Max Schmeling of Louis No1 fight vs Rocky Marciano, who wins ?

Most will take Marciano as the easy answer however I agree with you Burt. Maybe not 50/50 but I would say he is a live dog.

 

Max looked great vs Louis in fight 1 but I think the Marciano pressure and power may be all wrong for him and get to him by the 9-10th round or sooner.

 

I agree. I think Schmeling would have moments...but Marciano's pressure would allow him to get his punches off, where Max would be very uncomfortable on the inside. I think Marciano takes this in 9-10 rounds by stoppage.

 

I think Schmeling would be a very dangerous opponent for Marciano. Win or loose, Rocky probably visits the canvas, and gets beaten up pretty badly. Schmeling seems to have done well against pressure fighters, and did horrible damage to people who tried to wear him down over the course of a fight.

 

Styles make fights, and I think Marciano's style is all wrong for Max.

I don't exactly know where on film Max looks good against a pressure fighter. Louis didn't press him that much early in the 1936 fight.

Also, Marciano's crouch would help negate the overhand right.

My take is that a Marciano-Dempsey sort of pressing fighter is the absolute worst type of opponent for Max, who did much better against an opponent who let him set up to throw that right.

 

I'd make it more in Rocky's favour.Say 60/40
The sharper , more mobile Schmeling that lost to Sharkey I'd maybe give a 50/50 chance.

 

An absorbing pairing that I feel Schmeling's patience and precision would have snared him a win. Just as I would have picked peak Charles and Walcott to do the same. Doubt if Rocky would have been around in the later rounds to grind Max down, as he would have been so bashed up by the bigger man.