Prime Rocky Marciano vs Prime Earnie Shavers

Walcott may have been a sneaky fighter but he basically just strong-armed Marciano during that first round.

https://streamable.com/m8wj

This wasn't some extremely high-level, sneaky maneuvering that only a true ATG wizard could have pulled off. Walcott basically stood flat-footed and tried to slug it out and bomb Marciano out like the bum Walcott (wrongly) thought he was. This doesn't take a tremendous amount of skill or cleverness.

 

They had a guy on a zither playing the Harry Lime Theme, from the Third Man is that your kind of thing?I liked it!

 

You have to like Marciano but Shavers would be the most dangerous man he ever faced style wise early .. Shavers was the massive puncher. Rocky did get hit. Shavers had over ten inches in reach and threw from the outside behind has jab. If Earnie fought a controlled , intelligent fight it would be a hell of a contest for Rocky .. obviously the longer it went the better for Marciano .. I'd favor Rocky but would not bet the fight.

 

Good info ,I didn't know about the broken hand,I believe Zora Folley also dropped Oscar in their 1st fight.

 

I see what you mean, but on the other hand, Walcott cleverly set Marciano up for the left hook by throwing and landing enough right hands so as to make Rocky concentrate on avoiding the right. This left him open for Joe's left hook which, as McVey pointed out earlier in this thread and much to my embarrassment, was the punch that actually scored the knockdown. It was a masterful set-up. To Rocky's credit, he was able to adjust to the situation and avoid a repetition of the manhandling he received in the first round and come back to win the fight.

 

Yeah, I just don't buy the idea that it was some kind of masterful or especially clever set-up. I don't see anything to support it.

Walcott basically just steamrolled him. He threw a lot of rights because he could get a lot of power on them and Marciano was wide open to them. I don't see any basis to believe that it was some kind of elaborate plan. It's always struck me as wishful thinking and an after-the-fact rationalization. It's definitely possible, but I'm deeply skeptical.

Walcott was too old and tired to sustain that kind of attack for long, especially when he was taking damage from Marciano's fists (and head). Fight might have gone very differently otherwise.

 

I think it was Walcott's plan to catch Marciano off guard and to take him by storm. I agree that the left hook arose out of an immediate opportunity, but it was a response based on Walcott's long experience as a master boxer. Walcott created the situation and he had the skill and know-how to take advantage of it. It was an instinctive reaction made on the spur of the moment, but made possible only by Joe's lifetime of ring experience. I really don't think we have much of a difference here.

 

Yes.....BUT...he had stamina problems....didn't carry his power into the later rounds...never KO'd anyone after the 7th round...and didn't have the knack of coming up with the big punch...(ala Marciano)...when he had too...

 

Not denying what your telling me I'm just saying he has a punchers chance.

 

What is it that Max Kellerman always says "physical strength is more important than punching power " lmao. I think Marciano stops him

 

Not 100% true .. he stopped Roy Williams in a war but not sure if it wasn't exhaustion ...

 

That was a very interesting round.

The finish is very Rocky-esque. It's very easy to picture him unloading square on until Earnie falls.

But the first half of the round, the lateral movement, the slipping backwards, the popping jabs, the check hooks, the counter over hand rights. All of that is something I wouldn't really consider to be a part of Rocky's arsenal.

Quarry doesn't beat him on the inside, he beats him from range, catches him with a whole lot of clean counters and then goes in for the finish. Would Rocky have the same success on his chest as Quarry did at range? It's a tough call.

Shavers is the stronger man so I could see him pushing Rocky back and hurting him with long punches the way Foreman did to Frazier.

I'm kind of at the stage where my opinions on these classic fighters are already decided. I've seen what I've seen and I know what I know.

I think if we take the 190 version of Rocky, who's 30 pounds lighter than Earnie, that man is a favourite here but is very much against a live dog in Shavers.

Bulking Rocky by a stone and j fvsiur him comfortably.