Remembering when the greats fought the greats!

Rarely great fighters meet when they are still at the height of their career. Four large fighters met in two matches. The only thing was that the two were former champions, not in the premiere.

The future World Rocky Champion of the Rocky ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’ Marciano had 37-0 when he met Joe ‘The Brown Bomber’ in October 1951, 66-2 with 52 stops in Madison Square Garden. Louis lost the title of former Ezzard champion ‘Cincinnati Cobra’ Charles, 66-5-1, at Yankee Stadium in New York, in September 1950. His record was still good, but not exactly the fighter as it used to be. He has won eight fights since he lost his career for the second time. There were no titles.

After seven rounds, Marciano was forward on the cards 4-2, 5-2 and 4-3. In the eighth round he lowered Louis with his left hook for 8-point Judge Rudy Goldstein. Then Marciano sent Louis through the ropes on the knockout. There was no counting; The fight was over.

Marciano idolized Louis, and in the locker room she spilled some tears. Louis would never fight again.

Five fights later, Marciano won the world title, throwing out ‘Jersey’ Joe Walcott, 49-18-1, in the thirteenth round. Walcott was forward after twelve rounds 7-4, 4-8 and 7-5.

One of Marcian’s stable stability, Hank Cisco went to Walcott’s locker room and heard a ring doctor say, “This man should never fight again. Under the eye he has a broken bone and knock him out with the first solid blow. The mafia had Walcotta and put him in a rematch eight months later, probably his money at 2:25. Marciano knocked out Walcott in the first round.

Marciano would end his career with a canvas in the second round against the lightweight champion in the Archie ‘Old Mongoose’ Moore ‘Moore, 149-19-8, which was a knockout king. Marciano scored four blows, stopping Moore in the ninth round, ending his career 49-0 with 43 stops. The record was held sixty -two years before Floyd Mayweather, Jr. stopped Conor McGregor, who made his debut without amateur experience and was a former MMA champion.

The second match was between perhaps the two biggest pounds per kilogram of all time. Former World Champion with three Henry Division ‘Murder Hank’ Armstrong, 132-17-8, lost to the future ‘Sugar’ champion Ray Robinson, 44-1, in Madison Square Garden in ten rounds. He was a former champion for ten years.

Armstrong would fight for another six years, passing 17-2-1 before losing his last duel in February 1945, ending with a record from 149-21-10 with 99 stops.

Three years later, Robinson would have won the world title in the great weight and then the medium weight title. In front of the points, he could not continue because of the external heat of 104 degrees at the Yankee Stadium in New York in June 1952 against the lightweight champion in Joey Maxim, 78-18-4. Robinson was on the cards for 10-8, 9-8-1 and 7-3-3 at the time. Judge Rudy Goldstein was replaced in the tenth round because of the heat.

In 1957, Robinson would lose the middle weight title in Fullmer Gene, 37-3, in Madison Square Garden. He would end his career in 1965, losing to Joey Archer, 44-1, ending with a record from 174-19-1.