Prime Lennox Lewis vs Prime Rocky Marciano

Well nor does Lewis!

So what is the difference between getting hit clean when you are "switched on" and getting hit clean when you are not? Lewis showed serious technical deficiencies when he fought Rahman and those technical deficiencies exsist regardless of how "switched on" he is.

Againt "The Atomic Bull" he was sent to ***** street by a good, rather than a great puncher, which Rocky certainly is (though it should be noted that under the ruleset that governed Rocky's fights, Lewis would have been allowed to continue in that one).

You are incorrect in my opinion, my reading in boxing has led me to the opposite opinion - the great % of boxers feel fear. What they do with it is what is important (See Ali v Foreman). Regardless, I think most men of Rocky's size in with Lewis would have their fight plan damaged by intimodatory factors.

Once a reach advantage exsists, it's full extent becomes less relevant. That is to say, Lewis could have HALF the reach advantage he does and probably enjoy the same edge in real terms. But Rocky was built for this, specifically this. Remember that he has no interest in fighting at range. He is in and under.

Also, Rocky doesn't have to be "particularaly fast of hand [or] foot" to get inside this jab. In these circumstances, Lewis overeaches (much shorter opponent etc.), though he's normally not bad in that regard - in other words, whilst he is coming forward, and Lewis is also coming forward, closing the distance shold not be a problem. It's what happens AFTER Rocky (inevitably in my view) closes the distance which makes Lewis the right pick for a win by KO.

How does the Lewis jab "decimate" Rocky's workrate? He is expert at slipping them, and bloody brilliant at taking it.

Though I could see Lewis ahead on the cards and smothering his way to a UD, giving up the last couple of rounds.

Imagine i'm right about Rocky but WRONG about Lewis edging matters on the inside - in a 15 round fight. A couple of wee changes and Rocky is suddently favourite.

We agree.

 

But it's a valid reason for Rocky having a chance. If a fighter is about to fight the greatest fighter he's every fought, how can that fighter's chances be written off?

Quite right. HOWEVER, the punches were perfect punches. It is not a coincidence that Lewis had poor preperation and got laid out, and got hit by picture perfect shots and got laid out. The other shots that Lewis shipped, he did not ship picture perfect punches whilst totally unable to roll/respond. This is the mystery of the Lewis chin in my view. It IS as bad as the Raman shot makes it appear to be, but that is not bad at all. But a natural conclusion exsists, and that conclusion is this - a perfect punch delivered by a great puncher will result in a stoppage in favour of the opponent. That Marciano is physically capable of delivering such a punch, even if Lewis is perfectly prepared is surely not 0%? Or do you just consider Rocky a journeyman besides Lewis? If you do, does not a journeyman have even the slenderest of chances?

The Lewis chin is only underated by dummies on the board (And parrots). His chin is fine. But I stand by the above.

OK; but Tyson shat it of Lennox. Despite winning the first round Tyson was basically beaten in that round by the two massive uppercuts that Lewis dropped. He shat it, and it destroyed his fight plan. That would not happen with Rocky.

Everybody fought Rocky off the backfoot. Not all of those people had Lennox's natural gifts of course...i'm just not as convinced as you are that these gifts result in the complete overhaul of Maricano's chances as you do.

If Lewis is jabbing, Rocky is made to get in. If Lewis is not, Rocky KO1 of course!! I think that Rocky's chances would be greatest in the middle rounds when still fresh once his pressure has started to tell a wee bit. But the bottom line is I just don't think that Lewis needs to be so terrified of letting Rocky in as everyone makes out.

No we see the fight going the same, although there's a pretty good chance that Lewis would score the KO before having to come forward.

 

Very broadly speaking, we agree. I will just say this final thing - Marciano had a way of finding just such a punch in just such circumtances. It can't be seen as coincidence that whenever Rocky was in really desperate trouble he was able to find the knockout blow. Just another one of those intangible that makes this fight a little more interesting than many are making out.

 

Walcott landed multiple hard shots on Marciano in round one. Rocky went down for a three count, got up and went back to war. What is your definition of a flash knockdown if it is not exactly this?!

If Marciano didn't have a good chin he would have been stopped in that first round. He fought as a proffesional Heavyweight boxer, was unbeaten and so, obviously, was never stopped. He was never out of the pocket and was hugely aggressive. Your dismissal of Rocky's chin as "saying a lot more about his opposition", is, frankly, embaressing and far more ridiculous than this match up.