Marciano - Walcott 1

[HOUDINI563]

Interestingly the historical question overlooked by most experts was the story of the scorecards of the judges in the first bout between Rocky and Walcott.

Judge Zach Clayton had it eight rounds to four rounds for Walcott going into round thirteen. Scoring by the rounds system, this meant other than by knockout Rocky could not win the fight on this card.

However, Judge Pete Tomasco had it seven rounds for Rocky, five for Walcott. Referee Charlie Daggert had it seven rounds for Rocky to four for Walcott. Translated, it means if Walcott would have risen from the KD in round 13 and survived that round and the bout went the distance, Rocky would have won by 15 round split decision on the cards.

Walcott was ahead on only one scorecard going into round 13 with Rocky.

The statements Rocky had already lost the first Walcott bout on the scorecards at the moment he knocked Walcott out were completely false. Rocky, in winning the thirteenth round, had the fight won on the scorecards. Rocky did not leave the bout to the judges

[JAB5239]

Interestingly the historical question overlooked by most experts was the story of the scorecards of the judges in the first bout between Rocky and Walcott.

Judge Zach Clayton had it eight rounds to four rounds for Walcott going into round thirteen. Scoring by the rounds system, this meant other than by knockout Rocky could not win the fight on this card.

However, Judge Pete Tomasco had it seven rounds for Rocky, five for Walcott. Referee Charlie Daggert had it seven rounds for Rocky to four for Walcott. Translated, it means if Walcott would have risen from the KD in round 13 and survived that round and the bout went the distance, Rocky would have won by 15 round split decision on the cards.

Walcott was ahead on only one scorecard going into round 13 with Rocky.

The statements Rocky had already lost the first Walcott bout on the scorecards at the moment he knocked Walcott out were completely false. Rocky, in winning the thirteenth round, had the fight won on the scorecards. Rocky did not leave the bout to the judges

Rocky had to and did prove his worth the second time around. But Walcott earned his return match. It's like any other close fight. But Marciano gave him the return without asking him to earn it, as he already had. When boxing was boxing, and not a media controlled pay per view.

[Willie Pep 229]

Rocky had to and did prove his worth the second time around. But Walcott earned his return match. It's like any other close fight. But Marciano gave him the return without asking him to earn it, as he already had. When boxing was boxing, and not a media controlled pay per view.

Correct it was not media controlled, it Mob controlled. -- The money fight was Marciano-Walcott II and that was the fight IBC (Mob) wanted to bleed off of; Rocky did what Al Weill told him to do.

Walcott got purse parity with Marciano that night; it was Walcott who held out at first, refusing to fight unless he got parity with Rocky.

It was a great disrespect to the HW Champion (Marciano); it was the first breach (with more to come) between Weill and Marciano. Marciano never forgave Weill for forcing him to accept the disrespect.


P.S. Bramble had to suffer the same disrespect for Bramble-Mancini II and never forgave the Duvas.

[Willie Pep 229]

Rocky had to and did prove his worth the second time around. But Walcott earned his return match. It's like any other close fight. But Marciano gave him the return without asking him to earn it, as he already had. When boxing was boxing, and not a media controlled pay per view.

There is an old adage in theater. Someone would quip "the theater just isn't what it us to be." Then some old timer would add, "and I'll tell you something else, the theater never was what it use to be."

Apply that adage to boxing. "It never was what it use to be."

[HOUDINI563]

I disagree. Boxing was a greater sport in years past. Today we have the potential of five champions in every division and five sets of contenders in every division. No one can determine who the proper champion is. This situation waters down all of professional boxing as fighters who never should be called a champion and fighters who never should be called a contender are. Championship bouts where the 15 round limit separated those that had sufficient conditioning from those that did not no longer exists. So the many multiple contenders do not need to be in top fine tuned shape to fight for the championship.

Boxing used to be the No 1 sport creating headlines in every major newspaper. Today it is no longer on the list.

[Willie Pep 229]

I disagree. Boxing was a greater sport in years past. Today we have the potential of five champions in every division and five sets of contenders in every division. No one can determine who the proper champion is. This situation waters down all of professional boxing as fighters who never should be called a champion and fighters who never should be called a contender are. Championship bouts where the 15 round limit separated those that had sufficient conditioning from those that did not no longer exists. So the many multiple contenders do not need to be in top fine tuned shape to fight for the championship.

Boxing used to be the No 1 sport creating headlines in every major newspaper. Today it is no longer on the list.

I agree with every word you said!

The adage isn't saying it wasn't better than it is today, but that it wasn't as "perfect" as our nostalgia wants to remember it.

It had all its own problems.

[HOUDINI563]

Nothing is perfect. I want to know who the champion is in every division however and there should only be ONE. To do this we need huge changes that unfortunately will not come by themselves.

[The Old LefHook]

Boxing is dead anyway.

[HOUDINI563]

I further agree. It’s dead because of decades of the aforementioned issues.

[Sugarj]

I honestly had Walcott ahead at the time of stoppage. I thought it was well known that he was ahead too.