A Robinson/Cerdan Series

[The Old LefHook]

Had Cerdan lived, these two great fighters were on a collision course. What a fight in about 1949 or 1950 they would have provided. I believe it highly likely they would have had more than one bout. That's they way it was done in those days, plus I expect their fights would be highly competitive and entertaining. Cerdan was a high action fighter himself. He had a style I believe Robinson did not favor, for no one enjoys being swarmed. Robinson would love it if someone decided they were going to outbox him, which I think few thought of.

Anyway, Cerdan seemed to do everything pretty well. He knew how to fight, and I wish these two had met up for the fireworks.

What do you think about their matches that never came about (on earth) but must have happened in a parallel universe?

It is not out of reach that Cerdan would win one in the series. Yet because these fights would happen dead center in Robby's prime I would not expect the excellent Frog to win more than once, though I believe he would be very competitive throughout.

[The Old LefHook]

Cerdan had a puncher's shoulders and back. Obviously very difficult to fight.

[The Old LefHook]

The Jimi Hendrix of the middleweight division.

[The Old LefHook]

From the available films it appears Cerdan may have been faster than anyone Robinson faced, especially at middleweight. The more I look at this matchup the more I think this guy was born to give Robinson problems, the way Norton was born specifically to give Ali problems.

[ShoulderRoll]

I would have been interested in seeing a series with LaMotta.

[The Old LefHook]

I am pretty unfamiliar with most of his European competition. I think Robinson faced some of those same European opponents on his European tours. Turpin and Cerdan would have been a real acid test for both fighters.

[The Old LefHook]

I suspect Cerdan would have given LaMotta a real licking in the rematch, but you just never know with a guy as tough as Jake. The fact alone that LaMotta was more active suggests the Frog's injury was serious. It looks odd to see him being outworked. LaMotta himself is a top ten or fifteen AT middleweight however, we should not forget.

[OctoberRed]

I would have been interested in seeing a series with LaMotta.

Those would have been some fights to watch, too.

[The Old LefHook]

Getting by LaMotta might have been a difficult hump. But I would say Cerdan had excellent chances.