Heavyweight Fight of the Week #1: Marciano v. Walcott

Really??? Go and sit through two hours of De La Hoya v Trinidad and Whitaker and then come back and watch it again and see how you feel.

You seem to be judging the fight based on a criteria of high technicality making this worth watching, which seems an odd expectation for a Marciano fight! This was a good - no, great - old fashioned slug fest with back and forth action all the way. It wasn’t a pure exhibition of the sweet science but if that was your expectation of this fight, then it was obviously misplaced.

I like highly technical fights too, where two fighters with high IQs are trying to outsmart the other, but there’s still a minimum level of action in those kind of fights required that takes them from becoming a boring chess match to an action fight.

But this was a brawl, pure and simple - obviously it lacked refinement. But so what? That’s okay sometimes too. Marciano and Walcott stood and traded bombs for 12 and a bit rounds, and then Marciano punctuated the fight with one of the greatest right hands ever seen... and you were disappointed?! As @Unforgiven said, what’s not to like?

 

For me, the ultimate fights are the best of both worlds - two highly skilled, technically accomplished fighters pitting their wits against each other but it breaks out into an actual fight rather than remaining an endlessly cagey affair. It needs to still make the pulse race. But each to their own, I guess.

 

I think there is plenty of skill to see along with the slugging in this fight. I think round 3 is a good example.

Due to Rocky’s size and style he is not going to dart in and out, or circle and outbox. He had to get in close. How do you do that against a master boxer puncher like Walcott. Considering that Joe has the better stronger jab, Rocky begins timing Joe, and pumping and feinting with his own. Once he feels that out the first 2 rounds he is able to slip it more effectively in round 3, getting inside without taking the hits that he did in the first 2 rounds.

This is no tactical chess match, but the tactics and skill are still at a high level to me.

 

There's far more skill in Marciano-Walcott 1 than in Lewis-V.Klitschko.
(and believe me I'm under no illusions about Marciano and Walcott's obvious limitations)

You want to see a couple of big guys fighting virtually wide open, crossing their feet, falling off balance, taking shots flush, carrying their hands low, with no regard to finesse or pacing themselves, go see Lewis-Klitschko.

Not that I care. It's a good brawl. I'm just saying.

 

Enjoyed that.!