prime Rocky Marciano vs Nikolai Valuev

[palmerq]

Valuev to win a majority decision and retain the WBA belt :S no idea how many rounds he would actually win though...

This does sound like it would be a really interesting fight though, valuev is huge and crap and rocky was a foot shorter and over 100 pounds lighter...

[X]

I feel really sorry for Nikolai Valuev.

He is the modern day Primo Carnera, a freakishly huge guy whose career was marketed and run on only that basis. Not a skilled or natural fighter/boxer, but who nevertheless worked as hard as they could, maximised their talent and were as brave as they come when taking beatings.

Did you know that Carnera had gigantism (an overactive pituitary gland, just like Robert Wadlow) that resulted in freakish growth but ironically left them quite physically weak? Carnera got physically bullied by elite level fighters. He ended up in horribly poor health due to his physical condition.

Valuev was never a very good talent, and he never had good stamina. He won fights due to his sheer bulk. He took a horrible beating many times in his career, but always stumbled through to the red through some gutsy efforts. He was never really much good as a fighter. It's never been said, but he certainly had gigantism too. Acromegaly or something like that.

Since he retired, he has had some horrendous health problems caused by his acromalegy (spelling?). His joints are fucked, his hips and knees are knackered.

Despite those disabilities, he was a brave and committed fighter with a fighters heart. That's all the more impressive when you dint have a fighters physique, talent or health.