This is true, Ali was a cutting puncher. But again, more so in the 1960s. By the 1970s people were either getting past his jab far more, or his was tapping and slapping more often too (to save his hands, probably). Still, he was cutting them a bit, for sure. I think Marciano's only chance against Foreman is by sheer awkwardness, to come in at some bizarre herky-jerk angle and land some dreadful looping haymaker against Foreman's chin, get George before George gets him. It's unlikely, it's possible, very unlikely, I can picture it, but very very unlikely.
You could reverse the question and ask how the 70's fighters would have fared in the early 50's. You're putting a prime early 50's Marciano against all the seventies contenders/champs. Rock would have been bigger in the 70's and the 70's boys would have not been as chisled and as heavy in the 50's. Eras...AGAIN! atsch
Foreman vs Marciano is a mismatch.........there are no intangibles except rose colored glasses. Same with Holmes, Marciano would receive a terrible beating. He gets stopped in both and you have to really hate him if you send him into the Ring with those two. Early 70's Ali takes him too over 15. Frazier is 50/50. Marciano had to whale round after round after round on old shopworn balding light heavies until they finally succumbed due to their age, lol, and legs gave out......plus most of them were very chinney.....his so called "power" would be exposed as average once he would be faced with modern sized and skilled Heavyweights. I bet my bottom dollar that Foreman, Ali, Holmes and Frazier would go 49-0 against Marciano's competition and most likely not one of them has to get off the deck or come from behind to win. "A man gots to know his limitations" and limited he was.
Log off.....bigger ? What in slow motion ? If you have ANY clue about body composition and nutrition then you would realize that Marciano fought at his B E S T weight to accommodate his style of fighting. If he would have put on 20-30 pounds he would have been dead in the water because his stamina and limited speed would be wayyyyyyy worse. His diet /nutrition was grade AAA because the food he ate was as clean as it comes in regards to hormones, antibiotics and pesticides........whats today called "organic" was common over the counter food back then. The end
Here we go again. Size, hormones, antibiotics... If Ted Gullick hits George clean so does Marciano. Watch that fight. I beg you. Imagine Rocky with those openings then get back to me about limitations, balding light heavyweights, nutrition and body compositions. A fighter of Rockys calibre cannot be entirely ruled out ....if only because we never saw worse versions of him. And it's not just Rocky. The best version of any great fighter always has a chance. A great fighter is a great fighter. Nobody wipes the floor with a great fighter on his best night. Even losing they always make competative life and death fights.
Foreman C L E A R L Y wiped the floor T W I C E with a commonly called G R E AT fighter in Joe Frazier. Marciano went life and death with shop worn old balding fighters who forgot how often they were knocked out in there careers because it happened so often..... I am ready for the excuses. BTW, Tyson vs Marciano is another utter mismatch.....so is WK/VK, Lewis etc and yes, they all would wipe the floor with him.
lol and he needed it in the eleventh hour against a grandpa with a borderline glass chin... How does it feel quitting in the selective process of a elite military unit ?
Walcott Charles Moore all look fantastic on film, even the versions who fought Marciano. These 3 would compete in any era..all were in excellent shape physically too. Walcott and Moore were no different than the 37 year old Bernard Hopkins who destroyed Felix Trinidad
I notice you did not get back to me about how Marciano might get on with the openings and opportunities someone like Ted Gullick was able to exploit against Foreman. As I pointed out, and I was very specific, "nobody wiped the floor with a great fighter on his best night". Joe Frazier in 1972 onward could never be "a great fighter having his best night". He had already had that. Yes George twice wiped the floor with a version of Joe Frazier but it was not "a great fighter having his best night" either time. That Joe had lost a key dimension to his game. The ability to land on the way in. Against Stander Frazier was walking up before punching. Still not such a sacrafice against Bugner or Ali but Joe could not be competative with a longer armed puncher anymore. He was a sitting duck! George could literally draw a line on the floor and know Frazier could not reach him. But was that TFOTC Joe Frazier?
It's a solid contention. I have grown weary of repeating the obvious. Old ass fighters at the tail end of their careers... Lightheavies who sensed a vacuum in the more lucrative division. To Rock's credit, he did what he had to and was entertaining.
It is hard to imagine anybody getting through that lot unscathed. The fact that his style was not suited for longevity, would compound the problem further.
This is true he could but so could Shavers, Foreman, Lyle, Bonavena, Frazier etc. For me what made Marciano such a great fighter was his gr,it and determination excellent conditioning, to go along with a powerful awkward relentless attack and awkward but effective defense to go along with it.