Frazier was ranked No.40 in the ring mag in 1996 in a list of the best 50 P4P fighters in the last 50 years. Quality of competition: 10 Why he was ranked 40th: He won the biggest bout in boxing history What he could have done to rank higher: Met Foreman in Zaire instead of Kingston. Marciano was ranked No.12 in the same list. Quality of competition: 7 He was voted 12th because you can`t argue with perfection. What he could have done to improve his ranking: Beating Louis ten years before he did.
Has to be Marciano, since he was consistent with his conditioning and continued to grow as s fighter throughout his career. I like both fighters, but Frazier became complacent after winning the FOTC by not staying in shape and continuing to grow as a fighter.
Marciano, but this is a tough call for me. Marciano did indeed beat basically the best of the day, whether they were past it or not that seems to be the truth he retired never having tasted defeat. Joe Frazier has more heart than most any heavyweight who ever lived. He defeated a still-badass, undefeated, under-thirty Muhammad Ali. He wiped out the whole division in the late 60s and early part of the 70s. Like I said, it's real tough, and I'm completely simpatico with anyone whom chooses Joe first. This was a really hard decision for me.
I'm not so sure on this at all. Though Marciano might edge Joe as an ATG, Joe could definitely hurt him and...I mean, Joe was always warmed up in the middle rounds as opposed to most of his opponents (whom often used those rounds to take a breather). Perhaps Rocky could catch Joe with a bomb in the last rounds...I could conceive of that. But he would have to walk through fire with Joe, no doubt in my mind. Joe had too much heart, and though Rocky could be a pretty phenomenal puncher, he wasn't George Foreman.
I'll second this. It would be a terrific war between Smokin Joe and the Rock, a real clash. But it's Joe I see coming out the Victor. Hed stop Rock in around 7to 8 rounds imo, Marciano being to brave for his own sake.
Frazier, for mine. Not a huge amount in it (I have Frazier at #6 and Marciano at #7). On balance, Frazier beat a better class of opposition and his victory over Ali has an almost incalculable quality. It rates so much higher than any of Marciano's wins that, whilst Walcott and Charles were great victories, they can't really make up enough ground to compare with Frazier's ledger. In addition, if I recall correctly, Frazier has a few more successful title defenses, to boot. Sure - Marciano has the badge of being undefeated and this is the only aspect of Marciano's record, which weighs in his favor, in my opinion (I think Joe beats Rocky, head-to-head, as well). However, Frazier only registered losses to Ali and Foreman, which is not particularly damaging to his overall account - certainly not enough to diminish the plus-points to the extent that he drops below Marciano. There's too much in Frazier's favor, here.
Rocky being the best of his era and Frazier not is a pretty heavy factor in his favor rating wise. If we are just going to throw out losses than what stops David Tua from rating ahead of Marciano or Tony Tucker
