Jersey Joe Walcott was 38 and looked older. That he was even champion was a bit of a surprise. He’d taken the title with an upset of Ezzard Charles the year before. Marciano on the other hand, was the coming star. He’d hammered Joe Louis into retirement in 1951, a sad fight that many saw as a changing of the guard. Fans were eager to see the Rock take on Jersey Joe—but few expected to witness one of the all-time great heavyweight fights.
