Jack Dempsey against Rocky Marciano

[ShoulderRoll]

How badly do you reckon the Manassa Mauler would destroy the Rock?

Or do you actually think that Marciano has a chance against the bobbing-and-weaving offensive machine that was Dempsey?

[Dempsey-Louis]

How badly do you reckon the Manassa Mauler would destroy the Rock?

Or do you actually think that Marciano has a chance against the bobbing-and-weaving offensive machine that was Dempsey?

Considering my moniker I should say Dempsey - but the truth is I don't care! I believe this match-up ranks as one of the top five greatest hypotheticals we can conjure. I would pay almost anything to sit ring side at that fight.

The prefect round robin night of ****ers: Marciano-Sullivan; Dempsey-Frazier; Dempsey-Marciano; Sullivan-Frazier, ETC. (Ironically I think Sullivan would be the heaviest at 212.)

Oh OK I will say it: Dempsey in six rounds TKO (maybe cuts). At least four knockdowns (maybe more) with Dempsey suffering half of them. Not much boxing would occur, it would only get in the way of the fighting.

The best match-up ever!

[TonyGe]

I favor Rocky if he gets past the 5th round. His stamina was incredible and he carried his power right up to the final bell. Dempsey early Marciano late is how I see it. I'm going with the Rock because I really don't know how this would turn out but he's of Italian descent same as me.

[ShoulderRoll]

Keep in mind that Marciano got a late start in the sport. While Dempsey had been fighting grown men since he was a teenager.

[Humean]

Whose era of gloves would they be using?

[BKM-]

Considering my moniker I should say Dempsey - but the truth is I don't care! I believe this match-up ranks as one of the top five greatest hypotheticals we can conjure. I would pay almost anything to sit ring side at that fight.

The prefect round robin night of ****ers: Marciano-Sullivan; Dempsey-Frazier; Dempsey-Marciano; Sullivan-Frazier, ETC. (Ironically I think Sullivan would be the heaviest at 212.)

Oh OK I will say it: Dempsey in six rounds TKO (maybe cuts). At least four knockdowns (maybe more) with Dempsey suffering half of them. Not much boxing would occur, it would only get in the way of the fighting.

The best match-up ever!

Imo the best matchups: Johnson-Louis, Dempsey-Marciano, Frazier-Holyfield, Ali-Holmes, Tyson-Foreman, Lewis-bowe, Vitali-Wladimir.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

50/50 fight. Marciano was more of an attrition fighter with a higher punch output and harder one punch maybe BUT Dempsey was smarter, had better skills, and was considerably faster. This fight ends in a knockout. No way this goes the distance. Both guys showed a ton of heart and grit. Past prime Dempsey kept fighting even through swollen eyes and cuts. Same with Marciano. Neither man ever showed up grossly out of shape but rather in the best shape they could get in considering age.

Dempsey was a body puncher of the likes the division never really saw ever since, Tyson comes the closest but is still a distant second imo. Anyway, at the end of the day this is probably one of the hardest match ups but I just might favor Marciano if you put a gun to my head. Only because he retired undefeated and we never really saw him in any real trouble in terms of chin.

[billeau2]

50/50 fight. Marciano was more of an attrition fighter with a higher punch output and harder one punch maybe BUT Dempsey was smarter, had better skills, and was considerably faster. This fight ends in a knockout. No way this goes the distance. Both guys showed a ton of heart and grit. Past prime Dempsey kept fighting even through swollen eyes and cuts. Same with Marciano. Neither man ever showed up grossly out of shape but rather in the best shape they could get in considering age.

Dempsey was a body puncher of the likes the division never really saw ever since, Tyson comes the closest but is still a distant second imo. Anyway, at the end of the day this is probably one of the hardest match ups but I just might favor Marciano if you put a gun to my head. Only because he retired undefeated and we never really saw him in any real trouble in terms of chin.

Excellent analysis. You basically stole my thunder. I could not have described how I see this fight better than you did.

One thing has to be kept in mind regarding Marciano. When Goldman saw the raw material that was Marciano, he realized he had a late entry into the sport, a guy who zagged at every Zig regarding the blueprint for the ideal fighter, and that was the positive part of the prognosis. Short arms, no dancing ability to speak of...

Goldman was a genius, he looked back into the books for a prototype and there is a picture of Homicide Hank. Well the light goes off in Goldman's head... He realizes that he has to be the contrarian and create a new way for his fighter and so he did. Marciano had heavy hands and stamina and from that he was able to develop his style. If you look at Marciano on tape there are some fascinating things to see: first off, because of his height, marciano could hit downward, the way a human being anatomically is supposed to hit. Also, as he fought and gained experience Marciano became quite technically accomplished and able to take two to three steps to get in range by parrying fighters who were fast of foot and needed only a step forward.

Dempsey speaks for himself. Not a bit of spare on that man, just what was needed to punch like it was no one's business... Fantastic body puncher, able to use the pivot, something Tyson learned from him. Really the first modern puncher and still to some the greatest ever.

[ShoulderRoll]

"Marciano? Same result. Dempsey would have murdered Rocky. I tell you, Jack would have chased everyone out of the ring."

-Ray Arcel

[GhostofDempsey]

My obvious bias lfavors Dempsey. Better defense, and Marciano's aggressive straight forward style was made for Dempsey. Of course one good punch on the jaw from Rocky could change things in an instant. I see Dempsey inflicting cumulative damage on Rock the way Charles did in their first fight. Charles just about peeled Rock's nose off his face, I think Dempsey was a better finisher.