Legends match revisited. Rocky Marciano vs Jack Johnson. Who wins?

Question

15 rounds in their prime.

Answer 1

Marciano

49-0 aside...

Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. Rocky Marciano is second only to Louis. Where do I rate Ali? Somewhere below me. I beat him, and if I could beat him, no doubt Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano could have beaten him.
-- Joe Frazier

And to paraphrase Ali

Over the years when Ali spoke of Marciano, he always showered him with high praise. He said he developed one of the closest relationships with Marciano, more so than he had with any other fighter. Ali was often quoted as saying that he couldn't believe how strong, and how hard Rocky could hit. He said he could feel how great Marciano must have been just from being in the ring with him when he was 45 while filming the computer fight. Ali said that he couldn't even imagine what Rocky must have been like in his prime.

My own personal thoughts, Marciano could have competed with any heavyweight in his prime including Johnson

Answer 2

Easy call, all those Marciano fans would see a great little man get beat down by a great big man. Marciano simply couldn't have handled the movement and leg work of Johnson. As pure boxers go, with the exception of (maybe) Ali, Jack Johnson was the greatest boxer the heavyweight division produced. Marciano would have met his match, and went out on his shield like the warrior he was.

Johnson by KO in 14.

Answer 3

Jack Johnson would play with the small alligator armed plodder. Marciano couldn't put a dent in Tiger Ted Lowery. Ted had the same trainer, Roy Panama,. Jack Johnson taught Panama the same defensive maneuvers he taught Lowery. Johnson a much bigger and stronger more powerful version in Johnson. Johnson would have the time of his life taunting the slow inaccurate old man beater before stopping him via 6th round ko.

Answer 4

I really like Marciano in this matchup, and I think he'd eventually catch up to Johnson and stop him late in the fight. Johnson would no doubt use his footwork, handspeed and defensive skills to build a early points lead, but I think he'd eventually tire from the constant pressure that Rocky would put on him and then get caught.

By most accounts, Jack Johnson was robbed in his fight against Marvin Hart (even the referee admitted that Johnson landed more and the harder punches in that fight, but he scored it for Hart because he was mostly the aggressor), but the one common thing written about that fight was that Johnson eventually faded in the late rounds from the pressure that Hart put on him all throughout. The reports even state that Hart rocked Johnson with a good right hand sometime around the 12th or 13th round. That fight took place in Johnson's prime, so his stamina against an even more aggressive Rocky Marciano would more than likely be an issue.

I don't think Johnson would lose this fight because he necessary had a weak chin, because he didn't. He got knocked out by John Klondike Haines, and by a left hook to the temple, courtesy of one of the p4p hardest hitters of that time, in Joe Choynski, and these 2 fights, in 1899 and 1901, were at the time when he was still developing as a fighter (of course, Choynski himself had a lot to do with helping out Johnson when the two spent much time sparring while they were in jail together). And of course, he was knocked out by a Jess Willard right hand when he was well past his prime. These three knockouts against Jack, (plus the four times he was knocked out after Willard), and none happening while he was in his prime, doesn't equal a bad chin.

Marciano would keep coming in this fight, and as he showed against Walcott I, Charles I, and LaStarza I & II, he's eventually going to catch up and punish his opponent, no matter how skilled or tough they were. And for the prime Jack Johnson, who faded down the stretch against the aggressive, Marvin Hart, that spells some bad news.

Marciano, way behind on the cards after Johnson boxes at range, counters and looks to land his uppercut, comes back and stops Johnson in the 13th or 14th round.

Answer 5

I am afraid Jack Johnson would avoid this fight like the plague. Bluedevil we talk about Harry Wills alot and that is good because people need to know about him. The reason I bring him up is because two people would not fight him. We know Jack Dempsey of course but the other was an intelligent man named Jack Johnson. Jack Johnson was smart enough to avoid him.. If they actually fought Marciano would knock him out in my opinion.


Smitty I certainly respect your answer but Johnson fought from 1894-1938. Wills fought from 1911-1932. In 21 years they never fought. Wills lost a bout in 1927 to Uzcudun which prevented him from fighting for the heavyweight championship. Would he really have ever had a chance even if he won? Probably not. Wills was 38. Johnson fought Langford once and I read where he refused to fight him again. I know Burt Sugar thinks highly of Langford and doesn't even mention Wills in his book in description. Sugar missed the boat on this one because Wills beat Langford 6 times Langford only beat Wills twice.

Answer 6

Johnson

Answer 7

i think that rocky will win because he was more famous and he was good and strong and johnson is also good but he is not like rocky. i think that johnson will win in the round 5 because he was more talented.

Answer 8

Marciano wins..has more eye of the tiger and would never let himself lose..Also he has never been knocked out! or lost a fight!

Answer 9

IF THE MODERN BLOOD/CUT RULE IS IN EFFECT, ROCCO GETS STOPPED ON CUTS IN SIDE OF 10 RDS. JACK WAS A BIGGER MAN THAN ROCCO, HE WOULD HOLD, JAB, BOX AND DEFEND HIS WAY TO A 15 RD SPLIT DECISION.

THIS IS A BOUT BETWEEN ROCCO AND JACK NOT HARRY WILLS. DEMPSEY WAS THE CHAMP THAT DUCKED HARRY, JACK WAS NO LONGER CHAMP. BOXING HISTORY HAS WILLS AS A SPARRING FOR JACK AND SUPPOSEDLY JACK BOXED HIS (WILLS) EARS OFF AND WAS NOT IMPRESSED.

JACK FADING AGAINST M. HART ( ONCE AGAIN, OPINION MASQUERADING AS FACT/TRUTH). HART WAS BEING BEAT SO BAD THAT AUSSIE POLICE TURNER OFF THE CAMERA.

Answer 10

jack johnson all day! the rock was in a period where there were no good heavyweights, people still boost him up he was not good. he got hit alot and he was slow! face it people!