Fantasy Fight: Rocky Marciano vs Joe Frazier

I’d imagine it would be a top match to make all time. Both had 100 percent heart and great work rate. Both had good recovery from punches even if they were knocked down occasionally. If a gun to my head I’m picking Marciano by TKO latest of rounds. I think the two handed power, durability and equal stamina would cancel out what Frazier is great at in the end.

 

I think Marciano's reach was 68"?
I also think reach would not play a part in this,a ,match between two stocky ,come forward swarmers.
Was Marciano ever not out reached in a fight?

 

Great matchup both slow starters. Marciano has the edge in two handed power, but both men tough as nails. Marciano takes it in a back and forth brawl in 6.

 

Frazier has the advantage in punch speed and combinations, I forget which fight of his it was but he did a Tyson 6-4 right hook to the body right uppercut, people that think Frazier was all left hook have never really watched him fight

 

I have to go with Rocky Marciano in a close one, but I am in no way sure of my pick. I give Rocky the slimmest of edges.

 

This is not going the distance. Edging Frazier here due to reach, size, and hand speed, but wouldn't put a lot of money on this.

 

He had a right hand Eddie Futch gave it to him ,but it was never a devastating punch.Marciano could knock you down with either hand.

 

Walcott was also a lot smarter than Frazier and could figure out when to put his hook out there, everyone knew Fraziers plan, JJW landed his because they didn’t know it was coming.

 

Marciano has a more cagey defence than Frazier, very deceptive - I think Frazier won’t look good here at all on the inside, Joe came up during a time with no good inside fighters in his division. Rocky however knew top down what to do in close and threw better punches there and understood how to defend himself properly. He’s more powerful, he’s got a better defence and knows what to do where this fight will be taking place. They’re both fit and not all that quick, but it’d be good while it lasted with Rocky KOing Joe 8-10.

 

On paper Frazier has the advantages but Marciano brings a boatload of intangibles that even out that edge. My gut feel is that Frazier needs to start fast and rack up a lot of early damage / advantage. Maybe even try to stop Rocky early if its at all possible. He'd have to overcome his slow-start tendencies and start fast. When they get tired its going to be Marciano who is less tired and who will be turning up the gas. I've always tilted towards Marciano in this one but there is of course a case for Frazier.

 

Both were actually slow starters at times, so the first 2 rounds would be crucial. This is a marathon, not a sprint, because both guys were relentless, durable grinders and both would be smothering each other's punches at close range. In a matchup like this it might actually take a while for someone to land a truly powerful and damaging blow because they'd either be shoulder to shoulder or forehead to forehead for 90% of the round not always getting the room for proper leverage and snap behind their shots.

I would expect that it would get extremely ugly by the 4th with both of them either intentionally or unintentionally headbutting, elbowing, etc because both could be rough and wild when angered and hurt (moreso Rocky) and the two of them have many similarities clashing close quarters so part of it is inevitable. The ref might end up deducting points, but it honestly makes no difference as this cannot possibly go the distance.

I think the fight would be even up to the 6th, at which point the momentum swings depending on if A) Rocky can impose his will with his 2-fisted slightly superior raw power or B) Frazier's edge in hand speed and technique allow him to significantly damage Rocky's skin, outlanding him and get into his smokin' rhythm. As I said earlier, the early rounds would be crucial and whoever starts to gain momentum first doing the most significant damage will have a distinct advantage as the fight goes on. They had equal stamina, heart, and swarming ability so it would boil down to technique vs power. Sometimes Rocky's technique is underrated. Frazier is better but not by a huge amount (if Frazier is a 10, Rocky is no lower than 8 as an inside fighter), and Rocky also hits harder and was better at throwing powerful combos with both hands. I think the uglier the fight gets, the more it favors Rocky and he had a knack for forcing his opponent to fight at his more crude pace.

Thus, I would slightly favor Rocky to gain the momentum scraping himself off the canvas from vicious hooks in round 7, right eye swollen and covered in cuts, before responding with brutal combos of his own dropping Frazier in the 8th and stopping him in the 9th with a barrage. The fans would give them a standing ovation in one of the craziest matchups ever resembling two alpha bighorn sheep refusing to back off clashing repeatedly.

 

This.

Definitely would be one of those brawls that takes it's toll on both warriors.

Agree with everything you said, except I lean slightly towards The Rock.

 

Did Frazier really hit "alot harder" than Walcott? Like did he hit harder by a huge margin?

 

Man, imagine if they fought a series, like 4 or 5 fights? There would be nothing left, they'd tear each other to pieces!