FANTASY FIGHT: Rocky Marciano vs Gene Tunney (15 Rounds/Poll)

Heeney was given a title shot due to his draw with leading contender Jack Sharkey and a win over Jack Delaney in March of 1928.

Heeneys eleven bouts prior to fighting Tunney he was 9-1-1:

47 Win 32–8–5 (2) Jack Delaney UD 15 Mar 1, 1928 Madison Square Garden.
46 Draw 31–8–5 (2) Jack Sharkey SD 12 Jan 13, 1928 Madison Square Garden.
45 Win 31–8–4 (2) Johnny Risko PTS 10 Oct 26, 1927 Olympia Stadium, Detroit.
44 Win 30–8–4 (2) Jim Maloney KO 1 (12), 1:17 Sep 30, 1927 Madison Square Garden.
43 Draw 29–8–4 (2) Paulino Uzcudun PTS 15 Sep 8, 1927 Madison Square Garden.
42 Win 29–8–3 (2) Bud Gorman DQ 3 (10), 1:17 Aug 4, 1927 Madison Square Garden.
41 Win 28–8–3 (2) Jack DeMave PTS 10 Jun 24, 1927 Coney Island Stadium, New York
40 Loss 27–8–3 (2) Paulino Uzcudun PTS 10 Apr 1, 1927 Madison Square Garden.
39 Win 27–7–3 (2) Charley Anderson TKO 8 (10) Feb 25, 1927 Madison Square Garden.
38 Win 26–7–3 (2) Jack Stanley PTS 15 Oct 25, 1926 National Sporting Club, London, England.
37 Win 25–7–3 (2) Bartley Madden PTS 20 Aug 9, 1926 Croke Park.

“Jack Sharkey and Tom Heeney fought to a slashing draw last night in a 12 round match that upset the dope and left experts as well as spectators sharply divided in opinion. Apparently believing that Heeney's bull dog aggressiveness had given him the edge, the crowd of 17,000 onlookers set up a chorus of boos and jeers after the decision, but the critics' gallery at the ringside gave a majority opinion in favor of Sharkey. From the 3rd through the 7th round, Heeney kept plugging away with telling effect. He cuffed, wrestled and harried his taller, slightly heavier opponent. Heeney, unable to keep up his grueling pace, was forced back and made a target for sharp right crosses and stiff lefts to the body in the closing five rounds. Sharkey still found difficulty in locating his mark at times and he was slow afoot, but he outboxed Heeney and landed the sharper blows." -Associated Press. Unofficial INS scorecard (the AP did not announce a card) - 5-4-3 Heeney

 

Well you did provide facts but at same time Gibbons resume bears out that he was still winning, still facing solid opposition. Very little indication that he was in a steep decline.

Tunney may have ruined Heeney. I will say he looks nothing more than a well conditioned tough man in the footage but he showed enough against Sharkey to earn a draw. Sharkey during this period looks very sharp in film footage.

Dempsey’s legs were gone, but he was still throwing mean combinations, not vintage Dempsey but enough that he was dangerous. Iron chin, big power. Even this faded version looks quicker of hand than Marciano. And about even in foot speed.

As for not fighting “quick twitch” guys he did fight Greb 5 times and was competitive all the way through.
With a record of 65-1 I’m sure he faced several other athletic fighters even if their skin tone was of the lighter complexion.

 

The Tunney who won took the heavyweight title from Dempsey was at the end of his career so I am going to go with champion Marciano against the light heavyweight champion version of Tunney in the early 1920s. Gene was always pushing up against the light heavy limit of 175 so fighting at 180 or so should hot have been a problem.

Marciano, as great a he was, didn't fight a whole lot of top fighters who were still moving well when he fought them. I think of Tunney as a precursor to Ali and Usyk with his movement and intelligence. Those were the men that found a way to beat the bullies, so to speak. I believe that the taller, longer, quicker Tunney would use his savvy and ring IQ to take a 15 round decision, 11 rounds to 4.

 

No hot take from me - I think the tireless Rocky is ultimately too much for Gene over a pre scheduled 15 rounds - a KO/stoppage some time after round 10.

Over a preset 10 rounds though and of course, I see Gene’s chances of winning being that much better.

I can’t see Rocky necessarily varying his terms and upping the ante over a shorter distance.

Rather, against his very best opp. and given his evenly paced, attrition style of fighting, the 15 round distance very much suited Marciano.

 

Taking Tunney by decision

 

He was a lightheavy with over 100 fights and decided to call it day. Sure, he was in fine heavyweight form. Same goes for that fraud Carpentier.

And my aunt may be hiding a pair and be my uncle. Ruining Heeney wouldn't have taken much. He was nothing, the sort of fighter who too frequently scored wins over Sharkey.

That version of Dempsey was the post prison Mike Tyson, but Jack's prison bars were made of quim. Everyone had quicker hands than Rocky. And everyone lost.

Fast twitch, athletic fellers. Naturals. Good genetic disposition for the fight game (according to none other than James Corbett). Do I need to spell it out?

 

There are quick twitch athletes of the lighter complexion? Your making that up. Stop pulling our collective legs.

 

Was Greb ever described as slow twitch even at that point of his career? Nobody’s denying Tunney cherry picked throughout his career but there’s still a reason Greb saw him as the best guy he’d fought. And this was a Harry that was still beating dudes like Walker as well as giving Loughran and Gene himself hell in ‘24.

There’s also a reason Gene is usually the first name I see you bring up when people say that Greb fought primitive, unskilled fighters. Tunney was just that guy.

 

Harry Berg was the greatest bring-his-lunch pail, hard worker, gym rat, overachiever, high motor, coach's son the sport ever saw.

I'm talking about naturally gifted electric athletes.

 

I think Tunney's discipline and his own conditioning sees the Rock off here. In my albeit fevered imagination, Tunney may be one of history's closest comparators to Usyk, not as a carbon copy style, but in his unflustered grace under pressure, excellent counters and physical placement. Rocky is too crude for Tunney and won't grind him down, although he might shake him back to the Marine Corps with the few big punches he gets through. Tunney by surprisingly wide if uncomfortable points win. They never fight again because both know how hard it is and the result will remain the same...