Just read an extract forn Johannson's biography,he states that Willie Pastrano and Zora Folley were considered before Eddie Machen.Would things have been any different if he had fought one of them instead?Pastrano was rejected as the Swedish camp thought his style wouldn't please the crowd ,Folley was ready to fight Pete Rademacher so ,with some misgivings ,especially on Ingo's part they took the Machen fight.Ingo reasoned he had everything to gain and nothing much to lose , we know how things turned out ,what if Willie or Zora had been in the opposite corner that day in Sweden?
OK. If Johansen had fought none of these fighters (no hindsight) I would probably have judged Machen to be the greatest threat of the three. In fact I have a horible feeling that I would have picked Machen to beat Johansen.
Machen was the best fighter of them. I think he would've beaten both Folley or Pastrano, but i doubt it would've looked as impressive as the Eddie fight did. Johansson knocking out Machen, both at the time and especially in hindsight, was a huge win. I can't think of any bigger wins at heavyweight in the 50's. Perhaps Marciano KO1 Walcott, but Jersey Joe had been stopped before and he wasn't destroyed like Machen was.
Zora folley in his prime looked very good. He was lean chizzled. His punches were fast and sharp. He had one of the best jabs in the division, he had perfect textbook boxing skills. But he had a weak jaw. If ingo connects with the right its prolly over, but if he doesnt folley should outbox ingo pretty handily and win a wide decision.
You sure? i think both are even. Folley outboxed him pretty clearly in there 2nd fight won a clear decision. Folley is underated. Dont judge the fat old folley of the ali fight, the young lean sharp ripped folley of the late 1950s was real good. Folley was the better boxer than machen and had the better jab, he matched up far better against boxers, while machen matched up better vs sluggers. machen had better defense and better chin. punching power even.
patrano yes easily, he was no heavyweight. but a prime lean zora folley?? toss up, folley could easily outbox ingo just as ingo could easily catch him with the right. 50/50
pastrano was not really a threat at heavy. not a puncher at 175, certainly not one at heavyweight. at best, he would have made ingo look bad, but ingo would win. either by late stoppage or on points. folley would have been more dangerous, certainly a pretty good puncher. and ingos chin was totally iron. neither was folleys. this is a tough tough call, but i think ingos exceptional power would have blitzed folley. sooner or later.