jack johnson vs rocky marciano 25 rounds

Johnson for me. How does a smaller man beat him?

He's one of the quickest out there. Has excellent control of range. Can fight inside with anyone.

If Rocky comes in he is having to walk through multiple flush uppercuts in the hope an overhand SQ can end proceedings.

But up close, having his head snapped back, how is he gonna disguise a shot enough that Johnson can't lean, parry and counter?

Leaping from range probably sees him stopped dead by a solid jab.

Of course if Johnson is granted a Wlad type ref he can literally jab and grab all night long making it a one sided battle.

For me Rocks best chance is to take the damage to enable him to get inside and hope his chin can hold up whilst hoping Johnson leaves an opening so he can score a come from behind ko.

But I'm going with Johnson on points or maybe even late stoppage.

 

Jack Johnson is often viewed as a defensive master. But one thing to consider is the style of the fighters during his time. It wasn't very hard to beat men who were purely offensive if you had even a little boxing ability. Taking nothing from Johnson but his style, great as it was, just would not suit him in modern boxing.

Johnson never fought anyone like Marciano. It could be said that Marciano never fought anyone like Johnson either. However, even his post-prime opponents, Louis, Moore and Charles have more in common with Johnson than any of Johnson's opponents have with Marciano.

Johnson would start off boxing and use his jab to mark up Marciano's face. However, Johnson, even with the movement he used against the plodders of his time, would not escape Marciano for long and he wouldn't be able to keep out of reach often enough to do enough damage to discourage Marciano.

Forget the legendary stories about Marciano's endless stamina. That would do him no good in later day boxing because he was simply too small and had nearly no skill. However, Rocky's style would suit him very well against Johnson's less mobile style. Johnson would move but not enough to stay out of Marciano's way.

After 10 rounds, Johnson would begin to slow down. Marciano's face would be scarred but not enough to stop him. Johnson also liked to clinch often, something that would ill-suit him against Marciano. In another three rounds, Marciano begins to find his rang and the body attack he inflicted earlier, begins to take a toll. By round 12-13, Johnson is having a difficult time blocking Marciano's looping punches and he takes a few too many to the head. In round 13, a looping right to the top of the head of a ducking Johnson, puts him down on one knee.

Jack is up but on the retreat as Rocky pursues. Johnson shifts directions and runs right into a left hook, followed by a solid right, knocking him into the ropes. One final right puts an end to the fight.

Marciano by KO in 13.

 

Jack Johnson KO 24

Johnson was a master of controlling the other fighter, and controlling the pace of a fight. I think the question is, can he tame the beast?

As great in a condition Marciano was, Johnson would spot openings late in the fight. He proved he could go beyond 25 rounds, even when he was over the hill. He has the stamina and endurance to last in those deep waters.

Would be an awesome fight!

 

The round number here is immaterial. I don't see Jack consistently stopping Marciano's third and fourth and fifth punches in his assault. I don't like Jack's 45 degree back foot stance against a like Marciano who fits volume with punch angle, a low, uprising trajectory... and I certainly don't like Johnson getting happy in the clinches. Marciano was a demon to clinch and was exceptional at creating something out of nothing at short range.

Marciano ends this in the 11th. And Johnson pays a brutal price.

 

I agree completely, it will not go the distance. I am absolutely certain about this.

 

How is Marciano going to throw that third, fourth, or fifth punch. If Johnson has a hold of those arms. Johnson doesn't clinch he controls. Rocky will have hard time throwing off combos when a guy has a hold of his biceps like a grappler. And whenever he does get a arm free he's getting popped by a hard uppercut. Johnson controlled stronger men than Rocky.

 

I've always thought Johnson, stylistically, would be a tough fight for Marciano. His mauling, spoiling tactics could well take a toll on the smaller man. On the other side of the coin, I dunno if Johnson would have faced a man as relentless, awkward and hard hitting as the Rock. I think this would have been a good one to watch.

 

very hard to pick a clear fav, but I give a slight edge to rocky, even if he'd be eating some big uppercuts along the way.

 

Marciano was an extremely slippery customer with a great strength in his torso and in those t-rex arms. Combined with his perpetual movement, he not only is very hard to keep in a clinch, he seems impossible to get in one. This isn't little Mister Burns. Marciano non-chalantly tosses away Archie Moore's attempts to clinch and Moore was strong as hell.

This is a fight that will come down to punching not wrestling.

 

Johnson would probably rip Marciano's head off with those close range uppercuts, his favourite weapon.

It would be a gruelling fight, and I wont write Marciano off, but the styles and dimensions favour Johnson.

 

Agreed. Marciano's relentless pressure and amazing stamina allowed him to fire shots hard to the head or body. Rocky would miss some, but he's also land. Like an old fashion tommy--gun if you will! Johnson's defense was not equipped to deal with this type of an attack.

Johnson was a defensive boxer without a lot of power, and suspect to aggressive skilled fighters and punchers. His chin to me is suspect as well. And he was better as an in-fighter, which is a negative in this fight as it puts Rocky in the range where he wants to be.

Johnson could not tame Marvin Hart in a high stakes match and lost. Hart was no Marciano, but he had a decent punch with stamina and guts.

I also agree with you about the clinches. Rocky would do more damage here.

Rocky via KO is my pick inside 10 rounds.

 

Short swarmers did not do well against Johnson.
Defensive fighters had their moments against Marciano.