Rocky Marciano vs Larry Holmes

I don't think I need to say my vote, lol. I don't hate the other guy, but c'mon.

 

Larry jabs his head off, cut stoppage around round 8

 

Just wait for the storm ahead.

 

Holmes avoids the fight like the plague as Rocky is a legit contender and instead defends against Gordie Racette, gets a rematch in against Young Sanford Houpe and tries to squeeze in a fight against Ron Stander but finally gets pressured into a Marciano defense after Ron falls off a barstool in Omaha and fractures his hip postponing their title fight.

Once all the negotiations are over, the fight starts and Marciano is willing to walk through machine gun fire to break Holmes body down. There are some tough rounds but Larry, despite known as "Soft Touch Holmes", is equally determined and has the will of a Gladiator too and his speed and size slowly tilt the field and Marciano spends every ounce of will to make the final bell nursing cuts and a lumped up face.

Holmes wins 9 or 10 rounds and everyone is impressed with both men afterwards despite the decision loss for Marciano.

Once past this, Holmes goes back to defending against Lupe Guerra, Domingo D'Elia and chases Percell "Magic" Davis in the media, claiming Davis is afraid to fight him for the title.

 

Holmes too fast, too accurate a jab,and too big!
If Rocky managed to connect with his Suzie Q and floor Larry ,Holmes would get up and out box him as he did Shavers.
I don't see Marciano's suspect facial tissue standing up to that great jab for too long and Rocky's crouch would play into the path of Holmes right uppercut.
Mid rounds tko.
Both great champs, but one both stylistically and physically suited for the other one.

 

Holmes schools him yes Marciano had a good right hand that sometimes Holmes could be caught with. But you're talking about a 67 inch reach Marciano vs an 81 inch reach Holmes that's a ridiculous reach advantage.

Holmes would pot shot Marciano from the outside all night long with that piston like left and probably scores a late stoppage on cuts.

 

Prime Holmes wins a comfortable decision but comes out real sore. Although Rocky’s face will also likely look like a gargoyle at the end from eating jabs.

 

Holmes has a field day with his jab. Rocky's faces is covered in small nicks and cuts with a bruised, shut left eye by round 8. The hopeless Rocky had no choice but to invest in body shots or blows the arms desperate to slow Holmes down who simply backs up 2-3 steps before pivoting or clinching, resetting, jabbing, and throwing the occasional 1-2 or sharp uppercut. Occasionally Rocky lands a glancing hail Mary shot to the head, but nothing solid lands.

Holmes is up 10 rounds to 3 when Rocky manages to land a powerful Suzie Q to the jaw, forcing Holmes to 1 knee. Holmes is up at 6 more dazed than hurt. Rocky, covered in sweat with blood trickling, tries to end things with a barrage. Holmes covers up, runs, and holds until the bell rings. Round 15 and Rocky seems to get a surge of energy from seemingly nowhere sticking to Holmes like white on rice with furious blows to the body and head. After an all out assault for a minute, Holmes is dropped again by a gazelle punch.

The Easton assassin has a busted lip and welts all over his arms and stomach. He rises and catches Rocky with a triple jab, right hand, hook combo then makes Rocky stumble with sweat and blood spraying the first row. Rocky responds with rage and they exchange for 30 seconds at ring center. The crowd is on their feet screaming at the top of their lungs. Holmes is landing the cleaner, more accurate shots, Rocky the more telling harder ones. Only a minute left. Holmes begins moving and jabbing again to try to close out the round as he's heading for a decision win. A desperate Rocky wings a wild bomb, barely able to see, and is countered by Holmes' mean right uppercut. Rocky is down and disappointed in himself. Holmes seizes the opportunity and throws everything but the kitchen sink at Rocky battering the smaller man's skull. Rocky throws one more big shot that has Holmes stagger. The doctor is called to inspect Rocky, but allows the round to end.

The bell rings. Holmes wins a clear decision in a very brutal death match.

 

This has been done to death. To recreate another thread is just baiting for clicks. Everyone knows Rocky by KO
Larry impresses for the first few rounds gets tired needs a rest. Gets his chin caved in because he constantly drops his right. He of course gets up. Dances around impresses another a few rounds but he quickly tires again. Gets beaten down a bit more. Then he just gets eaten alive. He doesn’t have the stamina to go w a man like Marciano. Old Norton pressured him in a close fight he wasn’t half the pressure fighter Marciano was. Nor did he have Marciano’s chin or strength. This fight isn’t the Holmes masterclass some think it would be. At best it’s Walcott 1 at worst Louis

 

That's certainly not what the polls are reflecting.

 

Was being sarcastic. But it’s the most likely outcome

 

Holmes uses his jab like Picasso used a paintbrush.

First, he splits Rocky’s nose down the middle like Ezzard did.

Then he uses the left like a paring knife to make a horizontal cut across that already vertically sliced nose.

Now he has the nose quartered like a chicken, but Larry isn’t done.

Just as he’s poised to go in for the kill, Holmes takes a look at his handiwork and decides to make this his masterpiece. He carves up Marciano’s nose like a radish rose, then purées him and tops it off with a nice flambé, using the friction of his left glove to literally light Rocky’s nose on fire … prompting the ref to stop it and summon someone with an extinguisher.

They shake hands after the fight and Larry awards Rocky his jock strap to prove he can carry it.

This content is protected

 

Look I am on record here that I rank Rocky fifth all time to honor and respect what he accomplished against the people he faced in his time and place. I understand he’s beloved, I understand why he’s beloved and revered after inquiring about it in a thread here. I can tell by your posting icon that you’re a fan, and I don’t know that you go that far but I have noted that a lot of his fans would pick him to beat Godzilla.

But the reality is that there are at least 15 ATG heavyweights, if not more, who would whip him if you could get a genie to conjure up meetings … and Holmes is one of them … and a fair number of them would leave him convulsing spasmodically in a pool of his own blood if not other bodily fluids.

I know his acolytes will resist and fight that mental image with every fiber of their being because in their minds it’s always 1952-1956 and he’s eternally the baddest badass in the universe.