Rocky Marciano is the most overrated HW besides the Klitschkos

I was 32 years old in 1956 (Rocky's last fight). So I've lived the last 65 years as a pretty mature adult. I'd like to think I've kept my eyes and mind open during that time. I don't rank a fighter from my youth as the #1 Heavyweight. I give that honor to Muhammad Ali. In fact I have Evander Holyfield as my #3. I rank Joe Louis as #2, but I really don't think that's nostalgia. With all of that said, and all that I've observed in those 65 years, I really don't believe that human beings have evolved into a new Species of some kind in the last 65 years. They're certainly bigger, but I'm not so sure that necessarily makes them better. I think Ali, Louis, Holyfield, and, yes, even Marciano, would be fighters to be reckoned with in the Heavyweight Division today or at any other time in Boxing history. That's IMHO, of course.

Edit: Corrected my error. (Thanks to BELLERS for catching that!) I was 32 in 1956, not 42. Lol.

 

He was NEVER light heavyweight sized. If anything he was a man that trained way down. From about 215-210 walk around weight.

If Bugner and Mathis are what’s considered “skilled” big men…then big men should be embarrassed. I’ll take an Archie Moore or Charles any day to that.

I think it’s fair to ask the question HOW would Marciano do? I don’t think it’s fair to assume he just gets mauled. When he was 11-0 with 11 KOs against all men over 200. Obviously most weren’t very good but some were ranked contenders. I’d take old Louis over any version of Bugner or Mathis for example.

 

Marciano isn't much bigger than a rehydrated LHW. He averaged 185lb on fight night. He only made modern cruiserweight or 190lb+ a few times and cruiserweight is not heavyweight. As i said, Ali and Holyfield fought SHWs, not just guys over 200lb, because they fought tons of world class guys over 200. Im referring to 230lb+ big guys. Joe Bunger and Mathis aren't that good but If you actually look at his record, all the SHWs Marciano fought were a lot worse than Buster Mathis and Joe Bugner... just saying. How would marciano do against somebody like Riddick Bowe ? Because Holyfield who was the smaller man had 20 pounds and 2 or 3 inches of height on Marciano.

 

Very unpopular opinion, but i think Rocky would have beaten Fury. In any event, i think the rock was all wrong for him style wise, the gypsy king had huge size advantage, but he was not strong enough or punched hard enough to keep Rocky at bay. At one point the rock would get inside and chops him up like a giant oak tree.
Maybe the same thing can be said about the other ones like AJ and Wilder.......maybe.
BUT, if there is a super heavyweight i would strongly favor over the rock, that would be Lennox Lewis.
Lewis hit sooo much harder than fury and was stronger.
His ring IQ is much better than AJ, and unlike the ponderous AJ, he carried his size very well.
Oh and he was Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more skilled than Deontay Wilder.
If Wladimir doesn't use his grab and jab style and decide to use his sledghammers hooks to hit Rocky coming in.......
Vitali i think would beat him, but it wouldn't be a Real mismatch.
That's my opinion after all.

 

Style wise he would be all wrong for Fury but I'm just not sure he'd be large enough to walk Fury down. Who knows. It's all speculation i guess

 

Fair enough. Think he does fine against Bowe. For many reasons but plenty of bigs I don’t think he does that well. Only fighters on film that gave him trouble were guys with excellent footwork and were tricky. Think fighters like Byrd or Usyk or Fury or Lewis would give him the most trouble. Tricky guys with lots of tools. Bowe is a toss up to me. Marciano had just as good a chin as Holy but better stamina and more power.

Im no pro at all at boxing but the hardest I’ve ever been hit was by two guys one weighed 205 the other 195. Been in the ring w guys 270 down. So I’m not of the mindset that weight is everything. Think part of the problem today is many trainers don’t know how to properly train smaller men and most don’t want to waste their time. Hell Goldman didn’t want to waste time w Marciano. Tua had all the tools to be champ for example but was trained horribly imo. Look at him compared to Marciano Frazier or Tyson. He had the tools but didn’t use any tricks like the others to help a shorter fighter succeed. Good defense, feints, countering the jab, closing the gap, cutting off the ring we’re all things he could have vastly improved on. Going off on a tangent may be the wine. Happy weekend

 

Rocky would get destroyed by Fury, utterly and comprehensively destroyed. This is sending a boy to do a man's errand. There isn't a facet to his game that Tyson couldn't nullify by size alone, let alone with the high level of athletic talent and skill he possesses. It would be ugly.

 

Is the first line of that correct ?

 

No. Good catch. It was a wrong key error. I was 32. Thanks. I'll go back and correct it!

 

Yep.

Marciano is without question a top 10 ATG and no joke head to head against most other ATGs.

I think it's a little hard to overrate a perfect record, but I can certainly sympathize with those whom point out the advanced age of many of his bigger wins.

Bowe? Big Daddy would have had trouble with Rocky, but mostly because he tended to get hit way too much. I do think if Rocky had trouble with old man Louis' jab, he'd REALLY suffer from Bowe's. And that right uppercut would do him no good, probably score a knockdown if it lands flush. Still, I could see RM getting a decision, sure. I don't see Bowe putting him away.

Hopefully I haven't opened up a family-size can of worms.

 

7 year old thread that can still go **** itself lol

 

I love this post, great to read.
What are/were your thoughts on Mike Tyson, where do you rank him ?

 

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ"......"Oh sorry.....did I miss something important?....no?...OK....Goodnight....."ZZZZZZZZZ"....

 

Based on Resume, I currently have Mike ranked at #14 all-time, but I'm currently in the process of adjusting my rankings. I will probably move Mike up. In a head to head sense, I would definitely rank him higher. In his prime he would have been a nightmare fight for almost anyone.

 

I'll wake you up when the heavyweight division is again dominated by a sub-200, sub 70" inch reach guy with zero quicks and little balance. Sleep tight.