If you don't go by resume what criteria do you go by? Mickey Walker said the same thing about the heavies how did that work out for him?
He was favouite to beat Marciano though, and was ranked 1 or 2 contender in the world still. Which heavyweights knocked out ATG heavyweights who weren't "shot to ****" ?
I'm sure the bookies look back at that and hold their heads in shame I'm not saying no one ever KOed past prime HWs, Tyson's best win is Old Holmes, and imo Holyfield's is Old Foreman tied with Bowe. But of ATGs that's the only ATG HW who Marciano beat. But he's not the only one who's only beaten old HWs
Well, was going by resume that’s why I’d have him as an ATG fighter. Yes mostly LHW but his HW career was nothing to sneer at. I’d pick Archie against a lot of top 30 HW ever prob none in the top ten but he’d win a lot from the others. Stylistically he’d give a lot of guys fits.
Holyfield has less of a claim than Lewis (I assume Tyson doesn't count if it doesn't for Lewis) Also he did STOP, not KO, Vitali Klitschko Louis KOed Max Baer, Schmeling and Conn. I don't know if they count. But there probably his biggest picks
Holyfield KO'd Tyson 6 years before Lewis did. I'd say Tyson was definitely shot to **** against Lewis, but not that far gone against Holyfield. Lewis's win over Vitali (debatable whether he's an ATG HW anyway) was a TKO on cuts so I'd disqualify that. Max Baer and Max Schmeling aren't necessarily HW ATGS either. Billy Conn was an ATG at 175 pounds only.
I didn't think age mattered anyway, Louis was as shot as Tyson. I'd put Baer, Vitali and Schmeling in same catagory, Bowe as well. I count Lewis's win over as Vitali, he did win and it was his punches that caused the cut Also so Moore was a ATG 175lber
All fair points. It won't make me rate him less as a fighter that he didn't beat a Lennox Lewis type. Marciano was the best heavyweight of his era and I'll give him full kudos for that. He overcame pretty significant physical limitations (even for that smaller, shorter era) to do so as well. Fantasy match ups are just that. They're fun to do but people take it to ridiculous extremes (and I do it myself) when bigging up a fighter they like at the expense of another. I'm pretty sure that Rocky would struggle with the latter day giants but it sure as hell doesn't make me not respect him for what he did achieve. He was a great, brave and deserving champion.
I'll give you 1 maybe 2 at a push out of 5. You could maybe add Lewis and Holyfield to the list, Rocky is in good company then.