Larry Holmes vs. Rocky Marciano

Try as I might, I just can't see Marciano beating a prime Holmes. The Holmes that boxed circles around Shavers the first time would probably due the same to Marciano. Rocky was no faster than Earnie and was probably slower and certainly smaller. How then is he going to get to Larry with a 69" reach? Larry had a 79"-80" reach with one of the best jabs in HW history and excellent lateral movement. Larry was also much faster both with hands and feet which is why I can't envision how Rocky would win. Larry would have the luxury of boxing from quite a distance from Rocky and dancing out of the way if and when Rocky got close, all the while pumping a hard fast jab in his face all night. Make both fighters the same size and it's a different story but otherwise it's Holmes all the way, at least a prime Holmes anyway. Put two good fighters in the ring and the bigger one wins nine times out of ten. Rocky has the power to hurt or KO Holmes but he just does'nt have the right sized body to deliver that power properly. Holmes by UD or late round stoppage due to cuts.

 

Shavers didnt have the punch out put as Marciano did though. I relly have a hard time seeing Holmes out boxing Marciano like he did Shavers. And unlike Shavers, Marciano has plenty of stimia to spare for 15 rounds.
I see Marciano slipping and ducking the jab more often than not as he did with Charles, Moore and Walcott. Sure some will get though. But I think Holmes misses a good number of jabs.

 

It's possible the fight plays out as you have seen it, but I dont think it's fair comparing Shavers and Marciano. Shavers didn't have the tenacity or drive of a Marciano, nor his killer instinct.
Rocky made his small size an advantage. It wasn't the handicap everyone thought it would be in his career.

Like most of Maricano's fights, he'd turn it into a war of wills.

 

Fair enough if you see it that way, but do remember that outside of a huge punch, Shavers and Marciano have next to nothing in common. Shavers lost nearly everytime he stepped up and sometimes when he didn't step up. Marciano always won and nearly always by KO. Besides a big punch he also has great stamina, chin, strength, and maybe most important, he knew how to impose his will on his opponent. Moore, Charles, Walcott, all master boxers, were taken out of their game.

Shavers had bad stamina, mediocre chin, horrible ability to get punches in, didn't apply Marciano's pressure and was a bad ring general in the sense that Holmes and other opponents had an easy time doing what they wanted to do. Even a dead version of Ali beat him.

 

:good

 

rs

Some posters wrote it already, but I really don´t know why you compare Marciano with Shavers, Earnie KO´d only bums and washed up former contenders whether Marciano KO´d the best opponents in his era, big difference... and from where comes always the myth that Marciano cuts so easily, I often read a "cut stoppage" atsch, when did Marciano cut beside against Charles, where Ezzard´s ellbow made this accident?

 

Exactly. Shavers is basically a clubfighter with totally unbelievable power, which of course takes him above clubfighter status, but i'm sure i make my point. If the guy had average power we would never have heard of him.

Great guy tho and a totally lovable boxer, i'm a big fan of the man and would have been pleased for him to jag the title at any point. Earnie and his power have some real cult status, and plenty still believe him to be the hardest hitter ever, which is certainly possible.