Rocky Marciano ,possibly the greatest heavyweight under 200lbs. Apart from Langford and Dempsey,maybe Tunney, I don't give any other Champ that size a 50/50 chance of winning against him. Fresher versions of Walcott and Charles might just turn the trick ,but I can't give them an even chance. Rocky, imo beats Sullivan,Corbett,Fitzsimmons,not confident about Jeffries,but I give Rocky the edge, Hart,Burns,Willard, Schmeling,Sharkey,Carnera,Baer,Braddock,Patterson,Johannson,Frazier,L Spinks,Mike Spinks. That's 19 champions he beats ,and one possible,pretty respectable.Anyone broadly agree, or violently disagree with my picks? I pick Johnson,Dempsey,Louis,Liston, Ali,Holmes, Foreman,Bowe, Tyson,Douglas Holyfield,Lewis,W Klitschko.13 To get the win. Very commendable for a man 5 feet ten- ish and 185lbs. I haven't included anyone still active or an alphabet champ ,[ I hope]. All fighters to be at their absolute best ie Douglas,[Tokyo]. Anybody agree with most of my choices? Anybody think they are crap?
Itś all opinion since weĺl never know. Very few heavyweights do I pick over Rocky simply because of his power, toughness and conditioning. The only guys I could see beating him are Dempsey, Louis, Foreman, Tyson and possibly Liston. Of course who knows what may throw him off? The best bet to beat Rocky is bust him up and look for a stoppage on cuts.
I give him a slight edge over the faster ,bigger Frazier based on his two fisted power,but it's just as reasonable to suppose Joe triumphs,imo
The list of fighters he can't beat, is larger than the ones he can. And,,,I think I'd take a prime Jeffries to outmuscle him in a knock down drag out brawl.
Rocky is unique among the Lineal Heavyweight Champions. To be perfectly honest with you, though I think a prime Rocky would lose to them most times, I wouldn't even bet the farm on prime Louis or prime Ali over Marciano, in one fight. Our family recently came up with our "Family" top 50 Heavyweights, and Louis and Ali came out #1 and #2.
Rocky and Joe is a fascinating , pickem type fight .. I'd favor Joe but I wouldn't bet it .. as far as Spinks goes, I simply disagree .. Spinks ran for his life against Qwai and Rocky was stronger, better conditioned and a much bigger hitter than Qwai ..
I'd pick Rocky over any Champion that came before him other than possible Joe Louis. Guys I'd pick over Marciano: Liston Ali Foreman Holmes Tyson Douglas Holyfield Bowe Lewis W. Klitschko Fury ABC Champions I'd pick over Marciano: Tim Witherspoon Wilder Joshua Tony Tucker Hasim Rahman
That's just how I see it, all those guys have much more physical advantages to put to use against a 5'10 185-190 pound man that has a reach under 70 inches. Even if I think they could beat Rocky it doesn't really affect Rocky's legacy of what he did in his time.
But they just don’t have the credentials. A regular contender type can’t bypass all time greatness just with size. And being an ABC champion when someone else was considered the best heavyweight in the world really equates to being just a good contender doesn’t it? Over super middleweight division, Nobody should be picking a regular contender over a superstar one division lower. Tony Tucker, Wilder and Tim Witherspoon did not beat fighters considered the best in their own times. They were not reliable in their own times. Not at the high echelon. Good fighters, but that was their limit. In the all time sense, Rahman, who I have a lot of respect for climbing the ranks the hard way, still lost to B list guys BEFORE he beat Lennox Lewis. Without taking away from that marvellous win, that result over Lennox was more a knock on Lewis than Rahman being reliable at the top level. I like all of those fighters individually. Very brave men. But to be in with a shot against the historically very best, even smaller ones..I just cannot afford them that level of certainty beyond punchers chance. Today, Canelo Alvarez will beat a good contender one weight up from him. And that is how it has always been.
