Ezzard Charles talks about how difficult it was to hit Rocky

@Pat M isn't going to like this

 

A whole bunch of guys did. I have posted the quotes a number of times. Rocky wasn't crude, he had his own science based on being small. Anyone who doesn't understand this at this point i just a hater.

 

That isn't really surprising in that Marciano was trained by a man that was a genius level boxing mind. Just because he looked crude didn't mean that there was no thought behind what he was doing. And you hear fighters say similar things about other fighters that, allegedly, got hit with every punch thrown at them, like Basilio and LaMotta.

 

Why would I not "like" what Charles says about Marciano? I have nothing against EC or RM. What I have said about RM is that I don't see anything on video about his fundamentals or boxing style that I'd want to emulate or teach. If EC thought RM was hard to hit and quicker than he looked, he had been in the ring with him, he should know.

 

@mcvey Ezzard Charles agrees with us, Marciano was very hard to hit clean. Elastic, Ali like quality to him for his ability to roll with shots.

 

Some people here think Louis had a bad defence so you’d understand why they’d be mistaken on account of Marciano… LaMotta, Medina, Orlando Caz, Marciano and Ali are guys who make me think of the word “elastic” they rolled with a blow so well, minimal at times, little turn of the head, shift at the hips and feet… Edwin Hasilet said something like that once someone has learnt how to roll with a blow it becomes almost impossible for the novice to hurt them.

 

I don't see why any of this would seem out of place. A short fighter with short arms is always going to liable to get hit more; to be successful he has to spend all his time in the other man's punching range. Marciano kept his left shoulder forward and his chin behind it and I don't believe that anybody could be in the gym with Charly Goldman every day and be a sucker for right hands.

 

Depends on the fighters size and all, Marciano's style works on a lot of shorter fighters, your not going to turn them into Ali with the jab and foot movement because they be out range, if you listen to Marciano's comments on his fight with Louis, he could not jab with Louis because he had the reach. Marciano's style became a must for him because his short reach and size.

 

There's a lot of them on this forum.

 

Rocky could fight. He wasn't just a crude brawler and puncher, no way.

When I pick against him in a fantasy H2H matchup ... and I do that a fair amount given some of the people he's pitted against in said fantasy matchups ... it's when I think his physical disadvantages against those opponents, compared to the people he actually faced in the ring, are simply too much for his skills and toughness and heart to overcome. But I generally add that he will absolutely come straight at his foe and start throwing punches and (metaphorically of course) die trying.

I have respect for Rocky. It's why I rank him fifth all time.

I just think his most ardent acolytes overdo their reverence for him, just like in baseball the people who think Nolan Ryan was the GOAT pitcher overdo their reverence for him. (The conversation about that on baseball message boards make this place look like a British ladies' garden tea.)