rocky marciano vs larry holmes

And at that stage more power than Louis!

 

In his 9 comeback fights prior to facing rocky he only had 1 true ko. That rapid fire machine gun punching power was like a candle in the wind at that point--signs of a shot fighter. He wouldn't let his right hand to and his legs were gone. He was even worse than the current manny pacquiao p4p.

But what do i know? Apparently this version of louis was a "modern day" sized hw with dynamite power and would be a great contender in other eras according to to people here.

 

Louis said the last time he felt like his true self was against Tami Mauriello in September 1946.
He fought Marciano in October 1951!

 

Yeah I didn't get that either. No way Holmes has the 3rd hardest uppercut of all time.

 

That I would definitely question.

The last thing to leave a fighter is their power.

Obviously Louis's reflexes would not have been what they were, but I think it unlikely that his power had fallen to sub Holmesian levels!

 

It isn't.

I am using the same line of argument that people use with Marciano's opposition, to illustrate the flaws with it.

 

Allow me to play Devils Advocate here.

If we took the line of attack that people take with Marciano's opponents, you could say that none of these men were the best or brightest contenders when Holmes fought them, and that they were significantly smaller in terms of functional weight than the contenders of today.

That is what happens when you get hung up on a couple of stats, and use them to dismiss a fighters opposition without context!

 

This is not a given many aging fighters cannot deliver their power because of eroded reflexes.
The first thing to leave a fighter is his legs, and if you cannot get into position to deliver that power its as useless as a milk bucket under a bull!
Louis said after the Charles fight ,"my right hand don't leave me no more" " I saw the openings but when I tried to take them it was too late"
In his autobiography he said, he thought he would have stopped Charles in about 7 rounds had he been prime.
Louis had 9 fights in his comeback scoring 3 stoppages
,He got toAndy Walker in the 10th and last round no ko .
He stopped trial horse Beshore on a bad cut.
Savold was the only ko and he was more used up than Louis!
Bivins went the full distance without being floored he had been stopped by Archie Moore 3 times the last a few months earlier and .kod by Charles and Franklin reports of the fight stated Louis hardly used his right hand.
Agramonte went the distance twice against Louis without being floored a year earlier Walcott had him down 4 times for a 7th rd stoppage
Let's not have a farcical scenario where you say Louis was still the Brown Bomber, he was winning fights on guile and his left jab ,his right hand and combinations were a thing of the past!
In his 20 successful defences Holmes stopped 15 of his challengers!
The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

 

You don't have an argument.

 

Of course not.

No more than you do when you dismiss Marciano's opposition in the same way!

 

I'm referring to Louis and the erosion of his power. Look at the results Man . FFS!

 

You do not need to explain to me that Louis was past his best.

I would be the first to argue that, if the fight was held up as evidence that Marciano would beat a prime Louis.

However, Louis probably still had a punch that could drop an elephant!

What had changed was probably not the power of his jab, but his reflexes, and his opponents ability to anticipate it!

What do we take away from this fight if anything?

Probably that Marciano isn't going to be particularity phased, by Holmes sticking his jab in his face!

 

So you think all Holmes had was a left jab? How come he stopped 15 of his 20 challengers?
No right cross, no uppercut? Must have been some jab!
Louis could no longer deliver a ko punch as his last 9 performances emphatically showed!
Marciano fans have to build Louis up because he is the only guy of class who was over 200lbs that he fought.
Good God Almighty, its even the subject of a skit in a film!

 

Of course I don't think that.

Some people, here are saying in all seriousness, "Marciano won't get past Holmes's jab!"

Obviously that idea needs to be challenged very severely!

 

Marciano, as his career amply proved was always prepared to go through fire.But he was never hard to tag with a jab and Holmes had a great one, that wouldn't be enough to get the win,because Rocky is going to slip some of those jabs get inside and unload.How effective he will be against not only an appreciably bigger guy, but one armed with a great uppercut , durability and terrific powers of recuperation when hurt,but a bigger guy who is in his prime is the question.Im not saying it will be a walk in the park for Larry,that all he has to do is stick out his left hand and Rocky will run into it,but I sincerely believe Holmes wins this fight and probably by tko.