Quote Originally Posted by ICB View Post
Quote Originally Posted by X View Post
Quote Originally Posted by ICB View Post
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We know Rocky Marciano was tough and ETC, but he never met a great young fighter with good boxing skills like Holyfield, Jones, ETC. And he never met anyone who could hit as hard as someone like Bob Foster.
I dunno Ice ....... Roland LaStarza could box and Joe Louis (even an old Joe Louis) would hit a lot harded that Bob Foster ever could.
Yea but this is same Joe Louis who was totally outpointed by Ezzard Charles, and was knocked down 3 times in 2 fights vs Jersey Joe Walcott. With the 1st fight being a total robbery, and the 2nd fight was a come from behind KO with Joe Louis losing by a big margin.

Im not taking anything from Rocky Marciano, its not his fault his era was weak. But he wasn't no unbeatable force either, like this guy is making out.
You know, Ezzard Charles was/is one of the top fighters of all time. Check his record: a definite top 5 at middle and light heavy, then he won the hw title and defended it 8 times. Being outpointed by a guy that smart and that skilled is far from meaning 'you suck.'
Joe Walcott, in my opinion, was not a great fighter. But he was extremely cute and clever in the ring. He caught an aging Louis with some sneak right hands and knocked him down; not huge knockdowns, but he dropped him. Lonnie Smith, 140lbs, in the 80s, used some of those same moves to get a title belt. Walcott, to get back to it, was smart and slick, yet you make it sound like being behind on the cards to him is an insult.
Marciano had definite flaws, the most notable being that he started the game late in life. He did have, however, a great trainer that brought him along well and turned him into a force to be reckoned with. And the thing is, he was, apparently, an unbeatable force because nobody ever beat him. He overwhelmed guys that were smarter than him, and he was smarter than he was given credit for being.
I know I'm getting a rep here for being the senile crank that always sticks up for the old-timers...but let me say this. Modern boxing and modern boxing fans discount the value of intelligence and skill in the ring and over-value physicality. That is why guys like Moore fight until 50, competitively, and other guys of more recent vintage are "shot" at a relatively young age.