Rocky Marciano vs Tim Witherspoon.

I think Tim was a weight division bigger, with a good jab and strong right hand, he could box Rocky whos also 4" shorter. Could Rocky maul and get up close and do damage, I believe he could, just not enough to win !

 

I think that we have to favor Marciano, based on their respective records, but this is not a given here.

Witherspoon is in the type of qualitative category, where there is not a huge gap to close.

 

Marciano by decision. I think he would be busted up {what else is new} after the fight. His workrate, will to win {determination} would be the difference. Not an easy fight at all though. Tim would shake him a few times. I like Freddie Brown`s reference to football when talking about Rocky. "This isn't like football because Rocky never gives you the ball"

 

Witherspoon possessed a high enough level of ability in just about all areas, that allowed him to give absolute hell to the very best of the best.

He was one of those rare fighters who was nothing but a stones throw away from being great. If he had been given some breaks in his career, and or chances, we might think of him very differently.

 

Rocky Stops him. Tko 10 or so.

Witherspoon is not going to absorb that body punishment very well. And I sure do not like that sloppy cross armed defense Tim used. It wasn't as tight as a Norton & that's a big window to leave open against this opponent.

The other thing that would help the Witherspoon chances is a straight right hand. Not that looping thing he threw. marciano is so low it misses completely and tim goes off balance and he falls in. Or, it catches the top of Rocky's head. Probably hurts his hand more than it'd bother Marciano.

The bigger cause and effect of that are the great counters Rocky threw when a guy missed like that. It ways a hard shot to the body. Then, a follow up body shot with the other hand. Tim is not quick enough on his feet against this guy.

I just think Tim's defense holds up best against a headhunter type guy. And Marciano has a huge edge in conditioning which rears its head sometime during the 2nd half of the fight. He hangs tough but takes a real licking later on in the bout & the Ref waves it off.

 

I might give this to Marciano on work rate.

 

rocky stops him late, for all tims spoiling.

 

Rocky fans like to talk about how his theoretical opponents will be worn down by his punishment (because he was an attrition fighter at his best) but never mention his frailties in this scenario. The guy had fragile skin and was knocked down by an ancient small heavy, an ancient lightheavy and would likely have been stopped in a more modern ring by another ancient (in terms of fights) lightheavy.

He never absorbed punishment from a young, world class, and modern world class sized, heavy. If he were able to absorb this punishment before his attrition advantages took effect is the real issue here.

 

Fair point. The possibility that he gets cut is certainly there. In Marciano`s era they may have let it go on longer than they would in later eras. Getting stopped on cuts would be a genuine concern depending on what decade this fight took place.

 

Tim beats him.. the looping right hand comment is also on the spot.. but I still think Tim outmuscles Rock and Tim did have some good body shots he threw

 

This is all true.I've picked Rocky in this case because of his work rate ,I think he might out hustle Tim.I don't see either being stopped and I wouldn't bet a penny on the result!

 

Absolutely.

I pick Rocky, too, but with many reservations. I have a feeling Timmy's right hand is going to land at some point. It took an awkward and very long trajectory. I know Marciano's weakness was the left but all kinds of guys got hit with that right.