Could Ali Have Rope-A-Doped Marciano?

The rope-a-dope was the most inventive tactic on a 'One night only' basis. Or a 'One opponent only' basis.

 

The rope-a-dope does not work with punchers who have stamina.

 

Foreman loved having his opponets on the ropes too. why do you suppose Big George went ape **** and went into bombing mode every time Ali was on the ropes?

 

Foreman was a wide swinging puncher that threw most of his punches wide and slow, he had poor stamina and that was key, poor stamina, Marciano had one of the best if not the best stamina of all-time, Ali and Jerry Quarry had a formula against the big slow punchers and that is one of the reasons Foreman avoided Quarry

Marciano does not fit the rope-a dope model, not at all

 

I wouldn't be necessary and it would be a bad idea.

 

But Stevie G.

Marvis Frazier did land 'a punch'.

As for Muhammad Ali 'attempting to lay on the ropes' and let Rocky punch
him.

Rocky would have never 'head hunted', as he would have pounded the
'belt line'.

Muhammad Ali wouldn't have been able to move after 9 Rounds.

No, boxing-and-moving for Muhammad Ali would be the better tactic.

 

Ali knew he could rope a dope Foreman because he knew Foreman didn't have 15 rounds in the tank. Ali would have known that Marciano DID have 15 rounds in the tank and surely would have known that it would have been tactical suicide to employ such a strategy?

If Ali did try to rope a dope Marciano, imo he would have suffered a very bruising, painful defeat and would have been very sore for quite a while afterward. NOBODY would beat Marciano by laying on the ropes for 15 rounds.

 

No point in laying on the ropes against Rocky. Why would Ali have to? He could just float around in the paint and let'r'rip..Rock has no reach, and no agility. Makes zero sense to resort to the rope'a'dope on him.

 

It'd have backfired over the distance. Rocky couldn't do the damage Foreman could (Smaller, weaker guy. The Ali of Zaire soaks of anything Rocky could conjure in any quantity), but Rocky could do the key thing George couldn't: Sustain. He'd throw more each round, and he'd do it for 15.

I suspect a very, very wide UD loss for Ali would be in the cards.

 

Because at that stage Foreman tended to do exactly what he did against Ali when people stood infront of him. The thing that set Ali apart from the others was that he took the shots and outlasted Foreman while scoring quicker, straighter punches between Foreman's wide swings.

Marciano was not the type to do that. He had a methodical attack and would get move in closer than Foreman did. He'd have a very highworkrate, but he would not swing wildly. Even against Moore as Marciano was pouring on the punches, he was never as wild as Foreman was agaisnt Ali.

Marciano's stamina would see to it that his attack could be sustained over 15 rounds, but as we saw with Foreman, he tended to gas when exerting such attacks for more than a few rounds.

 

Agree on the stamina but Rockys punches were pretty wide as well. He wasnt accurate. He missed by 3 feet at times. Definitley not the precise puncher that Frazier was on the inside.

Pounding on Ali`s arms and shoulders probably wont work that well either because we know that Ali was one tough SOB. As tough as they come.

 

Complete mismatch.

In the center or on the ropes he beats Marciano from pillar to post.

What some of you rose colored self declared experts don't see is that the speed /skill/talent difference is like night and day..........yeah Marciano is pounding on Alis body but he would pay heavily with Alis counters, its not like that Marciano is hard to miss, speed kills......and Marciano ain't taking those lead rights Foreman took for 15, no one will, you either back off or you get laid out if you keeep pressing.

Some of you guys seems to forget that this is a prime Ali we are talking about not some shopworn balding straight out of the soup kitchen grandpa Marciano signature win...

I wish there was a time machine and we could match Marciano with modern fighters....lol, the classic section would be a wasteland .......Foreman/Holmes/Tyson/Holyfield/Bowe/Lewis/the K brothers would put such a viscious uncompetitive beating on him and some of those guys would lay him out cold. Fact.

 

yes

 

It's an extreme question , like asking if Rocky could defeat Ali by staying outside and jabbing .... the rope a dope would obviously not be the smartest strategy for Ali v.s. Rocky as it would allow Rocky close and Rocky was capable of throwing sixty good shots a round ... I simply do not think it would be wise ... considering Ali would still be much faster, larger and likely physically stronger who knows how it would play out but if Rocky were to have any chance, this would be the way for him to win it ...