1978 Leon Spinks vs 1947 Jersey Joe Walcott

I think Spinks will invest a lot but Walcott will be very awkward. He will set up some mean traps and punish Spinks with some flush counter shots. Walcott will frustrate Spinks in the later rounds and eventually outpoint and outclass him clearly. I don't think Spinks has the strength to overpower him when Rocky Marciano couldn't do it in 13 rounds + he certainly doesn't have the 1 punch equalizer either.

I think Spinks is a respectable and capable boxer in his prime and ofc a big underachiever. I don't want to take anything away from him, but I believe that Walcott and other heavyweights of this generation are severely underrated. Very tough era, very tough men!
I also favor Moore, Marciano, Charles, Patterson and even 50s Louis vs 78 Spinks.

 

Joe would make Leon look absolutely, utterly ridiculous and would probably take him out late.

 

Really not in the same class, at all. I don’t for a minute buy Spinks beat Ali on the level, & that’s his sole claim to fame. Walcott might have a rocky moment or two but I expect him to outfox Spinks en route to a stoppage around the eleventh.

 

You don’t?

 

Walcott clearly had a more formidable punch than Holmes.

 

Walcott late stoppage, times him constantly, counters him and outclasses him.

 

I remember reading multiple accounts that said that Walcott had as good of a punch as Louis, so I'd definitely think so.

 

Walcott calmly strolling in, oozing cool, and then pole-axing, I mean ruining, Ezzard Charles with that left hook in Pittsburgh is one of my favorite bits of boxing video.

 

A bridge too far for Leon.

There are version of Jersey Joe that the best Leon could beat (Walcott ran hot and cold) but not this one.

 

Mismatch.

 

Jersey Joe could hit!!

 

So, I've been told there is some dispute over the name of the punch, Joe Walcott's Sucka Punch, if you know it by that name. If not I'll try my best to explain it. This is just one example of Joe Walcott's Bag-o-Tricks.

Joe, when you watch him, I am quite sure youse lot will have taken notice to his use of footwork and shoulders and just generally being crafty with the fighters' posture vs ring position in his boxing.

One of those crafty little moves goes like this:
Walcott's known for his shuffle and shoulder dips being used as misdirection for his opponents, so when you're watching for this, you should be watching for some shoulder dips and foot shuffles independent of the sequence. Or to say that differently, the sequence is embedded into the shuffle and shoulder patterns. Walcott will at times stop shuffling his feet at Orthodox and stop his shoulder work in Southpaw. This creates a stance with a pre-loaded left hook. He even sometimes throws what I guess you'd call a switch-foot jab? It's a righthand jab but his feet are Orthodox. It's not a cross, he's leading with his right shoulder and left foot. But most often this stance comes in just seconds as before his opponent to step into his left hook.


This is just one trap I am sure Leon would fall for. And be KO'd for the fall.