Tokyo Douglas vs Rocky Marciano

Pretty sure I didn't make a firm pick in that thread but you can do the research for yourself.

And by the by, my real pick for that matchup has remained the sams both before and after the Stiverne affair.

 

Rocky Marciano KO between 6 and 10

Tokyo Douglas is WAY overrated. He'd be a poor version of Charles (who was good when he fought Rocky)

 

Also Rocky woulda KO'd Tokyo Tyson

 

I just think its a shame that this new sports science has spoiled the spectacle that heavyweight boxing once was. The division should exemplify everything that is seen in the lighter divisions but with bigger men. Instead we have jab and grab because pace has effected the ability to overcome reach. A manager just needs to find a jess Willard sized kid with long arms because anything shorter is handicapped through carrying too much weight.

 

Quick tip for the shorter guys, don't carry too much weight....

 

The 1990s was a good decade, perhaps a transitional period of skilful heavyweights and skilful tall heavyweight who built themselves up into powerhouse super heavyweights. The best fighters had one foot in the 1980s like Tyson, Ruddock, Bruno and Holyfeild. Holmes and Foreman one foot in the 1970s. Then you had Olympians come to the fore like Mercer, Lewis and Bowe as well as bodybuilders like Tua, Ibeabuchi, Morrison and Moorer who had moves. With the exception of Bowe and Lewis I don't think anybody was naturally any bigger than the 1970s heavyweights and even Bowe and Lewis had proberbly developed as lighter fighters. The rot set in once the generation of fighters who never boxed bellow 225lb-240lb who started out with a limited pace.

oh I think there's been some other good skilful heavyweights like Tunney, Sharkey, Wallcott, Charles, Patterson, Quarry, Ellis, Holmes. Even non champions like Truth Williams, zora Folley, Machen, Witherspoon and Tubbs could really box. Holyfeild, Moorer, Toney and Bryd. But as you say it's usually the smaller ones.

But there's a lot of heavier heavyweights who cannot overcome a reach disadvantage isn't there? Spurt fighters who huff and puff half the round in order to save up an explosive burst. Not to mention ten year prospects with fewer genuinely competative fights under their belt than at any other time in history.

 

Interesting thoughts. :good
Yes, doesn't have to be 6'4 and 230, if we can find the biggest/best.
I agree with you on Foreman.
Foreman's a nasty match up for anyone that small, even at 45 years old.
Or anyone who comes in.

It's probably wrong to assume Marciano couldn't nuance his style a bit. Yes, he'll always be a come-forward fighter with a short reach, but he could probably ratchet up his "cageyness" if presented with a bigger man. I don't want to credit Marciano with something he never did, just assume that he uses skills and thinks ... which I believe he did.

I'd pick him to beat Frank Bruno, for a start, personally. Whether Bruno is better than Rahman, I'll let others decide. :good

 

50-50 against Ruddock.

 

Yeah, for sure.

 

Douglas fights like he did in that one fight. Hard fast accurate jab, and big uppercuts, and straight right hands, Marciano doesn't last as long as Tyson did.

 

Unless the fight is set for 15 rounds in which case big bus would sacrifice a lot if that workrate. With less work Rocky is in the fight that bit more each round.

 

Tbh, I don't think it makes any difference. The key to Tokyo was Buster was having huge success, very early. From the second round onwards virtually everything he threw, landed " effectively " jabs snapping Tysons head back, right hands and left hooks knocking him off balance with next to nothing coming back. That gives a fighter more of an adrenaline rush than most things.

I do believe Tyson was a far stronger man than Marciano. I do not believe that the extra 20 - 25 lbs he carried than Rocky was flab at any time of his career, and certainly not in Tokyo.

I firmly believe that Marciano was as easy or easier to hit than Tyson, and again that weight and strength difference would mean the success Douglas had in Tokyo would be more pronounced in a fight with Rocky.

I dont see it going past 8, with Marciano stopped whilst trying to get up for more. Much like Tyson in fact but 2 or 3 rounds earlier.