher and counter-puncher. There's the odd dynamic of defense and speed and durability -- Ryan put Jeffries into a crouch to save him punishment; but this slowed Jeffries, so Ryan trained him light to make him quicker; but going light (by Jeffries admission) made him less strong and durable.

Late 1900, Delaney's in charge. Jeffries is begining on a more upright, aggresive and quicker style. Delaney eventually through away the scale, definitely didn't want Jeffries training down. He wanted Jeffries stronger and more resiliant, and looked for going from crouch to stand up to more than make up any effect of fighting heavier would have on speed.

Just looking at training footage, I get the impression Jeffries was pretty good at evading the right (or atleast rolling and avoiding impact on critical spots); I think he'd try to draw Marciano's right and return the left. I think Marciano should plan to get good mileage out of his left.

Anyways, in this particular scenario, I tend to see Marciano out hustling Jeffries to a decision. Three fights in this scenario, I expect Jeffries to take atleast one.

 

Well, it looks like James Toney is going to put that statement to the test!

 

I dont watch MMA, so i cant really comment. But from the very limited i have seen, i have never really been convinced that it is 100% on the level. Especially when it seems that all of the high profile guys from other sports/Gendas seem to magically win their big fights. See Brock Lesnar/Kimbo Slice.

I know Mercer and Botha both had losses, but if i were signing those guys, i would make them job to raise the opinion of current mma fighters. And if i were those guys, i would take the money and run if offered it, since they were getting nothing in boxing. And a win would mean nothing to them. They werent even world class boxers anyway (at the time they went).

With regards to Toney, it is a different story.

Firstly, i cant believe that he would agree to job.

Second, While he probably is too old and not world class now, he does have an argument to be a top contender. And a loss in this sport, strange as it seems will destroy his marketability as a world title challenger. Strangely, a win, (in the mainstream public's eye) would add massively to say a Wlad vs Toney World title challenge and help arrange that. IN fact, imagine the money/publicity that both Toney (and MMA) could make from a Vince McMAhon style promotion. Toney wins MMA title, massive mainstream publicity. Vitali defends against Toney, loses a controversial decision (would be a massive mainstream unification match), Vitali (former kickboxer) challenges Toney under mma rules, Massive money spinner. Vitali Jobs. Wlad Challenges Toney to be first person ever to unify all world Championships in a boxing match. Wlad KOs Toney and the fight is over. I think that this series would benefit the sport of MMA absolutely massively in the publicity stakes, and Toney and the Klits would benefit enormously.

3rd, Assuming mma sport is on the level, Toney is a first class fighter, much better than the other guys who went there. I wouldnt be surprised in the slightest if he KOs there best, despite his very poor condition.