Rocky Maciano vs Mike Tyson

Drop Tyson in a time machine with the training technology, nutritional info and accessibility, and lack of PED's from Marciano's era and then ask the question again.

 

Drop Marciano in a well-to-do home and give him all the amenities he needs to succeed in life and ask that question again.

Or maybe just take both fighters as they are.

 

Yes, according to Scott Weiss. He said Cus thought the way George looped his punches would get around the peek a boo guard.

Scott Weiss calls his book about Cus a "biographical novel", which is a little weird, since he would not say what parts are fictional or who his sources were for anything. Some friends of Cus have vehemently denied things he writes in the book. So I have to wonder about some of the things he says.

I wonder about this story too. Because Cus was all about making Mike believe he was invincible. He would even take Mike to a hypnotist for this. So telling Mike he could not beat Foreman would undermine the belief he was trying to build in Mike. So I'm a little skeptical about the story, even though Foreman himself in an interview a while ago - before Weiss ever said it - said he heard the story too. George just says he heard something. Weiss, who appears to be very unreliable, quotes it as a fact.

 

It's a fact Tyson was wary of Foreman. There's first hand account of how he lashed at King when he suggested he faces the comebacking former champ.

“No! I ain’t fightin’ that animal! If you love him so much, you fight him!”

 

This. I highly doubt Cus ever told Tyson he couldn't beat someone. But, that doesn't mean Cus didn't tell the other handlers to keep Tyson away from a guy like Foreman, who is a very bad matchup for Tyson.

Tyson was fast and explosive and had good power, but his power does sometimes get overrated. Holyfield said that Qawi and Cooper hit just as hard as Tyson, but didn't have Tyson's athleticism, speed, and timing.

Foreman isn't a man that Tyson could've ever broke down. Cooney, who hits twice as hard as Tyson was landing viscious left hook counters on Foreman and barely budged him.

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Marciano didn't want to box, he wanted to KO you. This would play to Tyson's strength. Tyson is faster and likely the harder puncher. I'll take Tyson in any rock em, sock em match.

 

Mike would connect and it would probably be early

 

**** Tyson, I'd give Cus's other student Floyd Patterson a good chance to knock out Rocky. Too bad that fight never came into fruition.

 

Mismatch. Marciano probably would have beaten Ward.