BoxRec

Seventy years ago on September 23, 1952, Rocky Marciano wins the the heavyweight world championship by stopping the defending champion Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia, PA.

Marciano won by a 13th round knockout with a perfectly timed right hand cross called The Suzy Q. It was The Shot Heard Around the World in Boxing history.

Any comments of who saw this thrilling heavyweight slugfest?

I was watching this fight the other day actually and was once again entranced by it. Walcott abandons his safety first style and tries take it to the Rock with thrilling results.

Marciano must be the most underrated great heavyweight champion in history. It's borderline criminal. He's feral, savage and relentless. The intangibles we see in the truly special fighters are all on display yet too many people can't see the wood for the tale of the tape. Oh well, their loss.

Billy Tully wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 03:15 I was watching this fight the other day actually and was once again entranced by it. Walcott abandons his safety first style and tries take it to the Rock with thrilling results.

Marciano must be the most underrated great heavyweight champion in history. It's borderline criminal. He's feral, savage and relentless. The intangibles we see in the truly special fighters are all on display yet too many people can't see the wood for the tale of the tape. Oh well, their loss.

Not sure, if Marciano is underrated. Actually, sometimes his 49-0 is mentioned too often.

Billy Tully wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 03:15 I was watching this fight the other day actually and was once again entranced by it. Walcott abandons his safety first style and tries take it to the Rock with thrilling results.

Marciano must be the most underrated great heavyweight champion in history. It's borderline criminal. He's feral, savage and relentless. The intangibles we see in the truly special fighters are all on display yet too many people can't see the wood for the tale of the tape. Oh well, their loss.

Agree. I think the comments of his trainers made him seem a lot worse than he was, in boxing skill terms. He blocked and rolled with a lot of punches. His counters were often absolutely devastating. Nobody he fought said he wasn’t the hardest puncher they faced. He was indomitable.

Joe Louis opinion means more to me than any boxing writer or so called expert and he doubts wether he could have beaten Rocky even in his prime.

There’s interviews on TV with both Walcott and Louis on and Wallcott says Joe was a better combination puncher and Rocky the harder hitter. While sitting with Joe

The problem with rating Marciano has always been numbers. As in people rely on them way too much.

In the last several years, some look at the weight and dismiss him without a thought.
Others have done the other way and been obsessed with the win loss record and rate him too highly.

He was a hard puncher who threw a lot of punches and had great stamina. He could go at fast pace round after round. That alone makes you hard to beat for almost anyone. He also had a good chin. He was not hard to hit.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑26 Sep 2022, 11:07 The problem with rating Marciano has always been numbers. As in people rely on them way too much.

In the last several years, some look at the weight and dismiss him without a thought.
Others have done the other way and been obsessed with the win loss record and rate him too highly.

He was a hard puncher who threw a lot of punches and had great stamina. He could go at fast pace round after round. That alone makes you hard to beat for almost anyone. He also had a good chin. He was not hard to hit.

You’d have nailed him easily Alp.

He would have put me in a deep sleep before that ever happened.

Wee Tommy wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 15:36

Billy Tully wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 03:15 I was watching this fight the other day actually and was once again entranced by it. Walcott abandons his safety first style and tries take it to the Rock with thrilling results.

Marciano must be the most underrated great heavyweight champion in history. It's borderline criminal. He's feral, savage and relentless. The intangibles we see in the truly special fighters are all on display yet too many people can't see the wood for the tale of the tape. Oh well, their loss.

Agree. I think the comments of his trainers made him seem a lot worse than he was, in boxing skill terms. He blocked and rolled with a lot of punches. His counters were often absolutely devastating. Nobody he fought said he wasn’t the hardest puncher they faced. He was indomitable.

Joe Louis opinion means more to me than any boxing writer or so called expert and he doubts wether he could have beaten Rocky even in his prime.

