How you figure a 90's foreman KO's the Rock? By that point in his career, Foreman was considerably slower, had little defense, and was certainly not hitting as hard as Rocky, not to mention his stamina was considerably worse. My reasoning for Wilder, he's basically a larger stronger version of Max Baer, poor defense, and gasses.... I feel like rocky pressures him in the later rounds....
His stamina wasn't worse? His defense was as good as previously? Wilder isn't like Max Baer stylistically?
Not hitting as hard as Rocky ? I would beg to differ that a 250 pound monster like Foreman, definitely hits harder than a 185 pound Marciano.
The bar for being a HOF heavyweight has risen magnitudes from the 1950's to the 1990's and beyond. Look at those poor schlubs playing football in the 50's compared to Reggie White, Adrian Peterson, Tony Gonzales and the like. It is apples and oranges. The HOF is a popularity contest amongst rose-colored nostalgists. It is not relative across generations, not even remotely at the heavyweight limit.
Your comparisons don’t make sense. In the 50s the contenders actually fought each other and often. Unlike today when you have some folks who have reigned for ten years and only fought three ranked men. Then people like you claim they’re superior athletes. Then you wonder why they don’t make the hall? You have to earn it. The requirements weren’t easier to make the HOF in the 60s and 50s you just had to accomplish a lot. I’d like to hear who you think shouldn’t have been in the Hall compared with who hasn’t gotten jn within the heavyweight division? as far as comparing fifties football to now it’s the opposite. Everyone boxed in the 50s. No one boxes now. At least as far as the best athletes are concerned. 50-70s was the golden age of boxing. Been down since for many reasons. PPV, alphabet titles, no 15 rounders, bad management of the sport, health concerns, has deteriorated the sport. Ranked fighters refuse to fight each other over the last two decades. Only one HW is worthy of the hall in the last 20 years and that’s Wlad. I think Usyk and AJ will make eventually because they have balls unlike the other cowards avoiding big fights their whole careers
His defense was much better than it was before. He began using a cross-armed defense, as opposed to glove-blocking, and relying on his reflex to dodge punches.
At the end of the day (hate that saying) Rocky was a great champion in arguably America’s Most beloved decade, and had more character in his little finger than any of the current bunch of twittering, entitled mooks have in their entire roid-ridden bodies.
Better? sure he adopted that, but his parring skills went down the drain which was certainly his best defensive attribute.
You were arguing pretty coherently until you got to this last bit then you completely fell out of your chair. Why are you so personally attached to this argument? This seems much more than a discussion about boxing for you whenever Rocky Marciano is brought up. It's arguably undeniable that Rocky was a great natural athlete. When it comes to speed, strength, and endurance Marciano stacked up excellently in terms of natural athleticism. He played multiple sports in high school as well. Even played in the baseball minor leagues. Not to mention he made it all the way to heavyweight champion. It doesn't matter how weak the era is, if somebody makes it to the pinnacle of their sport then they're quite athletic. The comparison to Rudy is dishonest, inaccurate, and frankly just sad that you've been wasting away on the internet for like 17 years drooling over ways to disparage Marciano. Get help man.
I am nothing more than the proper counter-balance to the excesses of Marcianistas. Where I move along the spectrum only reflects where they have equally positioned themselves on the opposite end of the argument. I don't relish this. It is my cross to bear. Appropriate analogy for the day and very correct. Peace to all.