What do you think? Which fighters from before Rocky’s era would beat him, and how many (if any)? This includes all previous world champions, as well as younger versions of fighters like Charles, Walcott, and Moore, and of course strong non-heavyweight champions such as Wills, Langford, Jeanette, McVey, Godfrey, Conn, Bivins, Ray, etc... BTW, happy holidays!
Hey, it's me, the guy who always wants to know what rules the fights are being fought under complaining that you don't say what rules the fight is being fought under! How can we possibly make a pick in Johnson-Marciano without knowing what the rules are? In a 45 round fight where Johnson is allowed to grapple, his fight plan will be completely different to a 15 round fight with the big gloves! What about Rocky? Surely he's not coming out to kill with punches early knowing he's in with a guy whose plan is specifically to contain him and take him into later rounds and knock him out!? More from me next time guys! Have a good evening!
I think Louis would beat him six of ten times, prime Charles 50-50, Walcott 2 of five, and Schmeling and Baer 1 of five...anything earlier than that is tough to say because of stylistic differences of the era. I would say that Rocky coming in the low crouch has an advantage over the straight-up era guys, but others have debated it and I don't care to re-litigate it.
You’re right, I hadn’t even thought of that. I’d suggest the same conditions Rocky boxed under as world champion (15 rounds, etc.), which I guess would roughly be from the Walker Law onwards. Okay and glove size would presumably be 8 ounces. That said, I wouldn’t treat this as a set of strict requirements. It’s an open topic, and objections like yours or other perspectives on the conditions can lead to more interesting and useful insights.
Louis with no bounce in his legs was having the fight go his way before he tired and became flat footed. If a Louis with diminished power and footwork can handle Rocky like that, Prime Joe blasts him and stays ahead of him in most exchanges, ending the fight in the middle rounds. Schmeling is too defensively sound, clever and has matching stamina to stay ahead and win via cuts or referee stoppage, he was a real tiger against a prime Louis, any version of Rocky should be easier to handle. Baer is strong, endurant but lazy. Rocky piles up a lead and might win on cuts but I think Baer can outpunch him and straight up knock him cold. Dempsey probably gets him, he had more explosiveness, range and speed but Rocky had more volume, so he is a slight underdog. Tunney is a terrible match up. He is here, he is there, he jabs you, he grabs you, he's gone and that goes on repeat for fifteen rounds. Wins decision against Braddock who looks like a pizza by the final bell, and likewise outworks Sharkey who is a tough match up otherwise. Prime Walcott is too slick to get caught, but too showboaty to win on points against an ever throwing forthcoming Marciano. He losses SD and the fans boo Rocky, but the wins a win.
As already mentioned, for some of those opponents the rules would be very different making it harder to form an analysis. But keeping it general on my part, I think Rocky probably does very well against most of them. Marciano vs prime versions of Louis and Dempsey would be fantastic matchups.
Louis and Dempsey both stop him IMO. Tunney I don't think can deal with Rocky's constant pressure. Baer is a tough one but I think Rocky wears him down for a late ko. I'd predict Rocky beats Jack Johnson though in a late rounds ko.
All the champs except the 19th century guys and Walcott. Of all the lineal champs Sharkey, Braddock or Schmeling at a time they really weren't feeling it is his best bet. But all three at their best would mop the floor with Marciano. He'd beat Arthur Pelkey and guys like that though.
Prime Louis, as well as Johnson Dempsey, and possibly Tunney. Somebody mentioned Schmeling, whom seems to get extrwmely overrated on this forum? Nope, a Sharkey when hes on form plays with him for a few rounds before Rocky's relentless pressure breaks him down. Sullivan and Jeffries were naturally bigger men, but picking either of them over rocky would be speculstion.
