Rocky Marciano discusses Cassius Clay (Ali)

The interview reminds me a little bit of a case study I read about in a psychology paper.

In it, volunteers were invited to play a game (can't remember what the game was, it wasn't as complex as chess, but it was along those lines... not drafts or chequers).  Anyway, the volunteers would be up against skilled opponents who they thought were also volunteers.  Naturally, the volunteers lost almost every game to the under cover skilled players.  The interesting thing though, is most the volunteers refused to recognise that their opponent was more skilled when asked why they lost most their games, they'd blame luck, their own lack of concentration,  tiredness, anything but give their opponent credit.  It was only when the volunteers were taught about the strategies the experts were using that they were able to recognise their opponents were simply better. 

I think what you are seeing in the interview is a weird version of that compartmentalisation that the volunteers exhibited.  Except he recognises that Ali doesn't get hit (that would have been impossible with Rocky's style), and he recognises that Ali knows in advance which round he is going to win in, yet bizarrely I don't think he quite recognises how skilled you have to be to have those qualities.  Or perhaps he does, he just doesn't want to get too carried away with the eulogies (yet), and clearly he feels Ali hasn't been tested yet.  I suppose we all do that early on in a star's career though, we tend to want to wait before we say "they're one of the best ever".  Because tomorrow, someone better might come along and flatten them.

Quite often as well, history puts a sportsman in a better light.  You can't have any more bad fights when you retire. 

I wonder if the Klitschko brothers will be viewed more kindly in 15 or 20 years time.  I suspect they will be, they will have to be if Wladimir wins against Anthony Joshua in a couple of weeks time.  Looking forward to that one!

And certainly not in Russia, as they're too pro Ukraine.

I suppose they haven't really had many superfights you can look back on.

Anyway, shame there aren't more interviews with Marciano knocking about, he is interesting to listen to.