BoxRec

Not to nitpick but a serious discussion.

Does anyone believe there is a fighter or fighters that could knock Lamotta out?

If so who?

A prime Pavlik could really punch.

Julian Jackson possesed one punch power, would that be enough?

Foreman?

At Middle I'd probably say Fitzsimmons has the best chance.

Mariv Hagler. Maybe even Tommy Hearns.

Anyone willing to pay him enough to do so.

Sugar Ray Robinson. I think he KO's him if the fight wasn't stopped.

Stanley Ketchel, apparently, he hit like a devil.

Also, Charley Burley, he was a vicious puncher.

I dont think any MW could ko LaMotta, I think your looking at LH at least so probably Bob Foster, Sam Langford

Let's remember LaMotta really was KO'd at light HW by Danny Nardico. Nardico hit like a frikkin' mule's kick, but if he could pull the trick I see the great 175 lb punchers (Charles, Moore, Langford, Johnson, Foster) being able to do it too.

At middle, different story. Probably Fitz, but he's the only guy I'd back with any confidence.

Stanley Ketchel in a 20 rounder. Ketchel takes him out.

I know that the old-timers will kill me for saying this, but Jake was heavier that the other guy in 14 of his 19 losses. In one of the Robinson losses he was over a stone heavier. He also has a KO ratio of less that 50%.
Let the abuse commence!

Well, if it is a fact that he was bigger than his opponent for 14 of his 19 losses, you should not be abused for saying it. :P It may be a little deceiving though; for starters 5 of those losses were to Robinson.

As for his ko% being below, 50%, well that is a fact as well. Though most middleweights had a lower than a 50% ko% prior to the 1970s. Referees did not stop fights nearly as easily as they do now. For example, Greb, Flowers, Mike Gibbons,Papke,Steele,Walker,Olson,Fullmer,Giardello,Tiger, and Benvenuti all had ko%'s lower than 50%.

They also usually did not pad their winning %'s and ko%'s at the beginning of their careers against weak competition either. LaMotta had only 3 ko's in his first 32 fights. In his first 3 years as a pro, he had 12 fights against a top 10 contender.

LaMotta was not a brutal puncher though he certainly was not featherfisted. Really, he won a lot decisions because of sheer tenacity and occasionally he did stop some quality opponents.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:A prime Pavlik could really punch.

Fish not biting today? :P

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:A prime Pavlik could really punch.

Fish not biting today? :P

Though to be realistic, Pavlik isn't in LaMotta's class. NO WAY!

Pavlik as the bait was too obvious.

I'd give Valdez a chance. He floored Monzon and legitimately stopped Briscoe. They are two more Middleweights with granite chins.

gb wrote:I know that the old-timers will kill me for saying this, but Jake was heavier that the other guy in 14 of his 19 losses. In one of the Robinson losses he was over a stone heavier. He also has a KO ratio of less that 50%.
Let the abuse commence!

abuse for what, facts! LaMotta by all accounts was a big mw, a mw cum l-hw really and his best successes, though great fighters, were mostly WWs cum MWs... so the proper big middles and l-hws could have - seemed like a lot of the top mws mid- late 40s were former WW.

late 30s early 40s were very much proper mws leading into Zales reign.

Tommy Hearns... like what he did against Duran...

Also, maybe Carlos Monzon.

Sergio Martinez anyone? He has got the footwork and handspeed to give LaMotta an awful lot of problems.

IRLangmaid25 wrote:Sergio Martinez anyone? He has got the footwork and handspeed to give LaMotta an awful lot of problems.

No way. Sergio has scored some impressive knockouts, but he is not really a puncher, and LaMotta is way more durable than anyone he has stopped.

crusader wrote:

IRLangmaid25 wrote:Sergio Martinez anyone? He has got the footwork and handspeed to give LaMotta an awful lot of problems.

No way. Sergio has scored some impressive knockouts, but he is not really a puncher, and LaMotta is way more durable than anyone he has stopped.

Sergio stopping LaMotta.

Ever since he knocked out P.W. he has gotten this rep on this forum for being this murderous puncher.

Ruby Bob is easily the best man for the job and, IMO, he has more than enough punch to get it done.

IRLangmaid25 wrote:Sergio Martinez anyone?

Nope, no one.

I could see a peak Roy Jones Jr. at Middleweight possibly stopping Lamotta on cuts or with a great bodyshot.

Julian Jackson certainly had the power to stop anybody, but it usually took him a while to get in his perfect shot and I'm not sure Lamotta would ever give him the chance to breathe enough to throw it.