Gene Fullmer vs. Jake LaMotta: Prime for Prime

Gene Fullmer was not just a face forward pressure fighter, he had good boxing skills as evidenced in his fights with Basilio and second fight with Tiger. With that said, this matchup is a very tough one to call.

 

Bingo! Fullmer was capable of varying his style in a way by going into his "boxer" mode, like he did twice against Basilio and once against Tiger. An equivalent to a LaMotta-Fullmer fight would be the 1966 10 rounder between George Chuvalo and Oscer Bonavena, in which Bonavena reverted to "boxer" and outpointed Chuvalo. Fullmer would have done the same against Jake. He had an extra gear that kept him from being just one dimensional slugger. His 'boxing' wasn't very pretty or artistic, but he would fight that way against guys who had only one way of fighting.

 

This is a very tough one to pick, but I see it the same as you do.

One other advantage I think Fullmer has, especially if this is a 15 round fight. LaMotta tended to fade some in the later rounds. Fullmer was a stamina freak. I think Gene owns rounds 11 to 15 against Jake.

 

I agree to a point...Fullmer could effectively "box" when he chose to go into a counter punching mode against aggressive opponents...Fullmer also boxed well against the very solid Spider Webb...He isn't pretty by any stretch, however...but he was adaptable...and you have to give him credit for that.
LaMotta, I feel was able to demonstrate boxing ability as well...Jake exhibits surprising handspeed with combinations to the body, and good timing with the left jab...He would use the jab to initiate a bob and weave to close the distance...Bottom line is he did not get hit as much as it was perceived...Jake has often said he was able to roll with punches well...Off the top of my head, I can't tell you how old he is...(eighties?) but he is still lucid, and that is remarkable, considering his age and the fighters he fought...and it leaves credence to his claims regarding how he did fight. IMO LaMotta is not given proper credit for his underated boxing ability and his handspeed...was he a boxing speed merchant?...No way! But watch the tapes, he boxed very well against SRR for a time in their fight...that has to be considered.
In a earlier thread re thsi match -up,the poster, raging b( )ll stated that LaMotta would be the physically stronger fighter against Fullmer...I agree with this assessment...and if Fullmer elected to walk straight to LaMotta, I see Jake winning by decison...but I also see Fullmer being effective with his 'dirty boxing' style...This is very close, and difficult to pick IMO...I lean very slightly towards LaMotta winning a very close decision at his best...Fullmer it seemed to me was more consistant though...very close:think

 

Now THAT is a great action fight. They both stand tough against anyone

 

Excellent take on Fullmer man!

 

Great analysis.where are you guys?

 

Thank you sir! Much appreciated!!

 

How was LaMotta "physically stronger" than Fullmer? I don't think so. I believe that the only man stronger than Fullmer was his conqueror, Dlck Tiger.

 

Exactly..Fullmer may not have been in the elite, where the air is thin...but he was a monster just the same.

 

I think both Fullmer and LaMotta are understated as boxers. While their conventional modus operandi was based on strength and pressure, they were both skilled operators who were capable of changing it up. LaMotta probably had the better jab and was more conventional, whereas Fullmer was a better mover and very unorthodox.

They are generally thought of as face-first sluggers, but that is primarily because their most famous fights came as the bull against the most celebrated matador in boxing history.

While 15 rounds of phone booth warfare is a possibility, both guys were pretty savvy strategists when they needed to be, and I don't think they would just follow a rock-em sock-em plan A until one of them falls over. There would be shifts in momentum, Fullmer may fight off the back foot for a while, LaMotta may back himself to the ropes and explode with flurries, etc.

Both had excellent chins, and while physically strong neither were big one-punch knockout artists. A decision seems most likely, and it's the sort of fight that would be difficult to score. I would favour Fullmer to outwork LaMotta in the mid to late rounds, and withstand a furious last round onslaught to nick a close one.

 

LaMotta, if it didnt happen out west where Fullmer got more gifts than a kid on christmas morning.

 

He was totally unsuccessful “boxing” Tiger and frankly that “boxing” amounted to running away because he found out early in their first fight he couldnt win an actual fight with Tiger. That draw was a robbery. He was successful “boxing” Basilio because he was the bigger guy. LaMotta, who fought in the amateurs as a light heavyweight and occassionally in the pros as well, wasnt going to be bullied around by Fullmer. The problem with envisioning Fullmer using his herky jerky running “boxing” style against LaMotta and winning is that LaMotta was smart enough that he also knew how to draw guys in and also had a very educated jab. I think Fullmer absolutely would run and try to steal a decision but if it isnt on the wrong side of the rockies hes not winning.

 

A famous Fullmer "boxing fight".....though the fight was in Utah, and you know what that might mean on the final scorecards.

1961-08-05 : Gene Fullmer 159¾ lbs beat Florentino Fernandez 157¼ lbs by SD in round 15 of 15

• Location: Ogden Stadium, Ogden, Utah, USA
• Referee: Ken Shulsen 145-142
• Judge: Norman Jorgensen 148-140
• Judge: Del Markham 143-145

National Boxing Association World Middleweight Title

• "Champion Gene Fullmer survived a terrific battering in the closing rounds but had enough of an early lead to win a split 15 round decision over challenger Florentino Fernandez of Cuba. Fullmer broke a bone in his right elbow in the wild 14th round in successfully defening his NBA middleweight title. Fullemr fought most of the last two rounds knowing that his arm felt numb but unaware until Sunday morning that a bone had been broken. Fernandez staggered Fullmer in the 14th round with a right-left combination to the head. Then the converted southpaw from Havana switched to his old southpaw stance and blasted Gene about the ring with terrific left hooks to the body and head in the 14th and 15th rounds but could not put him down. There were no knockdowns in the bruising bout. But Fernandez suffered such a body and head beating in the early going that he was forced to hold on several times to prevent going down." -United Press International

• Unofficial UPI scorecard - 144-141 Fullmer
• Gate - $95,000
• Purses - Fullmer: 45% of the net gate and $60,000 from TV monies; Fernandez: 20% of the net gate and $10,000 in TV monies.
• Post-fight comment: "My whole arm went numb in the 14th round but I thought maybe I had just been hit on the crazy bone." Gene Fullmer, on the broken bone.