Why did Rocky Graziano never fight Jake LaMotta?

[Ray Corso]

In my opinion Jake walks through Rocky and Zale and thats why they never met! Rocky and Tony had a good thing going and promoters and matchmakers don't step on one another. I'm pretty sure the folks on this thread are not aware of the fact that Jake was a "feared" opponent! It makes no difference if anyone thinks his "skill" level wasn't as high as others the bottom line is he ducked no one that was in his way and he had to lement to the powers to be to get his shot. He fought his way to the top but got stopped unless he did business! Zale was a cut above Rocky but neither of them could deal with Jake the guy was an animal and thats not like Tysons bravado, Lamotta was a brutal man in the ring!!!
Remember the fighters then weren't affected by looses unless you got stopped then you sat out for 30 days/tko or 60 to 90 fore a KO! That was very important to their incomes because they were "full time" fighters. Even the headliners fought twice a month if not once a week! Being stopped was a tuff time in the pocket. Sugar was known to take care of some opponents as long as they didn't get to full of themselves and tried to take him out!!
Pep was another guy who helped alot of young fighters step up from 6 & 8 rounders to 10 round semi's and then hopefully main go. You'd better not cross these guys and try to stop them, you could do your damnedest to out score or out hustle but if you go to hurt them then they kick your butt!
My cousin fought Pep in the garden and they were gonna box 10 and give a great showing, he got ****y and Pep closed the show on him. Pep told the story better than my cousin did but it was the same outcome from both storytellers hahaha! Ray.

[NChristo]

Don't get me wrong, I never said Arnold was on LaMotta's level. However, the PERCEPTION of Arnold most people had at that time was "the next Joe Louis or Sugar Ray Robinson" and my point was that if Graziano was courageous enough to fight someone BELIEVED to be that good, he wasn't a coward or a ducker.

In sheer talent, Arnold may have been better than LaMotta, we'll never know. However, he obviously was being moved too fast and was ruined, they should have let him develop for another couple of years.

I have seen videos of LaMotta and I don't consider him to be all that talented, although he was very tough and determined.

Don't get me wrong, I never said Arnold was on LaMotta's level.

On Earlier post:

Since Graziano beat Billy Arnold, I imagine he would have had a good chance of beating Jake LaMotta.

Billy Arnold is no measuring stick too see if Graziano could beat LaMotta, sounds like you were using him as an example of a boxer on Jake's level, unless I took it out of context.

In sheer talent, Arnold may have been better than LaMotta, we'll never know. However, he obviously was being moved too fast and was ruined, they should have let him develop for another couple of years.

I have seen videos of LaMotta and I don't consider him to be all that talented, although he was very tough and determined.

I'd need too see footage of Arnold but from what I've read he was certainly a harder hitter and faster then Jake but talent takes other forms then physical gifts, (of what Jake had plenty of anyway, incredible stamina, chin and willpower) Jakes ring generalship, body punching, and over all experience in the ring make him the obviously much bigger threat

and my point was that if Graziano was courageous enough to fight someone BELIEVED to be that good, he wasn't a coward or a ducker.

Ties in with what I said above about LaMotta still being another level of boxer to fear, also the aura of Arnold being the next Robinson or Louis was diminished after the Zivic fight as pointed out in the articles I put above, many people were saying after the Zivic fight that Arnold was over rated and had no future.
The fear of his power and overall talent was probably still out there but nothing to what it was previous.

[IronDanHamza]

Again, Lamotta offered a fight to Graziano.

Graziano turned it down.

[Scott9945]

If neither fighter publicly complained about the fight not being made then I'm ok with it too. It would have been fun if Foreman and Shavers fought. But it just didn't happen.

[crold1]

Graziano was not a ducker.

In 1945 he fought Billy Arnold, who was touted by The Ring Magazine and various newspapers across the United States as the next Joe Louis or Sugar Ray Robinson.

Since Graziano beat Billy Arnold, I imagine he would have had a good chance of beating Jake LaMotta.

I didn't say he was a ducker, though he never wanted anything to do with Jake. He made great money fighting guys like Janiro without having to tackle that monster.

And just because someone overhyped Billy Arnold in Ring (something that happened a LOT...Fleischer was a bit of a shill and hardly the paragon of virtue some seem to think..not saying that WAS the case here but not like Arnold was laying out contenders) and Graziano beat him, that doesn't mean anything.

[catalinul]

Again, Lamotta offered a fight to Graziano.

Graziano turned it down.

They were actually signed to fight.

Graziano injured his hand in training and LaMotta fought Mitri instead.

There is even a picture from a press conference with them looking backward at the camera and winking while holding the contracts.

[Miburo]

If neither fighter publicly complained about the fight not being made then I'm ok with it too. It would have been fun if Foreman and Shavers fought. But it just didn't happen.

I see Shavers getting stopped in that one like he was against Lyle.

[Rspen46]

Why did Lamotta & Zale not fight?

[Ivich]

I'm not saying he didn't, to be honest I don't know why LaMotta and Graziano didn't fight which is why I haven't mentioned it (Would of been an incredible fight !), but, too bring Arnold onto LaMotta's level is silly.

From Warsaw Daily Union newpaper, Jan 8th 1945:

Arnold was a welterweight who never beat anyone worth talking about.Graziano wanted no part of Jake.

[Ivich]

Again, Lamotta offered a fight to Graziano.

Graziano turned it down.

Graziano' nick name for Jake was "policeman," because he took on the guys that Rocky didn't want to fight.