Firpo was more than a heavy banger .. he had a huge heart, he was a warrior, he was very awkward and a naturally brutally strong guy with deceptive speed .. look at the way he landed on Dempsey who Tunney had said was very difficult to land on flush .. of course Charles is the far more skilled boxer but Charles was a small heavyweight, Charles got hit and Charles had a ton of mileage on him by the time he fought Marciano .. we are not discussing who was the pound for pound better fighter here .. a heads up of a prime Firpo v.s. an older heavyweight version of a three year post title Charles .
Three I think. Joe Cox, Jack Dempsey, and Firpo (in 34 fights off boxrec) Firpo was stopped 3 times, Angel Rodriquez, Jack Dempsey, Arturo Godoy (in 37 fights) *neither man showed he was all that durable over his whole career.
I have stood up for Firpo on other posts, so I don't see your view of him as overrating him that much, but I think you are grossly underrating Layne. He was not a one-handed fighter, and he might have looked slow against fast guys like Charles and Satterfield, but I don't think he was slow at all if we're comparing him to Firpo.
Charles had just come off 2 explosive KO wins and was in great form for Marciano one, his mileage added up after Marciano 1 and 2 because they were damaging wars and brutal beating to the body and head some young men can not overcome the type of beatings that Moore,Walcott and Charles took even a young Layne and younger Vingo were never the same. Give credit where its due Firpo was never in Charles class but yes he did have heart and power, was big and unorthodox. Jack got caught because he went right at him and was going in for the kill but Firpo was strong...Jack climbed back up into the ring and took care of business
I think Willard quit against Cox and he was 42 when Firpo stopped him. Johnson hit Willard with everything but the kitchen sink and couldn't floor him.Gunboat Smith a big puncher landed his sunday punch flush and Willard showed no reaction he had a great chin. Firpo was nearly 40 when Godoy beat him ,he was having his 3rd fight after a 10 year retirement and he retired in his corner Godoy did not ko him.
There is no way a fighter as limited skill wise as Luis firpo could beat a fighter as crafty, skilled as Charles. Charles is too skilled to get caught with something and he would tattoo firpos face at will with his fast accurate combinations until the ref stopped the fight Some people mention Charles age 32. Wills was 35 when he easily beat firpo
Fair enough on Firpo, but except for the aging Wills and the aged Willard, Firpo didn't survive that many real punchers. Dempsey and Rodriguez KO'd him, but I concede that it isn't really fair to use Dempsey against himself. On Willard--turning away from your opponent and quitting because you claim a broken cheekbone is being stopped in my judgment.
He claimed he wasn't in condition to fight, he mentioned the injury afterwards, I don't call that a ko.
Those explosive ko wins were against Satterfield who had been kod by Harold Johnson in 2 rds a year and a half earlier and kod by 9 others previously. George Chuvalo he was not! The other victim was Coley Wallace whose main claim to fame was that he looked a bit like a young Joe Louis and played him in a film ,Wallace had been kod by Bivins and Elkins Brothers.
Satterfield also knocked out bob baker in 1 round in 1954 and beat nino valdes and Cleveland williams a year later. Satterfield also won a fight with Harold Johnson
Satterfield stopped a young Williams who was a last minute replacement.And I'm not disputing his power , I'm questioning his chin, which was mediocre.