Prime Joe Louis vs. Marciano

[Controversial]

How you reckon it would have gone? Louis a shell of his former self when they fought.

[man]

louis by slight margin.

[gilgamesh]

Louis KO 7 in a real barnburner.

[Jaclem]

....i think gilgamesh has it nailed.

[gilgamesh]

....i think gilgamesh has it nailed.

Well thank you sir

[Tomasino]

Louis, UD 15, in a bruising battle. Rocky wins 1 out of 3 if they had a trilogy.

[Goldust]

As always Marciano has a punchers chance but I see Louis just being to technically sound. Louis, by his own admission felt that he would have trouble with Marciano as he felt that he had some trouble with guys who came in out of a crouch.

Louis was a very sharp, cutting puncher, if you look at the pictures of some of his opponents that he took out fairly early, their faces looked like they just took 15 rounds of abuse. Even though he was totally over the hill when they fought he was still able to bust up Marciano's face a bit. If Marciano doesn't take him out with something big sometime in the first 7-8 rounds I just don't see his facial tissue holding up much past then. Louis in an entertaining fight by TKO somewhere between rounds 8-10.

[kaiserbill]

Marciano ko's Louis in the later rounds.

People forget Joe Louis had poor footwork, and got knocked down plenty in his prime, including by some pretty mediocre heavyweights.

Floored by Jersey Joe Walcott three times in 2 fights.
Buddy Baer knocked him down once.
Tony Galento had Louis staggering in round 1, and knocked him down in round 3.
Braddock knocked him down round 1.
Max Schmeling knocked him down twice in their 1936 bout.

I'm ignoring the demolishion job Marciano did on Louis, as Louis was not in his prime.

I simply cannot see Louis going the distance against Marciano.

[Controversial]

Marciano ko's Louis in the later rounds.

People forget Joe Louis had poor footwork, and got knocked down plenty in his prime, including by some pretty mediocre heavyweights.

Floored by Jersey Joe Walcott three times in 2 fights.
Buddy Baer knocked him down once.
Tony Galento had Louis staggering in round 1, and knocked him down in round 3.
Braddock knocked him down round 1.
Max Schmeling knocked him down twice in their 1936 bout.

I'm ignoring the demolishion job Marciano did on Louis, as Louis was not in his prime.

I simply cannot see Louis going the distance against Marciano.

The thing is Louis was easily beating Marciano when they fought. Louis was 37 and literally a shadow of his former self. I'd like to think Marciano would get to him eventually but can't help but think a faster, sharper and deadlier version of Louis would have caused Marciano a lot more problems. Louis didn't have a grade A chin but invariably he got up to win when knocked down.

[n1ebf]

I would have thought Louis would have blasted Marciano - although admittedly I know next to nothing about Marciano other than he was tough and he retired with an unblemished record. Was he really that good? Was he as athletically gifted as Louis was - prime for prime?

[Controversial]

I would have thought Louis would have blasted Marciano - although admittedly I know next to nothing about Marciano other than he was tough and he retired with an unblemished record. Was he really that good? Was he as athletically gifted as Louis was - prime for prime?

No Marciano wasn't a naturally gifted technical fighter. He won through sheer will power, determination, immense fitness and power. A brawler who just never took a backward step. He could be out-boxed but always managed to find a way to win. Saying that he was lucky to be fighting in the era he was in, no way he would have gone undefeated if he was fighting in the 60s.

[raylawpc]

Marciano ko's Louis in the later rounds.

People forget Joe Louis had poor footwork, and got knocked down plenty in his prime, including by some pretty mediocre heavyweights.

Floored by Jersey Joe Walcott three times in 2 fights.
Buddy Baer knocked him down once.
Tony Galento had Louis staggering in round 1, and knocked him down in round 3.
Braddock knocked him down round 1.
Max Schmeling knocked him down twice in their 1936 bout.

I'm ignoring the demolishion job Marciano did on Louis, as Louis was not in his prime.

I simply cannot see Louis going the distance against Marciano.

The thing is Louis was easily beating Marciano when they fought. Louis was 37 and literally a shadow of his former self. I'd like to think Marciano would get to him eventually but can't help but think a faster, sharper and deadlier version of Louis would have caused Marciano a lot more problems. Louis didn't have a grade A chin but invariably he got up to win when knocked down.

