Muhamed Ali vs Rocky Marciano prime for prime

Different era, guys like Harold Johnson, Archie Moore, Bob Satterfield, Ezzard Charles were fighting often and most of them beating the bigger men of the era. 6'2 Bob Baker was KO'd by Archie Moore & 5'10 183lbBob Satterfield in 1 (Bob Satterfield also dominated Nino Valdez and dropped for a 9count in the last rd),

5'10 Harold Johnson beat Nino Valdez, Bert Whitehurst, Eddie Machen,Doug Jones, Billy Gilliam,Wayne Bethea,Clerence Henry, etc. Moore beat Valdez 2X,Clerence Henry, Embrell Davidson,Alberto Lovell,Karel Sys,Abel Cestac ,Jimmy Bivens, Satterfield,

Charles beat Gilliam, Layne,Brion,Reynolds,Louis,Coley Wallace 6"3 201

Marciano wanted Valdez as an opponent but Valdez lost to the more formidable Moore for the elimination and then was dominated by 5"10 183lb Satterfield (who was already KO'd by Moore and Charles) so the 2 losses Valdez had in 1955 ruined him as an opponent for Marciano

there are 2 ways of looking at it fight the best most qualified guys or the biggest. I think the 50's were more dominated by skillfull experienced men and this was prior to heavy weightlifting use and weights use did not get popular until after the 70's only George Foreman, Lyle, Mac Foster using weights.

Ali was a naturally big guy at 6'2 and 215 but the guys he had trouble with were 185lb Cooper, 185lb 5'11 Doug Jones, 195lb Karl Mildenburger, 5'10 204lb Oscar Bonavena,5'11 205lb Joe Frazier,188lb Floyd Patterson,Ken Norton was 205lb for 2nd fight & Leon Spinks 197lbs

I dont think we will ever see the type of quality small borderline heavy/lightheavy fighters you did in the 50's and with olympic super heavyweight division is now producing excellent big men. I also think the top guys at cruiserweight are going to be competitive with the big men. The Eastern europeans have changed the game IMO & weights and size will be importand unless a 5'10 powerhouse like Mike Tyson comes out of the 200lb heavyweight division of the amateurs again.

excuse my spelling Im am having trouble seeing the screen

 

Peralta was an experienced fighter and like the old school experienced guys of decades past he was only 185lbs when he fought Bonavena first time Ringo was 204lbs rematch was a draw and Peralta drew with Lyle as well. He would have done welll in the cruiserweight division today. I think only Oscar Bonavena was able to floor him out of Lyle,Foreman but Peralta also fought a lot of guys in the 176-185 lb class during this time although it was not an official division

 

I think I base power on acual KO's over quality opponents. I never said Lyle couldn't punch but as a man who saw him many times live I would not list him as an elite puncher. I saw Quarry take Lyles best and it was Jerry who staggered Lyle and that kept Lyle honest in losing his first fight as a pro

do you think Charles was an elite puncher or bomber, highlight tapes. I dont but he had his share of power shots

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The question then remains for many... Can any single human being in history defeat Marciano in a boxing contest? Because if prime Ali can't, then your choices are severely limited.

Is it time to crown Marciano as The Greatest? Was he truly the historic Alpha predator of the human species? Should youngsters abandon any interest or pursuit in the sport now that it has already been mastered to the highest degree possible?

 

Marciano possibly beating Ali doesn't suggest to me that he has a chance against guys like Wladimir Klitschko Anthony Joshua or Lennox Lewis.

 

Joshua wouldn't even make Ali's Top 5 opponents. He would be destroyed by Ali.

 

I doubt Ali could beat him what skilled 240+ men did Ali ever beat?

 

thats assuming that maricano ate 40 + lbs of pies just before the fight to gain that kind of skill advantage.

oh u mean joshua. BUT what if ali ate 40+ lbs of pie! then he'd gain massive extra skills too!

 

In real life Ali lost to Joe Frazier, him losing to Marciano hardly seems outlandish.

 

Marciano was skilled enough to beat guys like Walcott Moore and a still dangerous though faded version of Charles.

 

It's been more than 20 years since an Ali sized heavyweight reached the top of the division this seems like pretty damning evidence against the idea he would do well today.

 

How would his weight help him against a prime Ali? He is gonna be swinging at air and getting peppered in return.

Actually his weight would work against him. Heavily muscled, 240lb, 4 or 5 rounds be would get arm weary. That's when Ali starts looking at the referee to stop it. Look at his fight with Wlad. He was winded and wobbly very early.

Not a competitive fight.

 

Then where have all the Ali sized guys been the last two decades?

 

Joshua was able to go 12 rounds just fine against Parker

 

Ali beat a prime Liston, Foreman and Frazier.

Who is the best prime fighter Joshua ever beat? And how is his thimble sized gas tank going to hold out over an Ali who can move better than any heavy in history and do so for 15 rounds?