This would be a ding dong, it would be a belter. Neither one of these guys takes a backward step. Who and why?
I'd say Tiger in a rough, tough fight. Lamotta was the proverbial iron man with great stamina, but Tiger was no pansy in those departments either. Lamotta probably had better technical skill, but I think he'd forsake that to brawl with Tiger, who (correct me iif I'm wrong) seemed to have a better workrate. It would be one of those see-saw matchups that would see Tiger emerge a winner by SD.
I think LaMotta's use of his jab over the course of the bout would be just enough to take the closest of decisions. Jake had great distance in landing his short armed punches.
That pin-point left hook of Tiger's would find a home on the right side of LaMotta's face. One merciless tough fight but I see Tiger coming across the finish line first on this one.
LaMotta had a reputation as a puncher before his brittle hands betrayed him; and his skill level exceeded Tiger's; not to mention the fact that he made his bones fighting those guys everyone else avoided (Jose Basora. Nate Bolden. Lloyd Marshall. Bert Lytell). As to his strength, consider this: Bert Lytell was a beast. Very strong. And yet Lytell got on wheels when he faced LaMotta. He didn't even try to outbull that bull. LaMotta beats Tiger via decision. I'd bet a bunch.
LaMotta was too strong for middleweights; Tiger was to strong for a real last name. I think we know.what that means.
Tiger out muscled the freakishly strong Gene Fullmer and Ruben Carter. I see no reason why he wouldn't do the same to LaMotta. As far as functional strength inside the ring I don't think any middle in history compares to Tiger, unless one can find two fighters as physically powerful as Carter and Fullmer being ragdolled by a single fighter.
