Prime Muhammad Ali vs Prime Rocky Marciano

Styles my dear boy styles!

 

Ali wins, by Decision. Make no mistake, ole Rocky was not one to get knocked out, and would be standing and trying his best until the end. He may get a knockdown, but he was too small and too slow to keep up

 

He was behind on the cards and well behind:

8-3-3
8-4-2
8-4-2

https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Joe_Frazier_(3rd_meeting)

 

Savage

 

Should add they both liked and respected one another. Rocky is relentless but the difference in length, weight, and speed becomes determinative.

 

rocky tko 15th rd

 

Perfect analysis, Janitor! You know boxing, my friend!

 

Muhammad Ali belongs ahead of Rocky Marciano on any all time Heavyweight list. Head to head, Ali vs. Marciano, the situation's very foggy. No bets from me. I'll sit back and watch it, with many trips to my feet, I'm sure.

 

The question of who would prevail in a heavyweight contest between Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano has been the subject of debate and discussion for many years. I know that a computer picked Marciano in the 1960s but at the time of this fantasy contest, the computer did not have information on Muhammad Ali's astonishing comeback from 3 1/2 years of exile, his trilogy with Joe Frazier, and his remarkable upset of George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. I also know that Muhammad Ali always had high regard for Rocky Marciano and deemed him to be a worthy opponent. At the outset, it is important to note that Muhammad Ali had a distinct physical advantage over Rocky Marciano. More specifically, Rocky Marciano was only 5ft 10 inches tall and weighed about 180 pounds when he reigned as champion. In contrast, Muhammad Ali was 6 ft 3 inches tall and weighed 215 pounds at the peak of his skills, providing Ali with a 35 pound and 5-inch height advantage. In addition, Ali had a long reach at 78 inches while Marciano had one of the shortest reaches in heavyweight history with a reach of 68 inches, providing Ali with a 10-inch reach advantage. These distinct physical advantages alone gravitate towards an Ali victory; however, I am well aware that fighters such as Marciano, Frazier, and Tyson were able to defeat opponents with height, weight, and reach advantages so Ali's physical advantages certainly do not end the inquiry. Next, we must assess the fighters at their peak. Marciano was a bull who always moved forward and punished his opponents with devastating body shots and deadly punches to the arms, draining his opponents of energy and confidence. Marciano did not have fast hands, but he had amazing stamina and patience in the ring. He was undefeated and beat every heavyweight of his era. Among his most big-name victories were Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis, and Ezzard Charles. However, he defeated all of these fighters when they were well past their primes as Joe Walcott was about 38 years old, Joe Louis was about 35 years old and significantly diminished, and Ezzard Charles was about 34 years old. Marciano always trained seriously for fights and never squandered his talent. For his part, the prime 1967 Ali was the fastest heavyweight in boxing history with hands, legs, and reflexes, probably took the best punch and had the strongest chin in boxing history, was an incredibly intelligent fighter, and had exceptional stamina. In addition, his jab and ring movement were unsurpassed. In the 1960's Ali defeated an aging Sonny Liston for the title and other fighters such as Floyd Paterson, George Chuvalo, and Zora Folley. Like Marciano, Ali never faced a great opponent in the 1960s. However, after his layoff, when his skills were somewhat diminished, he defeated young, strong dangerous fighters such as Joe Frazier, Oscar Bonavena, and the "invincible" 25-year-old George Foreman. Therefore, Ali proved himself against great fighters and not a drained pool of contenders. For those who argue that Ali's chin was not as strong in the 1960s as opposed to the 1970s, this argument defies physics as younger legs and youthful conditioning would certainly absorb the same or more punishment. In contrast, we never witnessed his strong chin in the 1960s because he could escape punishment with his blinding speed. Finally, it is important to look at opponents who gave each fighter trouble. With reference to Marciano, Joe Walcott gave him terrible trouble and was well ahead on all scorecards when Marciano landed a devastating right hand in the 13th round. On this note, it is entirely possible that a younger Walcott in his late 20s could have withstood this punishing blow and went on to win the fight. In addition, Ezard Charles, a slower fighter than Muhammad Ali and 34 years old at the time, gave Marciano tremendous trouble in their first fight. With respect to Ali, Joe Frazier, a similar fighter to Marciano, but who weighed over 200 pounds and had a 73-inch reach, gave Ali tremendous trouble solidly defeating him in their first epic contest in March of 1971. However, prime 1971 Joe Frazier did not fight prime 1967 Ali but a slower Muhammad Ali that had just come back from a 3 1/2-year layoff and looked diminished in his prior fight against Oscar Bonavena. Prime 1967 Ali would have had the speed and reflexes to avoid many of Frazier's left hooks and the stamina to keep moving, not be a stationary target, and win a convincing unanimous decision or TKO in the later rounds. Therefore, while Frazier did admittedly give Ali tremendous trouble in the ring, the fact that he didn't fight prime 1967 Ali and the fact that his physical characteristics greatly surpassed those of Marciano, being 20 pounds heavier than Marciano with a 5 inch longer reach than Marciano, somewhat mitigates the impact of Joe Frazier's success against Ali. Finally, Muhammad Ali was never knocked out in his career until he fought Holmes at the age of 38 with cognitive decline and the beginnings of Parkinson's Syndrome. After his layoff, Ali tested his stamina and chin against killers such as Frazier, Foreman, and Shavers and was never knocked out despite standing more flatfooted and taking tremendous punishment. In fact, Ali used to intentionally take punishment during sparring sessions to test his endurance and recuperative powers. Therefore, even if assuming arguendo, that Marciano hit harder than Frazier, Foreman, and Shavers, which I do not concede or agree with, unlike Frazier, Foreman, and Shavers, he would not be facing a stationary target but a prime 1967 Ali who was a master of speed, constant movement, and unsurpassed reflexes. In this manner, it defies logic to conclude that Rocky Marciano could have knocked out prime 1967 Ali and even less believable that he could have outpointed the fastest heavyweight in the history of boxing. Remember, while Ali fought and proved himself against Frazier, Marciano never fought an opponent like Ali and would have had his hands full. Based on all of the above, I pick prime 1967 Muhammad Ali to win this fight by a convincing unanimous decision or TKO anywhere from round 12 to 15.

