Could Marciani carry Holmes jock strap? Holmes vs Marciano

You want to quote, here's one for you.

"Rocky was a young guy fighting old men" "I'm an old guy fighting young men" Larry Holmes 1986.

 

Marciano would not be dangerous for Holmes because he could land a Shavers style bomb.

He would be dangerous for Holmes because he would apply the sustained pressure to prevent him from implementing his game plan, and weaken him over the course of the fight.

He would be a far more dangerous assignment for Holmes than anybody on that list.

 

I would respectfully say to Holmes that Marciano defended his title against the most qualified available challengers, while he typically didn’t.

 

I would respectfully point out that in my opinion C*ckell and Lastarza would not win a round against Holmes. Here are the scorecards for the second Lastarza fight.

• Referee: Ruby Goldstein 7-3

• Judge: Young Otto 6-4

• Judge: Harold Barnes 5-5

 

I think that we have to put more weight on what these fighters actually did, than on how we thing they might have done against somebody from another era.

The reality is that Holmes was not fighting the best availably contenders, and he was often struggling against them.

This makes it hard to back him too emphatically here.

 

He never lost to them and neither did Rocky to his own opponents. My point is Holmes had his fair share of problems as much as Rocky did with Charles, Walcott, and Moore. Weaver was practically an unknown and the crowd thought that Witherspoon had in fact beaten Holmes.

 

I wonder how many of these posters picking Marciano would have actually bet their money on Rocky had this fight happened.

Not many, I reckon.

Holmes would have controlled and dominated Rocky. He stops Rocky sometime after the 10th, or wins a wide decision.

 

Holmes’s problems are harder to explain away, both in terms of the nature of the problems, and the stature of the people who gave him the problems.

 

I would.

Not a problem!

 

Marciano at 185 isn't going to be pressing a PRIME Holmes on the ropes,like a young Holyfield who was bigger and stronger than Marciano was,picture Marciano trying to catch 20 something Holmes or a young 30's Holmes .Do you think Holmes just lays on the ropes? If he survived Holy he would not take slower punches/shorter punches from Marciano. Holmes also a great chin.

Marciano was a good pressure fighter but not if he steps foot in the ring with crafty Holmes, its a huge mismatch really. One is slow footed/cuts easily, the other has fast hands and a lazer jab that could control fights on that alone,it would be target practice..

To be clear Marciano is one of my favorite fighters, not Holmes but in a real match, Marciano isn't winning here. I can name numerous other tangibles ,but it should be clear why Holmes would or should win.

 

Muhammad Ali was arguably the greatest heavyweight of all time, the most successful on paper, and the very pinnacle of your ideal.

Who beat him, and who gave him unexpectedly hard fights?

Frazier beat him, Jones Cooper Patterson and Chuvalo gave him problems.

This was not because they were the greatest fighters he faced, or the cleverest boxers that he faced.

It was because of this simple stylistic dynamic!

 

Motivation, perception of threat level and lots of other intangibles also come into this.

 

I think so

Larry's comment that he couldn't showed a real lack of perspective and class.

They came from different eras.

Marciano may not have been able to beat Larry, but he accomplished much in his time.

And the history books will show that Rocky retired undefeated, Larry.............no.

 

I'd bet on Rocky.

 

Assuming all are prime, Rocky would have about as good a chance against Holmes as Holmes would have against Wlad. Which is to say, not much.