How Good is Rocky Marciano’s Resume Actually?

He wasn't supposed to do anything,and I've accused him of nothing.The problem I have is with the ones who say his record is terrific because it is 49-0-0,when he only fought half a dozen real threats.Two thirds of his competition are dross,imo.

 

Regardless, they determined who it was that were his actual contenders.

 

Brian Nielson didn’t win the linear world title and go 6-0 against Hall of fame opposition. Yes I’ve acknowledged that are trial horses on Marciano’s record but making a comparison to Brian Nielson ?

 

You claimed Marciano went 49-0 without facing journeymen, which isn't true because he spent nearly all of his career doing just that. He didn't step up until the last 4 years of his career. Yes he fought 4 hall of famers, 1 was a shadow of himself in Louis, 2 were HOF from wins at LHW mainly, Walcott was inconsistent. He has descent wins, but they need putting in perspective and the 49-0 needs to be looked at more clearly

 

That’s not really how I said it or meant it. He didn’t fight FORTY NINE journeyman.

 

Ok re-reading you wrote '49-0 is extremely hard to reach even if all you’re facing is absolute garbage', let's assume someone is facing absolute garbage 49-0 isn't actually very good is it? Let's take the Brian Neilson example or any fighter with a padded record until they hit 20-30 wins, what's stopping the promoter padding it to 40 wins or whatever?

And I like Marciano and I rate him in many ways, probably above many many champs that came before him, but things need putting in perspective.

 

Truthfully even Brian Nelson’s record isn’t that bad. Yeah he fought a lot of club fighters and aging foes but even those guys weren’t all garbage.

 

Yea fair enough, your avervage guy isn't doing that, but a decent gatekeeper should do and we should all respect that level

 

He has under 10 meaningful fights and the rest of them are part time boxers who had day jobs. Guys with losing records that worked on an assembly plant all day who boxed in the side, literally. While he trained full time

 

His resume is soft until the upset of Rex Layne. Between Layne and Rocky’s final fight against Archie Moore, he fights 14 times. All against world level opposition, however some were clearly on the way out, in the midst of losing most of their final few fights before Rocky and retirement got them.
His best wins were as champion and overall the best wins are in no particular order - Charles twice, Walcott twice, Moore, Layne, Louis, Lastsrza, Cockell, Matthews.
It’s a really good run at the top. underrated in my opinion. Throw in the fact he never lost added onto career achievement it’s a clear top 10 resume.

 

A great achievement for Rocky but not top 20 due to weak competition compared to later eras.

 

Wasn't Nino Larocca 50-0 in the early 80's?

 

When Don Cockell, Harry Matthews and Roland Lastarza (let alone the mummy that Louis had become) are considered world class, you have to ask yourself some questions about the era.

 

Can't be any worse than the 90s shall we go over

Old men like Foreman and Holmes being competitive against the likes of Mercer(A contender who got schooled by a much older Holmes also lost against Journeyman Ferguson) and Moorer(Got knocked out by a 45 year old man.) Not to mention both giving the champion Holyfield competitive fights who also struggled with bert cooper a fringe contender at best. Old man foreman had Cooper out in 2 rounds

Blown up Lower weight fighters ala Moorer, Holyfield, The division got so bad at one point that super middleweights were moving up to win portions of the belt not once RJJ but TWICE James Toney.

Bowe a man who's entire resume is built on 1 win over holyfield a blown up crusierweight and his other wins were against more blown up crusiers(Herbie Hide) or older washed up fighters like michael Dokes.Tommy Morrison. Similar situation. A fighter who's resume was built on past it fighters.

Tommy Morrison A guy who basically had to run away from Grandpa Foreman and mostly built his resume on older fighters.

Mike Tyson. May as well have been completely shot. Not having near anywhere the skill he had in the late 80s and becoming more reliant on his power punching.

Lennox Lewis only fought Tyson and Holyfield when they were far past their best. Got knocked out by 2 fringe contenders at best. Mightily struggled with ray mercer(who got outboxed by Jesse Ferguson

Holyfield fought everyone but he meandered in performances.

 

I think context is important when examining his resume. For a fighter of his limited size and getting a late start at boxing, I'd say his resume isn't bad. He fought who was there. When he retired he remained retired, he didn't use multiple retirements to duck opponents the way Mayweather did.