A boxing fan by the name of recently Samuel Mobley recently described Rocky Marciano as the greatest boxer of all time in a post on Facebook. While Marciano is without question one of the greatest boxers ever and would have flattened Muhammad Ali, I believe there were several fighters who deserved the title better.
There was Jersey Joe Walcott whom I consider to be the greatest heavyweight in modern boxing history. Jersey Joe was so good that he could not get fights with any of the leading contenders. When the 37-year-old Walcott finally won the heavyweight championship, he was already well past his prime. Ali wouldn’t have lasted more than eight rounds, if that many, with Jersey Joe in his prime.
Pound-for-pound, welterweight and middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson was probably the greatest fighter of all time.
In the pre-modern day era there was middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel. The “Michigan Assassin” is rated by many boxing historians as the best middleweight ever to put on the gloves. He threw devastating knockout punches from any angle with either hand. Ketchel was fearless, even taking on heavyweights, including the great heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. In the 12th round of their fight, Ketchel actually floored Johnson. The heavyweight champ got up and KO’d the Michigan Assassin with his next punch, leaving two of Ketchel’s teeth embedded in his glove.
Had they fought in the same time period, Ketchel would have challenged Ali to a match. He probably would have lost, but you gotta remember that Ketchel was only a middleweight.
Who was the greatest boxer of all time? Pick from Jersey Joe Walcott, Sugar Ray Robinson or Stanley Ketchel and you can’t go wrong.
As for Ali, former heavyweight champions Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, and a heroin-free Sonny Liston would have made mincemeat out of Muhammad Ali. That “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” style would not have worked against those great fighters.
Here is Mobley’s Facebook post:
THE “GREATEST BOXER OF ALL TIME”
By Samuel Mobley
A lot of people have this title confused.
The Greatest Boxer of All Time didn't die recently...he died 47 years ago.
He didn't have 5 losses, he had 0.
He didn't have 37 Knock Outs he had 43 (88%).
He didn't dodge the draft.
He wasn't a race baiter and didn't convert to islam.
He was a local kid named Rocky Marciano aka The Brockton Blockbuster (49-0).
Don't let mainstream media idolize false prophets.
When he was asked on tv if he could've knocked out Ali in his prime his response was oh so classical!!
"I’d be conceited if i said i could've, but I'd be a liar if i said i couldn't"
2 comments:
I kind of like Luis Angel Firpo. Not much style but the guy could hit. He once knocked Jack Dempsey completely out of the ring and into the audience.
Oops, my bad! I should have included the great Jack Dempsey as one of those heavyweights who would have stung Ali like a swarm of killer bees.
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