Marciano vs Johansson: The 50th Fight That Never Came To Be

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 04 Feb 2007, 02:27

If you ever watched the 2nd Patterson-Johansson fight at the end of Floyd's recapture of the HW title the announcer asked former HW king Rocky Marciano whether he would consider making a comeback against either Patterson or Johansson. To which Rocky replied 'Its something to think about.'

Lou Duva once said that he was to be the man who was to manage the Marciano-Johansson fight. ALl kinds of stories have sprouted from this 'comeback'. One was that if Johansson beat Patterson in the rubber match, Marciano would come back.

Of all the stories said, the most common were of WHY the fight never happened. One was that Johansson failed to beat Patterson in the rubber match, another was that there wasn't enough money generated to lure Marciano into doing it, and then there's stories of Marciano's family asking him to not come back.

One thing is for certain though, Marciano did have an interest into coming back and reportedly was in training for a Johansson match up. There were also rumors, after Patterson won the vacant title, that Marciano wanted to fight Patterson. There were also rumors of a Liston-Marciano fight, and it is known that Marciano had disliked Liston.

My question is if ANYONE knows more about this (Marciano-Johansson). I thought I had the general idea of what was going on before, but the more and more I dwell on it, the more and more my curiousity blooms. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could give me information about this.

barry · Post by **barry** » 04 Feb 2007, 08:43

No doubt Irish must be one of those six!!!

Marciano was never going to come back!!! He thought about it once around 1959, but was having so much trouble in the gym after the layoff and he pretty much realized that a comeback would almost certainly mean a blemish on his record, so he never gave it another thought. He may have made a comment, or two that a comeback was something to think about, but he was never serious about it!!!

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 04 Feb 2007, 11:29

Decagon wrote:Don't you remember? Marciano had his 50th pro bout in South America. Rocky50Project has a group of six boxing historians going down there this year to prove it.

Yes, and Rocky ko'ed Jose Santa in one in the jungle of the Amazon and the referee was Tarzan

(of course, it's a joke)

Collins2000 · Post by **Collins2000** » 04 Feb 2007, 15:58

Decagon wrote:Don't you remember? Marciano had his 50th pro bout in South America. Rocky50Project has a group of six boxing historians going down there this year to prove it.

He took BrocktonBlockbuster with him, didn't he?

The poor little lad has never been seen again.

I think that game of hide the sausage they all played on the first night ended his interest in all matters concerning the ring.

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 04 Feb 2007, 16:27

Collins2000 wrote:
Decagon wrote:Don't you remember? Marciano had his 50th pro bout in South America. Rocky50Project has a group of six boxing historians going down there this year to prove it.
He took BrocktonBlockbuster with him, didn't he?

The poor little lad has never been seen again.

I think that game of hide the sausage they all played on the first night ended his interest in all matters concerning the ring.

Big laugh on this one !
Smile of the week from Collins

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 04 Feb 2007, 18:22

From all that I ever researched, there was talk shortly after Marciano retired of having a Marciano-Patterson bout on Wednesday Night Fights. Was supposed to be held in early January of 1956. It was to be more or less an exhibition of sorts with rounds being two minutes. There wasn't enough public interest in just an exhibition fight, as many just wanted to Marciano and Patterson in a Heavyweight title fight. Patterson by May of 1956 was ranked #5 as a HW, but while Marciano was champion he was not yet ranked inside the top 10.

In 1959 Marciano decided to make a comeback against Ingemar Johansson. Some sources (Lou Duva) said that he was to handle the Marciano-Johansson fight. Some other sources say that Marciano's uncle had talked him out of coming back, that, all the years of eating rich food, lack of excercise and screwing hoards of women had weakened him. Others say the deal fell through because Johansson failed to beat Patterson in the rubber match. Others say that because Johansson was no longer champion that a Marciano-Johansson fight wouldn't have generated the money that Marciano wanted.

Author Everett Skehan states that Marciano trained for a month, and then decided to not come back---but then again, later on in his book he states that Marciano trained harder than he ever done in 1969 for the filming of the 'Superfight' between him and Ali; that if the punches suddenly became real he would be ready to win.

So it doesn't quite make sense that a 1959 Rocky would have felt that he would have lost to Johansson whom he felt was an 'amateur', yet would be prepared to take on Muhammad Ali who was only a year or so removed from his title reign.

I heard that a contract was written up, and Duva's story does seem to solidify that; that a deal fell through, not because Marciano wasn't ready and willing to prepare for a fight with Johansson.

zuru · Post by **zuru** » 04 Feb 2007, 18:32

Had they fought,I think everyone knows that Rocky would have destroyed him.He might put the Rock down early,but he'd shake it off,march forward,and send him packing in the middle rds.
zuru

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 04 Feb 2007, 18:51

I think had a Marciano-Johansson fight have happened, Marciano would have had a rather tough fight on his hands. There has seldom been many fighters who have came back successfully after 3yrs or more inactivity. Marciano would have been hit with alot of shots, would have been shaken up, and cut up.

But, I cannot invision even an 3yr removed Marciano not training hard, sticking to hitting his 300+ pound punching bag, running 10 miles a day etc. And I can't really invision a one handed puncher (Johansson) being that affective with a man who had wars with Walcott, Charles and blew away LaStarza and Moore.

Johansson was a bit of a one trick pony. All he had really was that big right hand of his. He was sloppy, threw that big right with telegraph punches that came back a mile---he would have eventually been caught. Johansson was the type of man who tried to make more technical fighters try and brawl with him so that he could catch them flush.

Marciano had taken Charles, Walcott, Moore's best shots. I believe Charles manager once said 'Marciano's jaw is made of iron, and if it isn't, it is surely made of concrete.'

Marciano was also deceptive defensive. He would have caught alot of Ingo's blows on his arms, elbows. The way I see it, since Marciano was a slow starter to begin with, that for the first 3 or 4 rounds he would have caught his fair share of punches. But the pace would have quickened, Ingemar would have gotten tired from throwing round houses and his psyche would have been damaged seeing that Marciano could take his best punch.

Marciano would keep coming and punching, though he himself would also tire as for being gone for so long---it would have been a wild, sloppy contest, very entertaining, a brawl all the way. Marciano would be shaken up, even dropped once or twice---Johansson ahead on the cards---and Marciano eventually breaks down the big Swede and drops him down, drops him down again and knocks him out. A knockout in 8 or 10 rounds.

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 05 Feb 2007, 17:51

Btw, I was wondering where a copy of the Everett Skehan book on Marciano could be attained. If anyone could give me information on that, I would be grateful.