Not a single person in this thread thinks that size is everything. Valuev's career though is a testament to the value of size. His size took him near the pinnacle of the sport despite his many other limitations and shortcomings.
I'm on board with your claims in general, but I suggest you refrain from taking the modern practice of re-hydration at face-value in the future; it's a false equivalency. Now, I happen to think that Marciano does very well against people his own size. I'd favor him against Dempsey, Sharkey, Schmeling, Patterson, Foster, and Spinks. I have yet to see a fighter, besides Johnson, to topple him from his perch in that range.
I must have made this same post at least 5 times in these arguments. The other side simply do not want to know.
Common sense should tell you that he was not successful for no reason. Pretty much everybody on that list lost to somebody worse than the best guys who made up his undefeated record. Some people want to paint him as the guy who beat everybody in the real universe, but loses to everybody in the fantasy one. That tells you all that you need to know about their fantasy universe.
There were no Lewis or Wlad or Joshua... or anything like them in Marciano's universe. And Johnny Shkor doesn't count. Not even close.
There was no Lewis or Wlad or Joshua, but there have always been big heavyweights. There have always been the kind of heavyweights that make up the bulk of their resumes. Nobody has ever been successful in the heavyweight division, just because there were no big heavyweights around. If all it would have taken to displace Marciano was a big heavyweight, then one would have been found.
He's a pretty small guy. I mean he's a small crusierweight. Size is an important factor in HW boxing, i'm afraid. Marciano was hell of a special though. I'll answer the question, running down my top 20 heavies. Note that i'd like another look at Wladimir at this point.s Red for a win: This content is protected Wladimir Klitschko This content is protected Jack Dempsey This content is protected Evander Holyfield Mike Tyson This content is protected Sonny Liston This content is protected George Foreman Joe Frazier Lennox Lewis Joe Louis Muhammad Ali There are a few here i'm very unsure about, including Dempsey, Langford and Holmes and tbh, when great fighters meet, anything can happen. But I have him at just under 50% versus the greatest fighters in his division's history. For one of the smallest men on the list that's pretty good, although if Holmes and Langford go against him (and they could, if i'm in a different mood) that changes things a bit.
Please, read carefully and sound out the words. Repeat if necessary. Lewis, Wlad, Joshua (and Bowe, Foreman, Vitali) weren't just big. They were big and REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT BOXING. Stop making this a single faceted argument when you know it is not.
Were they though? Do you think that they would have been successful with their existing technique if they had been 6' 1'' say? If not then they are not actually all that good at boxing!
If they had a different Height they would have never used their existing technique, they would have used one more suitable for being 6'1
Rocky is certainly amongst the top 3 fighters to ever weigh 190 pounds. Hagler is amongst the top 3 fighters to ever weigh 160 pounds. Would Hagler be favoured against the top CW fighters today? Not for me he wouldn't. Marciano could beat every CW today apart from maybe Usyk as I'm not sure how good he's going to end up being. That's him giving away 20-30 pounds on fight night as well. So that is great enough to consider. There's just no way he is going to beat Joshua.