Could Don Cockell Beat Any Post 1960 Heavyweight Champions?

Marciano would have been thrown out had the fight been staged in the UK.
Hitting low several times, on the break twice,kidney punching,after the bell,butting, and hitting whilst his opponent was on the floor.Marciano was absolutely filthy in that fight and was never even warned for it!
Ground Hog Day Again!

 

Bottom line.
Cockell at any weight was Euro level at best.

 

If the fight had taken place in the UK then the story would have unfolded differently. Don Cockell would not have been denigrated to the same level that he was in the US:

The entire reason Marciano fought the way he did that night was because people kept disparaging Don Cockell. Marciano wanted a good fight, he always took his opponent seriously. Something a lot of other champions or fighters in general failed to do, leading to their loss. Additionally, if this fight took place in the UK instead, then the incident which killed Marciano's motivation for the fight right before it does not take place either:

Spoiler: Source

https://boxingnewsonline.net/the-be...-to-don-cockell-broke-every-rule-in-the-book/

If the fight had taken place in the UK, Marciano would not have risked being disqualified by fouling, he would have had no reason to do so.

I get what you are saying, and I agree that Don Cockell was not quite at the world championship level despite his ranking. However, I do find the "Euro level" falls a bit flat when the last three or four lineal heavyweight champions have been and currently is Euros, for almost a quarter of a century now.

Now, back to the topic of "Could Don Cockell Beat Any Post 1960 Heavyweight Champions?" I would say possibly Leon Spinks. He won the WBA, WBC, lineal championship and The Ring heavyweight championship by barely getting a split decision off an ageing, sick Muhammad Ali who underestimated him, and then immediately lost to Muhammad Ali in the rematch.

Spoiler: Source

https://fightpost.co.uk/2022/10/23/a-boxing-memory-leon-spinks/

 

Are you forgetting Larry Holmes