Rocky Marciano vs James " Bonecrusher Smith"

[evrenb]

Rocky had a way of busting people up like no other!

[Crease]

I don't think its ridiculous to think that Smith may have packed more power into one punch than the Moore and Louis who fought Marciano. Joe Louis had only stopped about 3 of his last 10 opponents, and his power was largely fueled by his fast and accurate combinations which diminished by 1951. Moore could crack at heavyweight but his best work was done at light heavy. I don't think he was a tremendous puncher in the heavyweight class. Smith was pretty devastating when he needed to be. His weakness was the he had poor finishing skills, but his actual power shouldn't be questioned.

Size doesn't equate to explosive power. Just because Smith is bigger and heavier doesn't mean that he was a harder power. Natural explosive power isn't measured by a man's weight. If we were to go along with your reasoning then Nikoali Valuev is the most powerful puncher in history.

[drunkenpiper36]

Size doesn't equate to explosive power. Just because Smith is bigger and heavier doesn't mean that he was a harder power. Natural explosive power isn't measured by a man's weight. .

No kidding. I'm not basing it just on that. The man scored knockouts over some durable men and staggered or floored quite a few others. Are you denying that he could punch?

[Tomasino]

Size doesn't equate to explosive power. Just because Smith is bigger and heavier doesn't mean that he was a harder power. Natural explosive power isn't measured by a man's weight. .

No kidding. I'm not basing it just on that. The man scored knockouts over some durable men and staggered or floored quite a few others. Are you denying that he could punch?

He had a good punch, of course. Not in Marciano, nor Louis' league though. He was big and got his weight behind his haymakers. Marciano had scary power. Really scary. Louis the same.

[drunkenpiper36]

He had a good punch, of course. Not in Marciano, nor Louis' league though. He was big and got his weight behind his haymakers. Marciano had scary power. Really scary. Louis the same.

I never questioned weather or not he hit as hard or harder than Marciano or a "prime" Louis for that matter. But my assertion is that he quite possibly hit harder than anyone Rocky fought including Moore, Walcott and the aged version of Louis.

[Ezzard]

One shot for shot, Bonecrusher hit as hard as anyone. But Louis was a great deliverer of the message. Super accurate. And the first was always followed by another and another. Rocky posted so many letters that the message was always going to get delivered at some point.

Smith didn't throw that much and wasn't always that accurate. That's the big difference. But he had genuine power and a solid chin. Decent fighter, much to be admired. But Joe and Rocky were first class operators.

[The Great John L]

One shot for shot, Bonecrusher hit as hard as anyone. But Louis was a great deliverer of the message. Super accurate. And the first was always followed by another and another. Rocky posted so many letters that the message was always going to get delivered at some point.

Smith didn't throw that much and wasn't always that accurate. That's the big difference. But he had genuine power and a solid chin. Decent fighter, much to be admired. But Joe and Rocky were first class operators.

Thanks for that post. I started to post something similar yesterday but decided it's better not to get involved.

[dempseyfire]

Smith may have hit harder then Louis punch for punch . . but who cares? Smith had less than a quarter of the skill or fluidity.

Smith was a big and I'd say even sometimes under-rated guy, but bottom line is he would not be able to keep up with Marciano's pace. Smith would be absolutely exhausted by the late rounds, and likely get stopped.

[Nile4000]

Marciano would have to settle for a decision win.At his best, Bone had a very good chin, and even James Broad had to kayo him with a body shot.So a knockout's not happening.

[misterpunch]

who says that taller guys have a big advantage over short range missile throwers like Marciano? the rock's smaller size combined with the kind of ruthless bombs he threw from under the tall mans guard makes me think that the Brockton boy gets bonecrusher out of the place by round 10. when rocky hurt ya you stayed hurt

[Caractacus]

Rocky had a way of busting people up like no other!

Yeah,In that fight Smith would have been the Bonecrush-ee.

[Ezzard]

Looking at that pic of Rocky and Ezzard at the bottom...they look like middleweights...

[The Great John L]

Looking at that pic of Rocky and Ezzard at the bottom...they look like middleweights...

Most top MWs nowadays usually weigh well over 170 when they enter the ring, so you're not far off on your observation. Rocky would have looked like a MW next to Bone, who was cut at 240.

[drunkenpiper36]

Looking at that pic of Rocky and Ezzard at the bottom...they look like middleweights...

Most top MWs nowadays usually weigh well over 170 when they enter the ring, so you're not far off on your observation. Rocky would have looked like a MW next to Bone, who was cut at 240.

Bone would have been a hard fight for Rock.

[The Great John L]

Looking at that pic of Rocky and Ezzard at the bottom...they look like middleweights...

Most top MWs nowadays usually weigh well over 170 when they enter the ring, so you're not far off on your observation. Rocky would have looked like a MW next to Bone, who was cut at 240.

Bone would have been a hard fight for Rock.

Bone wasn't wasn't that easy for Holmes. While Holmes won virtually all of the rounds, he also got rocked a few times.

[drunkenpiper36]

[quote="The Great John L"][/quote]

Smith was one of those guys who would never be great but could have given great fighters trouble. Having a lot of size, power and a sturdy chin is sometimes enough to do that at heavyweight.