Aging Marciano afraid of Patterson ...

I give Marciano a lot of credit for retiring and staying retired, it's really rare in boxing to do that. I can't recall who said it but it explains why fighters come back,," You always remember yourself at your best, not as you are now".

 

Believe there is a post that stated he was actually set to fight Baker in February before he retired in April.

 

It only sounds absurd because Patterson tends to get overlooked as a great fighter because of his losses to Liston and the perception that he lacks durability.

A Marciano vs Patterson fight in late 1956 or early 1957 gives Floyd a very legitimate chance of winning even if you favor Rocky in this match up.

 

I personally believe, that, even at this time in Marciano's career, he would have stopped Patterson, but I have no doubt that Patterson would have had his moments. His hand speed was amazing. And, I agree with you that Patterson had a very legitimate chance of beating a fading Marciano, if he could stay on his feet. I would expect a late stoppage by Marciano, something on the order of the Schmeling vs Louis first fight, or the Johansson vs Patterson 1st fight. I'd take Marciano by TKO somewhere between the 8th and 12th rounds.

 

One wonders how much new information there is to be discovered when "historians" who have been following the sport for 20 years start asking if Marciano retired to avoid Floyd Patterson... If youve been following the sport that long and still have such mundane questions rattling around your head then the person posing such questions might want to stick to interior decorating. Thinking too hard about topics that have been done to death pose the risk of causing his mascara to run.