 

Ali crucifies Marciano ,

 

Anything is possible, Marciano was better than Bonavena and Frazier but Ali was much better than Ezzard Charles or old Joe Louis.

I think it will go the same way Ali vs Frazier did, Marciano winning 1st fight and Ali winning 2nd and 3rd.

But I also excpect it to end even more brutal than Ali vs Frazier in their 3rd fight with both fighters changed forever.

Prime Ali is greater but not as strong, experienced and didn't have the same chin of 70s Ali so I don't how this would end.

 

The hell he was.

I'm not even sure that Marciano is better head to head than Bonavena.

Any version of Ali after Doug Jones and up to Spinks clowns Marciano. I would even bet on the Ali from the Berbick fight to get a decision.

Levels.

 

Marciano would give Ali more trouble than Bonavena, but not as much as Frazier

Frazier was bigger, stronger, faster, and his signature punch just happened to be one Ali was susceptible to

Marciano never replicates Frazier in FOTC, I think it would be more like their second fight with moments/rounds closer to the thrilla

 

Ali, but not without going through hell late on, he’d be forced to work way more than he wants to through moving, trying to keep him off and having to contend with Marciano’s strength in the clinch.

Marciano said he used to pull of guy’s arms in the clinch and it would’ve been because they had to pull in the opposite direction so he couldn’t get space to get punches off, and that would tire their arms out.

There would be so many subtle things Marciano would be doing to wear Ali out, but Ali just about pulls through.

 

Marciano had better chin and better punch than both, and could punch with both hands.

Frazier record is good but not much better than Marcianos except win over Ali that was outshaped after 2 years layoff, his wins weren't that much.

As for Bonavena, he was okayish fighter but limited unlike Marciano who was much more complete fighter.