Decade v Decade - 20s v 50s

Very difficult.

Dempsey v Marciano

Very difficult. Dempsey is going to score on Rocky and who is really surviving that? On the other hand, who can beat back Rocky? I think it is the case that if Marciano can survive Dempsey's punches, Marciano will break Dempsey rather than vice versa, forcing his fight plan upon him to out-fight him down a brutal stretch. But how to know how the Dempsey hands and the Marciano crouch/phone-box combo would really mesh? I'm going to plump for Marciano at this time to survive some horrible early moments and a bad cut to take a very very close decision after the 15 most horrific rounds in ring history

Marciano SD Dempsey


Gene Tunney v Archie Moore

Another horrible fight. The master of strategy versus the master tactician with another difficult mesh of styles. Anyone who thinks they have broken this down properly without providing 3,000 word of evidence is deluding themselves...nevertheless, my brief take.

Tunney's out-boxing of Dempsey always sticks in the mind. Here, you have a very different dynamic. Heeney flat our refused to chase Tunney. It's notable that whenever Tunney delivers real distance, Heeney just takes control of the centre of the ring and waits. This would be Moore's strategy IMO. Chasing Tunne is folly. Outside, I think Tunney would look to be boss with the jab, and it was a great one, and he might actually be just that, but not by much. Moore is so very hard to hit clean even with that punch and his own jab is excellent and he may be the best counter-puncher that has ever breathed...so I think they share success at this distance. Inside, there's another odd dynamic that is tough to read, but I guess that Moore will thrive here based upon superior tactical (as opposed to strategic) adaption. I think as the fight wares on, Tunney will try to stay out more and more looking to tie Moore up on the inside like he would against a heavy. I see Moore having good success with sneaky right hands to the body whilst stifling a lot of Tunney's admired short-arm body attack up close in these circumstances, Tunney tries to distance himself and re-deploys the jab. Scoring in these rounds would be all over the place. The cards could say anything. I think, though, that Moore solves Tunney and scores with a really hard sneak overhand right as Tunney tries to escape torrid in-fighting that sees him visit the canvas. This changes the flavour of the fight just a tad and Moore gets the nod from 2/3 judges for 3/4 of the last rounds to pull out a disputed SD

Moore SD Tunney.


Harry Greb v Sugar Ray Robinson

:bolt



Walker v Gavilan

I get into trouble sometimes on the forum for defining Walker's style as brawling. I'm going to court that trouble again, because that's just as I see it. Nobody out brawls the keed for me. Gavilan sneaks, toughs, counters, feints, punches and endures his way to a suprisingly wide decision. Before anyone starts, I had both men on my all time head to head welters list.

Gavilan UD Walker


lLeonard v Carter

I'm a huge Carter fan. Love him. He's a great fighter in my view, a cracking in-fighter with wonderful punch selection and as tough as they come. His battle with Bassett over 10 rounds is one of my favourite fights to watch. But he doesn't have enough for Leonard. Leonard stays out of trouble with that uncanny sense for his man's movements and times him to death, Carter's adaption never enough to get him safe. Leoanrd wins a decision at a shocking canter by keeping the fight on the outside, loading up brutally in the middle rounds before easing off just a bit to canter home.

Leonard UD Carter


Saddler v Dundee

As Saddler's series with Pep showed, if you don't have great power you have trouble no matter how good you are. I think Saddler brutalises Dundee pretty badly, the referee saving him at the end of the 13th for a surprising stoppage.

Sadler TKO13 Dundee


Pete Herman v Jimmy Carruthers

This is a sick fight. This could be as horrible as the Rocky-Jack bought. Obviously any kind of in depth analysis is tough but I guess I'll go with Herman to shade the in-fighting and take a disgusting decision that sees boxing banned in the state of New York.

Herman UD15 Carruthers


Wilde v Perez

Every now and again you get a fighter dead wrong, and maybe i've done that with Wilde, but I think he gets overated head to head. I pick Perez to out-smart and sting him throughout, especially with the jab which I think would be the difference between them. Perez by decision that feels wide but reads short.

Perez UD15 Perez

 

Fair enough; note that I do attatch the caveat that he wouldn't have it all his own way out there due to Archie's own jab and counter-punching ability.