Prime Joe Louis Beats Rocky Marciano --- Convince Me

Not sure on the power thing, Yeah Louis had speed and more precise in his punchings. but guys that been nail by BOTH louis and Marciano has said that Rocky hit harder.

Joe Walcott said punch for punch, Rocky was the harder hitter.

 

Not shocking that Walcott would say that. He was caught by one of the worst counter punches in history. I personally, think that Louis was a harder puncher. Marciano IMO was overall, an accumulation hitter. Louis scored the deadlier knockouts, and against better opponents than Rocky.

 

I think Louis was the greater Heavyweight and a prime Joe would trade with the Rock carefully but its still a tough fight of styles for Joe. Louis did not like to be crowded and Marciano would do it. With a prime Louis Rocky would have to walk into the best Combo Power puncher ever...Louis was the master of the 6 piece combo....Still if anyone could do it it was Rocky....I see a late stop in this fight 10-15...To me Louis is # 1 but Rocky may have had the right style...Rocky could be hit and take a shot but he also could make you miss a lot and throw and expend a lot of energy.....This is a tough call but a battle of attrition or a kill or be killed fight

 

Very difficult to say for me, Marciano can definitely be caught by Louis coming in, needless to say actually, Louis can hit him with all kinds. But Marciano isnt just walking into shots like some idiot, not to say he has a good defence, but he is very awakward, and conctantly hits you. I actually rate Marciano high in terms of head to head ability (given a reasonable size match-up), what the hell are you supposed to do against him? It would be hell on earth even for an opponent with a very high level of skill. Not unbeatable though probably.

I really find it hard to decide.

 

I've just rewatched their actual fight Louis looks so old and slow and tired. The killer instinct isnt there, opportunities where in the past he may unload viscous combinations he throws nothing

Louis had success when they fought in the 3rd and 4th rounds with his jab, which was much slower and he had an injured left hand so couldnt throw it as hard. It edged him the 3rd and his 4th round was very impressive. In his prime though his fast mid-close range combinations would have really been telling but in his old age he couldnt get these off. He also had allot of success with his uppercuts and short range hooks, in his prime he would get these off far more accurately and do more damage with them.

Louis seemed to fade into the 5th, but edged that round with better boxing and counter punching

The last 2 rounds Marciano can feel Louis fading imo and gets close to unload his best punches, Louis really looks a shadow but it is a an awesome arsenal Rocky unloads.

What we learn from this fight, Louis has the better boxer skills but has lost allot from what he once was. Marciano was missing like an amateur at times and he'd be really bust up by counters if that was a prime Louis. What is not mentioned is Marciano had some problems with Louis's skill and lost 3rounds against an old, much slower man who's reactions were shot. No on mentions Marciano had problems with the Louis jab or with the Louis uppercut.

Prime for prime the key difference is Louis would have the speed, timing, accuracy and sharpness to catch Marciano flush with his best dynamite punches. That means he's landing first, punnishing errors and countering mistakes. He's also going to up his workrate and movement. Marcianos workrate, balance and underrated skills may cause problems and Rocky may make Louis work for a decision but equally Louis might even make stopping Rocky look easy

 

But the Marciano that fought Louis was not prime Marciano.

I think Rocky improve a lot by 53 than 51, so you cant relly judge how a prime match up would be.

Also Louis would not be moving away, he would be stalking Marciano, So a prime match up would not be Marciano chaseing Louis imo.

 

Think there about even, in comp.

I mean is Walcott or Charles any worse than the Buddy Baers, Max Baers, Jack Sharkeys and Primo Carneras??
Louis didnt beat better guys, for the most part they were about even.

Not sure if Louis scored more deadlier knockouts, He never left a foe in the shape Rocky left poor Vingo.

And its not just Walcott, people that fought them BOTH said the Rock hit harder with 1 punch than Louis did with 5.

Louis is the better finisher, but he is NOT the power puncher that Marciano is punch for punch. Louis hardly if ever scored a one punch knockout, Outside of Braddock.

 

Louis would have destroyed him ... cut him to pieces and knocked him out within eight rounds ...

 

It could go either way. Rocky's going to crowd Louis, and throw bombs, but Joe's going to throw straighter punches getting to him first. We all know Rock had a great chin, but those very short punches of Louis are what give him the edge. I agree with the assessment that Louis seems to dislike fighters who get very close. But, one thing I've noticed from those fights is that Godoy throws short, tight punches. It's not always the case, but when Rock swings for the fences, he does leave openings. I also think Godoy's attempts to get at Louis were a bit more clever than Rocky's were. Godoy uses a crouch to become a smaller target. I see Rocky fighting out of a crouch, but he seems to be a good deal more upright than Godoy coming towards a fighter. Louis has a better target to tee off on with Rocky. I think that may make the difference over the rounds.

I think this could be a decision fight, surprising as it may seem.

 

Thanks mate

 

Pete, how many times have you watched the Godoy rematch? Arturo didn't take a backwards step in that one, but got ripped apart anyway.

Granted, Godoy was no Marciano, but when I watch how Walcott opened his title defense against Rocky, then Louis-Godoy II, then Marciano-Louis, I can see Rocky getting carved up by a youthful Joe in eight rounds, especially with Blackburn in his corner.

 

Oh come on.

He was a hell of a lot closer to his prime than Louis was to his. Rocky was young, hungry and undefeated.
Louis was an old man scratching around for motivation and a payday.