Do people REALLY believe...

Nope, but I still think he was a greater boxer than both. And, I would take him over Toney at 185

 

No. Walcott was beating Rocky. NO WAY he gets out of a fight with a superheavyweight alive. Wlad, Vitali, and Lennox would all destroy him.

 

I think Marciano was a real champ and a reminder of when the average man knew who the heavywieght champ was, as far as Wlad is concerned thats tough choice, but if Marciano would get in on Wlad and tap that weak chin of his it would be all over. Alot of people think bigger is better and thats not true, give me a guy like Marciano who had power and heart over someone like Wlad who has questionable heart and Power,Size Ill take Marciano anyday.

 

No, he would probably get destroyed against the super heavyweights of later generations, but to make everything even, if he were fighting today he would either be cutting weight and making lightheavy at 175 and be considered the greatest lightheavy of all time. Or he would be using supplements and bulk up to around 210-220 lbs and be at the very least competitive in the same way David Tua was.

 

I thought the same thing about the classic forum. It'd be really interesting to see what comes out of a thread over there. Obviously you have the fans with a huge knowledge who think it is possible and then an ex-pro and now a trainer, saying it isn't.

It'd be great stuff.

 

There is another factor that could hurt the Rock if he were fighting in later eras - his tendency to cut. Officials today are far more likely to stop fights when fighters are bleeding than they were in the Rock's day. I think it is highly unlikely Marciano would be undefeated even if he fought in the 70s, let alone today.

 

Johnson, Dempsey, Louis and Marciano would all struggle against the top-tier 16-17 stone and over guys of the last ten years or so. That doesn't denigrate their achievements but you've got to be realistic.

To me Liston and Ali are the earliest HW champs who would stand a chance.

 

The Rock would get stopped on cuts a lot. Maybe MAYBE be a fringe HW.

Be a good Cruiser, though.

 

that 0 on Marciano's record is blindly fooling those who do.

 

Him, Dempsey and Johnson. All great fighters and great Cruisers today:good

 

Jack Johnson...good one!

In this day and age, his defensive skills would be appreciated and not be passed off as a racial shortcoming.

Johnson v. Marciano...hmmm.

 

ThankGod. Its so nice to meet someone else who isn't overwhelmed with these nostalgic/romanticised views of older fighters. Rocky sure was great for his TIME, but in reality, guys with more skill, and still with great conditioning and work rates were always going to beat him up, especially massive guys like Wlad or Lennox, who would quite simply blast him out of the ring.

 

His will to win was only "above average"? You underrate him, undoubtedly.

 

The youngest heavyweight champion ever came in the 1980s when the big men were around, and he was only 5'10.

If Mike Tyson could clean these guys out by getting inside and landing combinations, I don't see why Rocky Marciano couldn't.

I'd pick Rocky to beat many of them because the big heavyweights today are simply awful. They have limited outside game and ZERO inside game. We aren't talking about heavyweights with the spirit to throw uppercuts and hooks inside. Not even body punches. It's been a long time since we've seen a Riddick Bowe, much less a young George Foreman (who I think may have been the one to KO Marciano).

I think you may be surprised should Povetkin at this stage of his career secure an IBF title shot. I'd pick a versatile small heavyweight over a limited big heavyweight anyday.