Is Rocky Marciano The Most Overated Heavyweight Of All Time?

It's usually an excuse his fans make because there embarrassed Dempsey got knocked out flat on his back by one punch from a feather fisted 37 year old journeyman

 

He fought the best of his era and won impressively....I think Johnson gets overrated a lot because of the Jeffries win but Jim was 36 and had not fought in 5 years and had to lose 80 lbs with no tune-up, Johnson was also sneak dropped by a middleweight and Jeffries fought life and death with a 5'7 Sharkey....we learn something new every day. I think the thing is Marciano detractors can only point to his 5'11 height and 188 weight, the man was a freak but the same guys love Sam Langford

Marciano will never be loved on ESB but there are more Marciano post and threads then anyone...why the obsession both ways. Great fighter, one of a kind

 

I love Marciano. One of the greatest "pure fighters" the division ever saw. Pound for Pound a true monster.

He wasn't Superman but he seemed damn close.

 

why cant they just love each other :rasta

 

Exhibition, not a pro fight

 

rocky was the biz.

 

I don't think there is a great gap between his rating and his record.

In fact, his best defense is what he accomplished in the ring.

 

Well if you start with Ali, and work your way up to the present time, and each HW champion boasted

" I won my title by beating a 36 year old, defended it 6 times, one a rematch with the guy when he was 37, 3 against former Light Heavies, one of which was 39, a journeyman fighter from South West London, and Roland La Starza "

there is a fair chance people wouldn't be too enamoured by that.

 

Most don't rate him in the top three or four all time heavyweights while excusing his competition or romanticizing his assets .. I personally like the guy and respect him , rate him somewhere in the top ten under 200 pounds .. however based on his size and style can easily find twenty fighters I'd rate over him head to head at heavyweight if not more.

 

Top ten under 200lb? Thats a bit low. I think he is either number 1 or number 2 below 200lb.

 

No. Marciano never lost nor did he use a color line.

Over rated would be the champ who lost and drew to smaller men, and used the color line to avoid his top three opponents. Thy name is Johnson

 

Mendoza who beat better opposition Marciano or Johnson?

 

Who would you have liked him to fight instead?

 

Muhammad Ali is quoted as saying that Rocky Marciano would have been his hardest opponent from ex boxing champions