Angelo Dundee Weaver is a better fighter than people think. He doesn't seem to enjoy fighting and he lots of times doesn't start to fight until he has to, and sometimes that's too late. But, he's a powerful puncher, he's got one of the great left hooks ever, and he's pulled fights out with it. Rocky would have tried to slide Weaver's left hook and left hook him in return. There's an old saying, don't hook with a hooker, but part of the secret to Marciano's success was he could do things you weren't supposed to be able to do. Weaver fools you. After losing early, he came on in the end and almost took Holmes out. After going out fast in their first fight, he took Dokes all the way this second fight. But Mike's there to be hit and Marciano would have hit him downstairs, then upstairs. I don't know Weaver could deal with it, but it might have been a ball game.
High praise for Marciano, probably the best installment so far for Marciano fans with Dundee hitting on a key skill and ability. Weaver is nicely praised as well while simultaneously hitting on his key weaknesses.
As unproven as Rocky is vs punchers over 200 lbs, i would have to heavily favour him. The difference in quality is too high. Weaver was game and tough; Marciano was just leagues above in ability. Still, it would be a hell of a fight.
Weaver was pretty damn good, I'd pick him over most guys in the division during the '80s. I think the last time I ranked the top guys from then I had him at #4- With the first three being Holmes, Tyson, and Witherspoon, and the following fifth being Thomas (All of these men are in their primes for this list, of course).
