In this battle of the middleweights who do you think would come out victorious?
LaMotta 83-19-4 30KO standing at 5'8" average weight 160
Graziano 67-10-6 52KO standing at 5'7" average weight 155

I would have to say that the stamina of these 2 fighters is nothing to reckon with they could both go 15 rounds and they both fought tremendous fighters through out there careers. Graziano had a alittle more power but his speed was alittle less than LaMotta. Lamotta only got KO'd 4 times in his career to the 3 of Graziano. They both had tremendous heart but I would have to give this one to Lamotta due to his stamina throughout his career.
LaMotta in a decision

Good fight! I think Graziano was the better boxer of the two, but I can also see LaMotta brawling his way to a SD. No knock outs here. LaMottas chin was rock solid, so Graziano would not be able to knock him out. Further, LaMotta was not a heavy hitter, so he would not be able to knock out Graziano either. This could easily go either way. My money would be on LaMotta though. A tough fight.

These two fighters were actually all signed to meet in a middleweight championship fight that was supposed to take place on July 12th, 1950. But what happened intraining was Graziano punched a tree just before the fight was to take place, and a broken right hand was the result of it (some say he purposely injured himself, as a way of avoiding the fight). Tiberio Mitri was called in as a last minute replacement for that date, and that LaMotta/Graziano fight never did go down.

Who would've won had the fight taken place as scheduled?

I'll definately take LaMotta, but it probably would've been a distance fight. I disagree with M26 when he says Graziano was the "better boxer", cause I just can't see that when I watch each of them fight. Graziano was a brawler, who didn't care too much about defense, and he was very easy to hit (came straight forward in a crouch and looked to land the big right hand of his). LaMotta relied on a lot more defense, as he would slip and roll away from punches, before ripping his opponents with the left hooks on the inside (to both the head and body). LaMotta was the quicker fighter of the two, as well, and that would play a factor in the fight.

In what would certainly be a hell of a fight to watch, I think LaMotta's superior defense, handspeed, punching accuracy and stamina, enables him to win a pretty clear fifteen round decision over Graziano.

I heard that they knew each other when they were kids.

lammota would ko graziano in 1