There’s interviews on TV with both Walcott and Louis on and Wallcott says Joe was a better combination puncher and Rocky the harder hitter. While sitting with Joe

Muhammad Ali too. He did a retrospective with Cossell on the former heavyweight champions and dismissed them one after another (Johnson no combination punching, Dempsey no technique, Louis too slow of foot) until they got to Marciano, whose punches he remembered from the Computer Fight (Rock threw in a few real body shots). His eyes grew wide and his tone changed and he spoke of Marciano in an awed voice. He referenced their fake fight and acknowledged Marciano was an old man and not taking it seriously but he was clearly surprised by his technique and especially his punch power.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑26 Sep 2022, 11:07 The problem with rating Marciano has always been numbers. As in people rely on them way too much.

In the last several years, some look at the weight and dismiss him without a thought.
Others have done the other way and been obsessed with the win loss record and rate him too highly.

He was a hard puncher who threw a lot of punches and had great stamina. He could go at fast pace round after round. That alone makes you hard to beat for almost anyone. He also had a good chin. He was not hard to hit.

He trained like a madman. As he said to Al Colombo, 'it's amazing to go into a fight and know that you're never going to get tired.' And he never did. He attacks from beginning to end. He would be a nightmare for a big man to fight.

Billy Tully wrote: ↑26 Sep 2022, 15:41

Wee Tommy wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 15:36

Billy Tully wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 03:15 I was watching this fight the other day actually and was once again entranced by it. Walcott abandons his safety first style and tries take it to the Rock with thrilling results.

Marciano must be the most underrated great heavyweight champion in history. It's borderline criminal. He's feral, savage and relentless. The intangibles we see in the truly special fighters are all on display yet too many people can't see the wood for the tale of the tape. Oh well, their loss.

Agree. I think the comments of his trainers made him seem a lot worse than he was, in boxing skill terms. He blocked and rolled with a lot of punches. His counters were often absolutely devastating. Nobody he fought said he wasn’t the hardest puncher they faced. He was indomitable.

Joe Louis opinion means more to me than any boxing writer or so called expert and he doubts wether he could have beaten Rocky even in his prime.

There’s interviews on TV with both Walcott and Louis on and Wallcott says Joe was a better combination puncher and Rocky the harder hitter. While sitting with Joe

Muhammad Ali too. He did a retrospective with Cossell on the former heavyweight champions and dismissed them one after another (Johnson no combination punching, Dempsey no technique, Louis too slow of foot) until they got to Marciano, whose punches he remembered from the Computer Fight (Rock threw in a few real body shots). His eyes grew wide and his tone changed and he spoke of Marciano in an awed voice. He referenced their fake fight and acknowledged Marciano was an old man and not taking it seriously but he was clearly surprised by his technique and especially his punch power.

Do you remember about when that would have been when Ali was saying this?

I knew he thought highly of Marciano and Ali always seemed to have great respect for the greats of the past. (Though obviously he thought he was the best. ) He was also high on Ezzard Charles.

I remember Ali in the early 1980s rating Johnson as the best of all time and Louis #2. (Don't think it included himself)

Billy Tully wrote: ↑26 Sep 2022, 15:41

Wee Tommy wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 15:36

Billy Tully wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 03:15 I was watching this fight the other day actually and was once again entranced by it. Walcott abandons his safety first style and tries take it to the Rock with thrilling results.

Marciano must be the most underrated great heavyweight champion in history. It's borderline criminal. He's feral, savage and relentless. The intangibles we see in the truly special fighters are all on display yet too many people can't see the wood for the tale of the tape. Oh well, their loss.

Agree. I think the comments of his trainers made him seem a lot worse than he was, in boxing skill terms. He blocked and rolled with a lot of punches. His counters were often absolutely devastating. Nobody he fought said he wasn’t the hardest puncher they faced. He was indomitable.

Joe Louis opinion means more to me than any boxing writer or so called expert and he doubts wether he could have beaten Rocky even in his prime.

