"Rocky couldn't lay a glove on Jack Johnson"

Johnson by KO. Not too dissimilar to the Burns fight.

 

Wills has a very good point,,,

 

Ali was also capable of throwing an insane amount of punches. He made you miss and made you pay.

Tyson just didn't show up to the fight. Yeah, he could be labelled a swarmer, but he wasn't swarming that night.

Lewis had a massive size advantage over Tua which he played to. Tua often looked helpless.

Notice I said "usually." These would be the kinds of exceptions we would see.

 

My biggest critcism of both guys is the size of their competition but Marcianos era was bigger. It was also more clearly in the modern era while Johnsons is more borderline especially his best years.

Marcianos also got power and Marciano would be more difficult for Johnson to deal with than vice e versa. Marcianos got a really short reach but if he could beat Charles, Walcott, Moore and any version of Joe Louis I feel obligated to pick him.

 

Johnson every day and Sunday. His style was designed to shut down fighters like Marciano. He would beat Marciano on the inside with a few breaks here and there fighting on the outside. Johnson developed an ability to block and parry on the inside that became a near impenetrable barrier. Whether it be Dempsey, Marciano or Frazier it’s Johnson all the way. Unanimous decision. Johnson unmarked. Marciano cut to pieces by Johnson’s left and right uppercuts.

 

Weighing it carefully & reading all thoughts I think I’m tentatively convinced by the Johnson camp.

 

Johnson w Marciano era gloves and rules stands no chance. Like none. He was built for his era. He was allowed to wrestle and grab arms on the inside. He would not know what to do in today’s era. He has a slim chance in his own era but I’d still favor Marciano. Honestly different sport at the time. Don’t like comparing pre Dempsey sorts.

 

This content is protected

the way they r fighting would be impossible in todays era. Jacks defense would be non existent today and he prob gets crushed in one or two rounds against the Rock. He would try to hold Marciano’s arms and realize he can’t w those gloves and the ref stopping him. He would be a punching bag.

 

Marciano KO, too relentless, too much work rate and Johnson’s defensive techniques wouldn’t work against the non-stop combinations of Marciano.

 

I’m a Johnson fan and I am heartened by the votes of confidence for Lil Arthur - but I’m still not so sure.

Jack was certainly strong, and most pronouncedly so against somewhat smaller opposition - but I don’t know if he was strong enough to stifle Marciano.

I’d need to see just the first 1-2 rounds (and I think that’s all it would be required for viewing) to gage how effectively (or not effectively) Johnson could shut Rocky down.

If Jack could successfully hold - he could certainly use that searing uppercut of his to great advantage.

Some might point to certain features of Johnson’s style being antiquated but the uppercut transcends time - it was a beautiful punch. Johnson needed next to no room to launch it and he gave very little hint before he let it rip.

I’ve never seen a fighters head ripped up and back like Jeffries head was time and again when Johnson repeatedly hit him with his choice punch - even when chest to chest, Johnson could get that punch through easily with maximum leverage.

 

So Marciano just wouldn't adapt at all and not employ similar techniques, he had somewhat freakishly big fists and forearms to be grappling with

 

I'm a Marciano realist in these parts but I think he tears Johnson a new one. Of course he was relentless but he was so squirrelly and so adept at not getting clinched or manhandled. He would punch Johnson from all angles and still with power. KO9

 

Interestingly, I am more critical & less impressed with Johnson than most, but I’m being won over here by arguments he could take Marciano.

I’m still a good ways from certain, mind.

 

I think the physical strength of Johnson might be undervalued here, in his ability to not be herded into anything or panicked to "opening up on exit."and the awkward kind of athleticism that Marciano had might be underappreciated and maybe flatly misunderstood. I have more H2H belief in Marciano but I also have a consideration about how Johnson might be misperceived in his defensive style and how one might think Marciano overcomes it. I sometimes think of defensive fighters, generally, as having a tendency to be more on a rhythm and maybe more autopilot, in a way where there's this misattributing their defensive success to something mental - when it's more instinctive and based on the rhythm and the dance. Marciano has the rep as a rhythm-breaker but I might go against what I think others would picture in a Marciano pick.

Because I see Johnson's defensive ability being free of *need* for rhythm and unusually not very automatic but very reactive and cerebral-horsepower-based. I see much more real-time calculation than I do an instinctive athletic dance that Marciano would throw into unstructured maneuvering. I see it coming down to whether Marciano's volume, pressure, power, angles of offense and, yes, even defense, can help flummox and smother even the highest horsepower cerebral, reactive thinking that a really brilliant boxer like Johnson would employ. Now, this comment was written by AI and I've never seen either fighter in anything but highlight reels so maybe I'm just a phony but I don't have nearly as much time to watch these guys while I'm posting about them, as some of you, in my defense. I actually would *have to* use AI to make comments like this and contribute my share to the forum. If anything, I'm faking for the benefit of the forum's health and should be lauded for that. However I have to achieve it.

 

Ali didnt throw an insane amount of punches in either 2 or 3 fights with Frazier.
Lastarza went the distance, and into the 11th with Rocky, he did not have Johnson's defensive capabilities ,his strength,his size, or his punch.
Johnson would be a couple of inches taller than Marciano with a 6" longer reach and be 20lbs heavier and his uppercut would be in play when Rocky got inside,how he would handle the incessant pressure we can only guess?
I don't think Marciano would have a strength advantage,and in any case Johnson would not try to match him in that department,he would be content to let Marciano do all the pushing and shoving.