How skilled was Charles, Walcott, Moore when Rocky beat them

This stands up.

 

How skilled was Charles when he fought Marciano? Charles executed a fabulous gameplan against Marciano. Staying close, beating him to the draw, turning him and boxing inside. He was skilled, experienced and coming off two dynamite wins. Had a good training camp with enough time to prepare. Ezzard put up a great fight! perhaps the only thing that separated Charles from Marciano in the first fight was the three really heavy onslaughts from Rocky.

Charles really wasn’t old at all. Apart from one knockout from Walcott, Charles had not -ever been decisively beaten as a heavyweight. Most think he beat Walcott 3 out of 4 anyway. Charles Fought that often and against so many good fighters that there was always periods in his career where he had close fights that could have went either way. The level of opposition he fought was such that I don’t think you can say Charles was even on the slide until after the two Marciano fights. A lot of the men he fought between losing the championship and meeting Rocky were better than the challengers Charles beat in title fights. Johnson, Layne, Valdes, Satterfeild, Brion, Harrison etc.

How skilled was Walcott when he fought Rocky? Well Walcott had been one of the best heavyweights since about 1947. Taking his winning filmed fights at face value it is impossible to find any real evidence of slippage. Walcott, like Bernard Hopkins, was always in excellent shape and more of a clever fighter who timed and conserved himself.

If there is any film evidence of Charles, Moore and Walcott looking unskilled or like a damaged slow shot fighter before meeting Marciano I would like to see it.

 

I wouldn't be so sure it does. Moore fought Marciano in1955 tat year Robinson was king of the middleweights,SandySaddler champ of the feathers,and Perez champion of the fly's.

 

Perfect Rez..perfect!!!

 

Robinson was beaten by Ralph Jones in 1955. He won the middleweight title 3 months after Marciano-Moore. Even if he had beaten Olson before, I still don't think he was a better p4p fighter than Moore at the time.

Saddler was beaten by Lopes and Elorde in '55. He wasn't a dominant champion at this point. Perez had been a champ for less than a year and he won the title from Shirai.

Heading into the Marciano fight, Moore had beaten Harold Johnson, Nino Valdes, and Bobo Olson in his last 3 fights. Moore was #1 without a doubt.

 

Def not at his best but form wise he was def at his best...if that makes sense.

 

The guys were all terrific fighters but all were small and all were older. It is what it is.

 

Charles, Moore and Cockell were blown up light heavyweights. LaStarza was a 182 pound heavyweight. Walcott was 6’, 190 and 38.

 

These were all top notch world class hwts when Marciano fought them. Very very few hwt champions had their level of skill. They put to shame most any fighter today regardless of division.

 

This the Olson Robinson had beaten?

 

No, it doesn't

 

Walcott was NOT in his prime. Full stop.

 

Yes I'm surprised that got questioned. He was still pretty great.

 

They were the same size as marciano if not bigger so who cares