Rocky Graziano vs. Ruben Carter

I'm going with Graziano... More proven career.

 

It's a very appealing match-up.

Could the hurricane erode the rock?

Carter certainly had the power to do so, but lacked the pinpoint precision and skill of a Zale or SRR. My feeling is that even over 15 he (Graziano) is able to hang on long enough to eke out a decision, like Giardello.

I can see both getting floored en route to the final judgment, maybe Rocky a couple more times (but still scoring more points, a'la Marquez-Pacquiao I).

 

I really don't know what to make of Rubin carter, and in truth have seen very little footage of him.. I find it interesting that his name is brought up quite a bit in boxing discussions, but I wonder if a lot of it has to do with his controversial life story, rather than his career achievements as a fighter. He did of course, pick up some very good wins such as his first round stoppage of Emile Griffith, and may have also fallen victim to some robbery decisions.... But at the end of the day, he was a guy who never won a world title and left boxing ( not on his own terms ) with a final record of 27-12-1-19.... Again, he might have looked as good as anyone on film, but I don't know if this guy should be put up against all time greats in fantasy matchups.

 

That's pretty much why his name remains afloat. He isn't one of history's better middleweights, but had undeniably big power (always an attractive trait and conversation piece) and one huge win over an ATG.

He's kind of like the middleweight equivalent of McCall or Rahman, in that respect.

 

Thanks for the input... Perhaps he has some parallels to Iran Barkley in that respect as well, ( though Barkley had a few more big wins, and ultimately was a world champion. ) Strangely enough, I have seen his name in a lot of head to head fantasy fights, and unless my memory is failing me, ring magazine might even have done a match between him and Marvin Hagler in their battle of the legends section, years ago( could be wrong though. ) I wonder how he might have been remembered if we take away the murder charge and all the controversy that ultimately developed into a life time story, including a novel, movie and even song written about him.... I have my doubts about the average non-boxing fan ever hearing of him, and suspect that it might have changed even the avid fan's recollection of him...

 

Hagler would have destroyed Carter. Complete mismatch.

Anyone with a good chin (or even a solid defense and stamina) matches up favorably head-to-head against Rubin - let alone one of the most ferocious and offensively skilled champions 160 ever saw.

As for separating his identities inside and outside of the ring, you're probably right about casuals not knowing him without the influence of Dylan and other luminaries taking up his cause. Every historian and student of the game would still know him as a power-punching contender without the hoopla outside the ring, and the Griffith win would always ensure him a mention as one of the notable middleweights of his era (but not all-time - you're right, he is paired up against far too many greats undeservedly).

 

Carter

 

You don't trust Rocky's whiskers? In 83 fights only two very special punching talents stopped him...and he didn't exactly fight "carefully". Carter may have had massive pop, but wasn't a technically brilliant puncher and Graziano would have given him plenty to think about from bell to bell with his generally overwhelming style.

 

This one would be a slugfest to remember...and a tossup at that. If forced to pick, however...Rocky.

 

Do you mind adding a public poll, bodhi?

 

Ah! IB to the rescue.

It's never too late to add a poll to one of your own threads. Go to your very first post, and see in the upper right corner where it says "thread tools"? Click that to reveal a little drop-down menu, and the third option is to add a poll. :good

Of course, for future reference, when you're first posting the thread there is a box way down at the bottom of the page that you can check to have the poll included in the first place.

 

Okay, was officially the first one to vote, and I took Rocky on points.