45 Year-Old Marciano

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Hydraulix, Jun 8, 2010.


  1. Hydraulix

    Hydraulix Left Hook From Hell.. Full Member

    1,767
    21
    Oct 4, 2008
    He looked impressive against Ali in the computer fight. What if Rocky decided to make a comeback at this age? Let's see. Ali is exiled. I think a prime Joe Frazier would have been too much for Rocky. But I think he would actually knock out Jimmy Ellis and Bob Pastor despite his old age. He might have even beaten Quarry and Patterson. How do you think things would have played out if Rocky didn't die, but returned to the boxing scene during the 1969-1971 period?
     
  2. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

    42,723
    260
    Jul 22, 2004
    Probably get beaten by a bum, the reason he looked good in the computer fights is because each part only lasted a miniute or so, he'll be slow, punching and missing and after a few rounds he'll be tired and there to be knocked out. Thats what happens with old fighters
     
  3. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    71,199
    26,485
    Feb 15, 2006
    I never expected to hear myself say this but "I have to go with Powerpuncher on this one".

    Marciano was a 45 year old fighter with a style not suited to longevity. If he had fought bums he could have put together a winning streak that might have stired up some media interest. His power might have got him a win over some gatekeeper type.

    Once you put him in with one of the upper teir of fighters of the period such as Ellis, Patterson, Quarry or Martin his age and slowed reflexes are going to allow them to walk all over him in a 10 round fight.
     
  4. groove

    groove Well-Known Member Full Member

    2,056
    25
    May 16, 2006
    anyone know ali's weight for that computer fight as he looked so slow compared to the williams version?

    45 year old marciano against the best of that time - keep on dreaming.
     
  5. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

    97,069
    27,896
    Jun 2, 2006
    To put Rocky's chances in perspective , in 1959 ,ten years previous to the computer fight, and four years after his last fight. Marciano went into training for a proposed match against Ingemar Johannson, after a couple of months he gave it up ,because he could not get himself in anywhere near the condition he wanted.
    Now, ten years later ,after another decade of pasta and wine, he comes back, to take on ranked contenders?

    Marciano's style, and physical stature ,demanded that he be in absolute top condition , that is why he quit boxing so relatively early

    He would be crucified.
     
  6. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

    14,241
    150
    Mar 4, 2009
    I agree he beats Bob Pastor, but that's because Bob Pastor was 55 years old at the time.
     
  7. young griffo

    young griffo Boxing Addict Full Member

    6,375
    6,897
    May 18, 2006
    :lol:
     
  8. RockysSplitNose

    RockysSplitNose Boxing Junkie Full Member

    8,271
    59
    Jul 15, 2007
    Oh are we transporting Bob Pastor into the future aswell??:lol: :rofl we should get maybe Billy Conn to join the party and then we'd really have something!! :hammertimeIn fact who do you think would win out of a 90 year Conn and a 94 year old Pastor??
     
  9. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,880
    8,033
    Jul 17, 2009
    Marciano got himself into very good shape for a 45 year old,but would have struggled if he'd attempted a serious comeback at this stage.
     
  10. Duodenum

    Duodenum Boxing Junkie Full Member

    11,604
    284
    Apr 18, 2007
    This is what makes the performances of Holmes and Foreman at that age so staggering at the time. Marciano trained hard for that reenactment, but in actuality still suffered from the bad back which plagued him during his competitive career. Unlike Foreman against Young, he was clearly in some measure of decline when he finished up with Moore, nearly 15 years earlier.

    Foreman had only been out of action for barely under a decade when he came back at age 38. He upset Moorer at 45, with 29 comeback fights behind him in a second career which had already spanned nearly eight years. The Rock was not going to abruptly come back at age 46 from a decade and a half of inactivity.
     
  11. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

    37,067
    3,694
    Sep 14, 2005
    Marciano could bang. even at 45.
     
  12. Duodenum

    Duodenum Boxing Junkie Full Member

    11,604
    284
    Apr 18, 2007
    Ali left no doubt about that. But he was no longer a single punch specialist during his latter championship career, and just getting close enough to be able to pull the trigger would have been difficult when facing world class opposition.

    At that age, he would have also had diminished cut resistance as well, and this was somebody whose cut resistance was never very good. Beyond that, the services of Charley Goldman were still available to him when he made his original exploration into a comeback bid against Ingo. Goldman died in 1968 though. Would Rocky have ever considered any other trainer for a career revival?
     
  13. burt bienstock

    burt bienstock Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    18,285
    388
    Jan 22, 2010
    Agree ...Father time waits for no one, even Rocky...
     
  14. DocDevil

    DocDevil Member Full Member

    420
    8
    Jul 30, 2006
    I remember when that computer fight first came out,and some critics were talking about how on occasions they sped the film up,to increase the appearance of Rocky's hand speed,they said unfortuantly,when they did this,Ali in the background,was bouncing around like a high speed puppet.I think for a big plodding slugger like Foreman,a comeback at an older age is easier,than it would be for a smaller heavyweight,who was one of the best conditioned heavyweights of all time in his prime.Rocky's success,depended so much on his conditioning.I don't care what you do,you can never get back the endurance you had as young person,especially after a long layoff.
     
  15. Hydraulix

    Hydraulix Left Hook From Hell.. Full Member

    1,767
    21
    Oct 4, 2008
    I meant Bob Foster. :patsch I can never get those two names straight.