Rocky Marciano vs. Bob Fitzsimmons

Benny would beat Duran's ass. Duran looked like **** against clever, mobile boxers. I can't think of any other fighter in the division that would dominate him more besides Whitaker.

 

I suspect both Fitz and Marciano can knock each other down/out with a single punch, and I know they often won their fights that way.

 

The fact people think it's a bad matchup for Marciano, mystifying, really. This has to be one of the worst matchups for Fitzsimmons. His defense is mediocre, his hands are too low, and his best bet is basically to set up Marciano, an ATG iron-chinned wrecking machine, with a 1 punch KO. Talk about the absolute epitome of the puncher's chance. A 165 clever puncher needing to knock cold a fighter that's never ever really been too hurt on film. Wasn't Fitzsimmons best weapon his right hand? Marciano was vulnerable to the left hook. I also need to remind a few people that Marciano is no cinch to hit cleanly. The fact that Fitzsimmons is clever fighter who feints well and is going up against a superior non-stop puncher who's also clever and feints well like Bobby is pretty much a nightmare scenario for him. Marciano was said to have feinted with his feet. Fitzsimmons does not have the goods to land a home run that probably can't even KO Marciano. Nightmare matchup.

No no no, I know. Marciano was down on the canvas for a total of 7 seconds against fighters that were sub 200 pounds. Yeah yeah, and Galento dropped Louis with a left hook and Braddock dropped and hurt Louis with a right hand. Oh yeah, that Joe Frazier was down for an 8 count in his second fight against a bum (Was the standing 8 count in effect?). And Cooper caught Clay real good. If Fitzsimmons lands clean on any of these men he's sure to kill them! Dream on...

 

At least Langford would have a chance. Might as well send Fitzsimmons to the Morgue.

 

Well, since this topic has essentially denegrated to saying all sorts of things about fitz that are pretty innaccurate(mediocre defense)? I guess we should probably put this one out to pasture.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=17966&more=1

 

fitz would get knocked out by james kirkland theres no way he lasts a minute with marciano

 

There seems to be some argument about who this is a bad stylistic matchup for.

How do you acount for Fitzsimmons sucess against Tom Sharkey relative to the other top fighters of his era e.g Corbett, Jeffries, Ruhlin etc?

 

:rofl

Fitz fought in an era when the sport was developing and the talent pool was less dense. He also benefited from small gloves that could exert more power. The sweet science made advances after his time, he's seriously outgunned and technically ill equiped for this match up

 

I favour Rocky, but I can't get the two one punch kos of Sharkey out of my head, not a fight to bet the house on methinks.

 

Tom Sharkey had a weak chin. That was always his problem.

 

Having some fun here Suzie?
I know you know Fitz stopped Sharkey with body punches ,you little grappling rascal.

 

Two losses by knockout, one to Fitz and another to a big ranker in Ruhlin and he's chinny? Strange, considering that Jeffries described him as his toughest, gamest opponent. We're talking about a man that endured the punishment of a broken nose, two cracked ribs, a cut face, and a cauliflower ear because he vowed to beat Jeffries. Does that sound like a man short of mental or physical durability to you?

 

With poor footage this is a pretty silly question really, the footage we do have of Fitz doesn't show him in the best light, to assume he's the technical equal of Archie Moore is a massive stretch

 

Sharkey's chin failed him time and time again. Look at his knockout losses to average hitting Gus Ruhlin, not to mention he was embarrasingly dropped twice by 156lb Kid McCoy. Now that we established Marciano vastly superior durability to Sharkey, I am sure we can do the same for skill/defense/punching power/etc. On the otherhand, I highly doubt Fitz had even remotely near the skill level Moore, Louis Charles, Walcott possessed..and I have my doubts if he hit harder than a few of them.

 

Ironically the footage we do have of Fitz is similar to some of the worst we have of Archie, being frustrated by a more mobile, speedier fighter with a better left.

The thing is that Fitz has endorsements from pretty much every technician of the time and the era immediately proceeding, Gans and McCoy admit that their bags of tricks are very small compared to his from their sparring experiences