would he have been champion in his primes? who would he have had to beat to win the crown and how long would he have held it and who would have taken the title from him?
Gus Lesnevich, Freddie Mills and Joey Maxim were champions after the war. LaMotta would stand a good chance against any of them. LaMotta starved himself down to middleweight because that's where he was offered bigger paydays. I think he would have had just as much chance of success at light-heavyweight which was probably a better weight for him.
why do you say that? he was starching all kinds of big guys.i believe he was also lightheavy diamond belt winner. anyone have any lamotta amateurs on tape?
Because he was too small for LHW and his chin didnt hold up quite as well at the weight, he also lost his strength advantage
too small? he was built like a ape and he claimed he did his best fighting at around 170-175 which makes him a lightheavy. not too mention the fact he was probably the toughest s.o.b ever. rocky marciano said he was the greatest fighter he ever saw and thats coming from a man who never lost.!could he have handled the lightheavies of his day?
When you display no punch even when fighting men who are 15-25 pounds below your natural weight, and have such pitiful footwork and defense, you should expect to suffer more stoppages facing men same size or bigger than you.
LaMotta's natural weight was closer to 168 than 175. I believe he could have beaten a Freddie Mills or aging Lesnevich at his best, but would have had great difficulties against the likes of Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles.
jake was a much better boxer than people think. he must of had some punch he k.o.d some big guys. i believe there were even news clippings that stated "why dont they bring jake lamotta the hardest hitting middleweight around down to the garden". now i know this says middleweight but surely somebody claimed he could hit decently. look what he did to satterfield, kochan and murphy II(damm near knocked him out)and others. just wondering how hed have fared at lightheavy instead of middle?
Sven Ottke also KO'd Mundine, where Danny Green couldn't. Doesn't mean anything. LaMotta had no punch.
You posed the question... And LaMotta gave you the answer by draining himself in every bout to make the middleweight limit. Torture for him... Why ?. Because he knew that he would not have much success against the likes of Charles, Moore, Marshall, Gus Lesnevich, [who destroyed Billy Fox twice] etc. He as a 175 pounder would lose to these guys, and wise Jake knew it !