There’s interviews on TV with both Walcott and Louis on and Wallcott says Joe was a better combination puncher and Rocky the harder hitter. While sitting with Joe

Muhammad Ali too. He did a retrospective with Cossell on the former heavyweight champions and dismissed them one after another (Johnson no combination punching, Dempsey no technique, Louis too slow of foot) until they got to Marciano, whose punches he remembered from the Computer Fight (Rock threw in a few real body shots). His eyes grew wide and his tone changed and he spoke of Marciano in an awed voice. He referenced their fake fight and acknowledged Marciano was an old man and not taking it seriously but he was clearly surprised by his technique and especially his punch power.

He was clearly the hardest hitting 190lb fighter ever. Add to that his insane toughness and will to win, with an underrated defence, he’d be a nitemare for anyone to fight.

He gets some flak for his opposition but he fought the greatest 175lber ever and obliterated him. He beat who was there to be beaten. I think prime Ali could have danced away from him but certainly the more flat footed Ali who fought Frazier would have been defeated. Foreman may have been Kryptonite for him but who knows. He’s right up there imo

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑26 Sep 2022, 15:56

Billy Tully wrote: ↑26 Sep 2022, 15:41

Wee Tommy wrote: ↑25 Sep 2022, 15:36

Agree. I think the comments of his trainers made him seem a lot worse than he was, in boxing skill terms. He blocked and rolled with a lot of punches. His counters were often absolutely devastating. Nobody he fought said he wasn’t the hardest puncher they faced. He was indomitable.

Joe Louis opinion means more to me than any boxing writer or so called expert and he doubts wether he could have beaten Rocky even in his prime.

There’s interviews on TV with both Walcott and Louis on and Wallcott says Joe was a better combination puncher and Rocky the harder hitter. While sitting with Joe

Muhammad Ali too. He did a retrospective with Cossell on the former heavyweight champions and dismissed them one after another (Johnson no combination punching, Dempsey no technique, Louis too slow of foot) until they got to Marciano, whose punches he remembered from the Computer Fight (Rock threw in a few real body shots). His eyes grew wide and his tone changed and he spoke of Marciano in an awed voice. He referenced their fake fight and acknowledged Marciano was an old man and not taking it seriously but he was clearly surprised by his technique and especially his punch power.

Do you remember about when that would have been when Ali was saying this?

I knew he thought highly of Marciano and Ali always seemed to have great respect for the greats of the past. (Though obviously he thought he was the best. ) He was also high on Ezzard Charles.

I remember Ali in the early 1980s rating Johnson as the best of all time and Louis #2. (Don't think it included himself)

There are some quotes in this link Alp.

https://www.quora.com/What-did-Muhammad ... y-Marciano

The 71st anniversary of the historic boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott, famously known as Marciano vs. Walcott I, is a momentous occasion in the annals of boxing history. This bout, which took place on September 23, 1952, at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, has since become an iconic event etched in the memories of sports enthusiasts around the world.

Rocky Marciano, the undefeated rising star, faced the experienced and reigning heavyweight champion, Jersey Joe Walcott. The anticipation leading up to the match was palpable, as fans eagerly awaited the clash between Marciano's relentless determination and Walcott's seasoned prowess.

The fight unfolded with both fighters showcasing their skills and resilience. The turning point came in the 13th round when Marciano delivered a powerful right-hand punch that would go down in history as "The Shot Heard Around the World." The impact of that blow sent Walcott to the canvas, marking the end of the match and crowning Rocky Marciano as the new heavyweight champion.

This bout solidified Marciano's reputation as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, and his unbeaten record would remain intact throughout his career. The fight is remembered not only for its thrilling conclusion but also for the sportsmanship and respect displayed by both fighters.

As we commemorate the 71st anniversary of Marciano vs. Walcott I, we celebrate the indelible mark left by these legendary boxers on the sport of boxing. Their courage, skill, and sportsmanship continue to inspire and resonate with fans, ensuring that this historic match remains an enduring symbol of the golden age of heavyweight boxing.

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