Ken Norton v. Rocky Marciano

I would pick a prime Quarry over Norton in a heartbeat.

I would even go as far as to say that it takes a bit of a leap of faith to pick Norton over any elite puncher.

 

Marciano KO 2 or 3

 

So the reason there are weight-divisions is to protect the big guys?

 

Which version was the better all round in your oppinion?

For the record: Rocky knocks Norton out in the midrounds but until then Ken is game.

 

I would say the 1951-1952. I have never seen rocky look so fast and sharp as in the joe louis fight, its a shame many here dismiss this as a sad affair not worth watching.....the first five rounds were extremley exciting filled with two big punchers exchanging blows, classic big man vs little man. both men hungry for a title shot. both men with huge welts all over there faces. the first 5 rounds before louis got tired, louis really showed up to fight his jab really found its mark.....but he ran into a rocky on his best night.


the 1954-55 rockys workrate vastly improved, but he lost alot of punching power, handspeed, and movement.

 

I hear your point but it does not speak volumes about Marciano that a 37 year old shell of Joe Louis fought him competitive for six rounds ... I can see a prime Dempsey or Tyson taking that Louis out early ...

 

I do question how dempsey would have done vs a 1950s joe louis. I suspect dempsey knocks him out, but then again none of the big men dempsey faced were anywhere near as skilled as louis nor did they have a jab like louis did.......i expect dempsey to get quite a few lumps on his face before he puts away louis. Also if dempsey tries to get cute like he did vs firpo......he might find himself out of the ring courtest of one of louis hooks...this time he wont be saved by a typewriter.

 

A prime Louis, yes ... the Louis that Marciano fought, that produced one knockdown in his entire comeback, I doubt it ....

 

one knockdown? thats not true. Louis knocked out big future # 1 nino valdez in one round with a 3 punch combo, and he knocked out the durable pat valentino out cold through the ropes(the fight can be seen on youtube)..... I have all of louis fights in his comeback. he also knocked omelio agramonte down with one right hand for a 9 count in the 2nd round....agramonte was lucky to survive the round. agramonte after that ran on his bicycle for the next 18 rounds vs louis...the only reason he survived in both fights he was a young flashy fighter....agramonte was rated in the top 10 by the way. andy walker was also knocked down 3 times by joe louis, walker was 6'3 200lb. Louis busted up beshore terribly, beshore's corner saved him from being knocked out for the count the next round. Jimmy Bivins and cesar brion were both DURABLE excellent defensive fighters who fought passive fights against joe louis made to survive. Bivins was still hurt terribly in the 1st and 10th rounds lucky to make it out....Lee Savold was one of the most durable fighters of the era and # 2 rated in the world BBC heavyweight champ. savold had been down for the 10 count just once in the past 10 years, and rocky marciano failed to floor savold. joe louis with one punch put savold out for the 10 count. Louis hurt rocky at the end of the first with a left hook and busted a prime rockys face up, a prime ezzard charles face was also busted up horribly by the few punches louis landed on him.


Jimmy Bivins said after "one thing louis still had left was his punching power. his skills and reflexes were eroded but he could still hit very hard."



A prime louis knocks dempsey out pretty clearly IMO, but the 1950s louis would be an interesting fight the first 6 rounds.....dempsey never faced a big man with skills and jab like louis, even a 37 year old louis

 

Absolutely not. Norton was bigger, but he wasn't even in Charles' league pound-for-pound. Also, several of Marciano's opponents arguably hit at least as hard as Norton, who never so much as knocked down an elite fighter.

 

While I don't believe that the early '50s Louis would be a terribly serious threat to Dempsey, let me add that Louis also scored three knockdowns in his fight with Andy Walker, which in and of itself makes a mockery of the claim that he produced one knockdown in his entire comeback, along with the others you list.

Unholy punching power like a prime Joe Louis had doesn't just disappear. The early-'50s Louis could still punch. The comeback opponents he fought were, as a group, very hard guys to stop, and he just didn't always have the speed, timing or reflexes left to get the job done against them. For a modern comparison, Samuel Peter has only won two stoppages in his last eight fights, but I don't think anyone here would say that Peter can't punch/has lost his power; rather, he has been facing opponents who, as a group, are very hard to stop, and he lacks the necessary speed, timing and reflexes to consistently find a home for his knockout punches against them, in much the same way as the early '50s Louis.

 

O shoot forgot about the walker fight, the only fight not on film

 

Ken Norton by KO

 

Nice post Suze. Louis wasn't half bad on his comeback and still definitely a top 5 heavyweight when he fought Marciano.