Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano
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| Date | October 26, 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marciano defeats Louis by 8th round TKO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano was a heavyweight boxing match contested on October 26, 1951.[1]
Following his first defeat in over 14 years against Ezzard Charles in September 1950, former undisputed heavyweight champion Joe Louis had returned to the ring two months later. With his debt to the IRS remaining he fought 8 times in the following 9 months, facing mostly club level fighters, with the exception of a knockout of Lee Savold and a points win over Jimmy Bivins. Unbeaten contender Rocky Marciano had fought six times in 1951 stopping all but one of his opponents, the most notable was a 6th round knockout of top contender Rex Layne in July. On August 29, promoter James D. Norris announced that Louis and Marciano would face off in a 10 round bout on October 11, outside at the Polo Grounds.[2] This was later pushed back to October 26, indoors at Madison Square Garden.[3] It was reported that this was done in order to avoid a clash with the 1951 World Series between the New York Yankees and the New York Giants.[4] It was believed that the International Boxing Club had guaranteed Louis $300,000 for the bout.[5]
Speaking to the press during the build up Louis spoke of having a rematch with now former champion Charles and a third bout with new champion Jersey Joe Walcott, saying "Jim Norris spoke to me about fighting Charles in Miami this February, I'd like that. It would do good, don't you think?" He added that "As long as either Walcott or Charles is champion, I'm going to keep chasing, I don't know how long that's going to be, but I'll be waiting. I'm going to stick around while either one of them is champion. I can beat them. Of course if some 23-year-old kid comes along and wins the title somehow, then I guess I'll have to call it quits. Cause then, by the time I get a shot, my grey beard will be hanging around my knees."[6]
When odds for the bout opened Louis was a 12 to 5 favourite to win however as the fight neared they dropped to as low as 6 to 5.[7]
The fight
In front of a near capacity crowd of 17,241, Marciano would largely control the bout. The 28 year old Marciano would swarm Louis in the first round, shaking the former champ with a looping right to jaw late in the round. Louis was able to control the fourth and fifth rounds with his jab, bloodying the nose of Marciano as he was pushed back, however by the sixth Louis had appeared to tired and the much younger Rocky would take advantage. The 7th round saw Louis send bucking into the ropes by a right hand and later on he was bent double from a hook. At the start of the 8th, Marciano hurt Louis with a hook and soon after another left hook sent him down to the canvas. Louis beat the count but Marciano landed a left hook followed by a right to the jaw that send the Brown Bomber through the ropes and on to the ring apron prompting referee Ruby Goldstein to immediately wave it over.
At the time of the stoppage Marciano led on all three scorecards, with scores of 5–2, 4–2–1 and 4–3. The AP had it 4–2–1 for Marciano.[8]