Marciano Harder Hitter than Lennox Lewis

Yes, but the advancements might be more in equipment than in the athletes. Better tracks and better shoes mean better traction and hence better times. A computer study of a film of Jesse Owens and a modern sprinter, based on the length and rapidity of Owens' stride, showed he actually was running faster than the modern sprinter he was being compared with, even though his recorded time was slower.

 

It was Carl Lewis.

 

Chris, I concede your points on modern lightheavies, except for one point. I don't really understand what difference it really makes if Jones was at the official weight of 193, or 198 as you maintain. He still moved back to lightheavy and he in fact was stopped at lightheavy twice, while a top heavyweight could not stop him.

 

"I officially hate you"

I wish I could give you my ex-wife's telephone number. She and you could have an extended and sympatico conversation.

 

Well, lets see:

1. Louis--had not been knocked out in 15 years and 41 bouts. Had suffered 1 knockout in 70 bouts.

2. Moore--Had gone 7 years and 62 bouts without suffering a knockout, during which period he had fought 24 rated contenders. Michael Spinks fought 14, and Bob Foster 20, rated contenders in their careers.
Moore did suffer 7 knockouts in his career, but in about 220 fights, meaning 1 in every 31 or so fights, about the same as Spinks.

3. LaStarza--Had not been knocked out in 56 bouts. Other than Marciano, suffered only 1 knockout in 65 fights.

4. Matthews--Had been stopped, apparently on cuts, once in 89 fights going into Marciano bout. Was unbeaten in last 52, and was on a 50
bout winning streak. Marciano was the only one to put him down for count. Other than Marciano, suffered two stoppages in 102 bouts, the second a retirement due to a back injury.

5. Layne--Had not been stopped in 37 bouts going into Marciano fight, and had 9 wins over rated fighters, including big hitters Satterfield and Thompson, as well as Walcott.

How many champions knocked out men who carried streaks of fights in which they had not been knocked out as long as 62, 56, 52, 41, and 37, into their fights?

Walcott and Savold might look vulnerable, but both suffered most of their knockouts years earlier. Savold was stopped 6 times prior to 1939 when he began winning against top competition and moved into the ratings. From 1939 to 1952, fighting a great many contenders, he was stopped only by Elmer Ray, Joe Louis, and Marciano.
Walcott, from the stoppage by Simon until 1952, again fighting the best out there, was stopped only by Louis in the twelve years prior to fighting Marciano.
Charles had been stopped twice in 91 fights, fighting perhaps the most difficult resume of any champion since Harry Greb, going into his fights with Marciano.

 

I'm really sorry that I can't. I remember Howard Cosell talking about this study back in the nineties and admitting that he had always accepted the arguement that modern times proved modern athletes better, but this study gave him doubts.

If I can or do find anything more on this, I will post it on ESB.

 

The point isn't that the best modern sprinters might not be better than Owens. The big point is that Owens is running faster than his recorded time. Besides loss of traction, times were recorded by stopwatches. That could take some time off. Even the fastest human reflexes take some time when we are down to fractions, or even hundreds, of a second.

I don't think anyone has tried to prove Owens is the fastest runner in history.