Just watched Marciano vs Louis...........A terrific fight

I hadn't seen this in a while but I popped it in again. I was astonished at what I saw. I had it a very close fight heading into the 8th(marciano 4 rounds to 3 ) Both fighters were chizzled looked in great shape. This was an incredible hard paced fought, I was incredibly impressed with the workrate and stamina both showed. the 3rd and 4th round were incredibley exciting. I suggest watching the earlier rounds. As for Joe Louis he was 37 and past his prime, but he was unquestionably still a formidable world class fighter. Louis still had terrifc scientific boxing skills, good handspeed, the best jab in the heavyweight division including Walcott and Valdez, Good Size 6'2 215lb, and he still could punch hard with his heavy fists. in the early rounds louis looked real good. He hurt marciano in rounds 1 and 7 with hard left hooks(rocky proved his chin) and in round 5 with a right hand(anyone who says louis right hand is useless has not seen the louis-marciano fight or his other comeback fights)......... Louis best weapon was his left jab. He doubled his left jab the whole fight vs marciano, it was accuate, it was elegent, powerful. At 6'2 215lb he was much bigger than rock, and bigger and more powerful than most fighters he fought and he busted up rockys face pretty bad with it. On the flipside I thought Rocky really showed the skills how he would deal with a big mans jab. Rocky dipped slipped rolled parry'd the jab and make louis miss a bunch of times. He bobbed and weaved in this fight more than any other fight I have seen. Rocky looked fast on his feet in this fight.

It is my opinion this is rockys best fight on film. He showed me everything in this fight. He looked faster and sharper in this fight than any I had seen. He showed what he could do vs an old albeit world clsass big man. I think if you threw this marciano in vs baker and valdez, that Animal I saw would have taken apart both baker and valdez similiar to the way he dealt with louis.....They would never be able to keep rocky off them or outslug rocky.


I cannot believe the myths that have passed around about this fight. About how it looked like a sad tearful ali-holmes spectacle. YA RIGHT!!!! have you seen the fight? It was a very scientific hard fought bout, both dished out alot of punishment both were hungry for an oppertunity for the title. Louis was # 1 ranked and Marciano # 2 ranked, they went all out. You have to remember at this point Joe Louis was promised a title shot rematch vs charles in june(little did they know walcott would knockout charles). Louis was overmatched by the younger great eventually, but he certainly went out on his shield. To show Louis sympathy his degrading his strong performance. I had it only 4 rounds to 3 in favor of marciano clearly a close fight. For anyone to try to imply marciano held back on louis has not seen the fight. Marciano was doing everything he could to take out louis and stay away from that telephone pole jab. Great fight.


Comments:


- I think with Louis natural added bulk to 215lb, I think he became more durable. In his comeback fights he was not floored once until fighting rocky and appeared to take a better punch with the chin with that extra padding

- I think the Prime Joe louis of the late 30s-early 40s would have beaten Rocky.

- I think after watching this fight Joe Louis was still the best hardest puncher rocky ever fought, that includes walcott, layne , moore.

- I think Louis even at that stage of his career was more formidable fighter than the other 2 top big men baker and valdez...Louis knocked out the big cuban Valdez in an live exhibition in one round in 1951 read in the newspaper.


There is no youtube film of Louis in his post fight comeback 1950-1951 except this segment of film Louis vs Valentino in jan 1950........Tell me what you think of louis.......not bad huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3gEciMGusA

 

Sorry I meant there is no YOUTUBE of louis in his postfight comeback fights except the Valentino clip. All they show on youtube is marciano knocking him out, they dont show the full 8 rounds.


I own

Louis vs

Agramonte II
Beshore
Savold
Charles
Marciano
Brion I

 

Yes Sonnysjab, Louis had Several live exhibitions including against future young top prospects like rex layne, nino valdez. In 1951 Joe Louis knocked out Nino Valdez in one round in a live exhibitino similiar to louis-valentino.


Rex Layne after having exhibitions with joe louis and fighting marciano, Claimed Joe Louis hit harder than marciano.

 

I do think Louis lost some sting in his right hand and he did have some trouble getting it off, but it was still there more of a heavy punch now and he hurt savold with it badly before knocking him out and knocked agramonte down with his right, knocked valentino out with it, knocked out nino valdez with a right etc......but louis defintley still had the jab and left hook I agree their Pontius.

 

Can I convince you that even that version of Joe Louis was just as formidable big contender as Nino Valdez and Bob Baker?

part of that could be because Marciano has a better chin than many people think.

I dont understand, your going by what Leibling says rather than actually watching the film yourself with your own two eyes? I watched the fight and Joe Louis used his left hook alot and effectivley, and hurt marciano with it a couple times.