According to Merriam-Webster, invariably means ": on every occasion : always <invariably late>"

Louis did most of the time, but he didn't get up to win when Schmeling knocked him down . . .

[Ambling Alp II]

To be fair to Louis, it's a bit of a stretch to call his fights vs Walcott as being in his prime.

Louis did get knocked down occasionally and Marciano had a lot of power and threw a lot of punches so he certainly would have a chance. however, Louis would be hitting Marciano almost at will; he probably eventually stops Marciano.

[Mr E]

Thrilling fight. I'd take Louis maybe 6 out of 10, but I definitely call Marciano a live underdog.

[raylawpc]

By his own admission, Louis had trouble with guys who fought out of a crouch. I take Marciano in the first bout, and Louis in the rematch. Louis may have been the best rematch fighter ever.

[Robinson]

Louis

he met a lot of guys who were similiar in many ways to Marciano BUT
not as determined or tough.

Depending on the ref but maybe a cut stoppage or decision for Louis

But boy what a fight :)

[thunderfromdownunder]

I don't think Marciano winning is that much of a stretch

[kaiserbill]

Marciano ko's Louis in the later rounds.

People forget Joe Louis had poor footwork, and got knocked down plenty in his prime, including by some pretty mediocre heavyweights.

Floored by Jersey Joe Walcott three times in 2 fights.
Buddy Baer knocked him down once.
Tony Galento had Louis staggering in round 1, and knocked him down in round 3.
Braddock knocked him down round 1.
Max Schmeling knocked him down twice in their 1936 bout.

I'm ignoring the demolishion job Marciano did on Louis, as Louis was not in his prime.

I simply cannot see Louis going the distance against Marciano.

The thing is Louis was easily beating Marciano when they fought. Louis was 37 and literally a shadow of his former self. I'd like to think Marciano would get to him eventually but can't help but think a faster, sharper and deadlier version of Louis would have caused Marciano a lot more problems. Louis didn't have a grade A chin but invariably he got up to win when knocked down.

Marciano was well ahead on all three official scorecards.
Louis only won 2 out of the first 5 rounds, the period when Marciano was famous for his slow starts.

I can only refer people to this excellent in-depth analysis.
It is extremely hard to disagree with this.
An extract below, but the entire article is well worth the read.

Louis had trouble with one style in particular and he knew it: “I had a bad weakness I kept hid throughout my career. I didn't like to be crowded, and Marciano always crowded his opponents. That's why I say I could never have beaten him." For a man who said Muhammad Ali would have been just another “bum of the month,” this admission reveals much.

Peak-for-peak, Rocky Marciano should be favored to defeat Joe Louis by late round stoppage.

http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/art ... k-analysis

Not aimed at you, but I've always found some peoples assessment of Marciano as a crude slugger rather baffling.
He had a style that came across as such, but, as the article mentions, he had that style for very good reasons, and within that style there are plenty of nuances.

[Ezzard]

If Joe lands flush early he can finish it.

But If Rocky does hurt Joe he can also finish it. Louis was dropped on many occasions but none by world class finishers...other than Schmeling.

But when it comes to it...Joe can punch or box his way to a victory. He has more ways to win this fight.

He wins it most of the time but not all of the time.

[Alfonso Espada]

Marciano was a elusive target.

[thunderfromdownunder]

If Joe lands flush early he can finish it.

But If Rocky does hurt Joe he can also finish it. Louis was dropped on many occasions but none by world class finishers...other than Schmeling.

But when it comes to it...Joe can punch or box his way to a victory. He has more ways to win this fight.

He wins it most of the time but not all of the time.

agree with this

[HomicideHenry]

I wrote a post about this years ago, and I felt that Marciano/Louis would of went into the 15th round. Both men just were too strong, and had such great heart. One was the ultimate fighting machine from the waist up, and the other was an unstoppable force that never took a backward step. You would of had to of killed them to of stopped them. There just was no quit in them, and both were greatly conditioned athletes. After that fight, though, I'd imagine both men would of been in the hospital for three months recouperating.

[marchegianorock]

Probably Louis by tko on cuts in 8 rounds. Or Marciano coming from behind with a lucky shot in the 13th round with his face completely bloody

[fanman]

both huge punchers. a young louis would have opened up a lot more on rocky. ko could go either way, big edge to joe louis for his speed advantage.