First-hand account of Marciano's diet and workout regimen (1952)

He had excellent stamina, but let's not forget in all his major fights he was competing with older, past prime men.
Would he have been able to wear down the Walcott of the Louis fights? An Archie Moore who was nearer30 than 40? A younger, fresher Charles who did not have over a hundred fights of mileage on his clock? The Joe Louis of the Mauriello fight?
Maybe,maybe not!

 

Rocky fought his share of soft opposition and its true his big fights were against older guys, but they were what was around and he can't be criticized for not meeting men who did not exist. Bottom line he beat who was there.

 

I've read fight reports that mention him getting arm weary in later rounds.It's precisely this hyperbole about work/punch rate that gets peoples backs up.Marciano was relentless he kept coming but it was at a measured pace, for example he never attacked with the ferocity of a Dempsey or Frazier. Difficult as it is for some to accept it, the guy was human and he had his limits!

 

What boxers have the stamina of Marciano Today, especially around the heavier weights?

If you read my post properly, I already mentioned Salvador Sanchez as an example, from a lower weight class.

The only one I can think of who is remotely close to Marciano stamina Today is Usyk.

Juan Diaz also had amazing stamina, though he wasn't a 'big' man.

 

From what I've been reading its more likely Rocky did more hill sprints than any distance work.

 

Whatever Rocky was doing it worked.he was a machine .

 

I'm pretty sure it doesn't compare....especially when you see the heavy's today sucking wind after a few rounds of..."action"!!!

 

Fighters should already be in pretty good shape when they start camp.
Fighting is there job at the elite level and camp should be about first and foremost honing there skills NOT running 10 miles a day or what not to get in shape.

 

Marciano had a solid punch rate but I think people may confuse his punch rate with work rate. He didn’t just throw a decent amount of punches (nothing inhumane just a solid rate) but he made you work constantly by crowding his opponents with that he was relentless.

 

I'd say there were a few who equalled him in his own era,and before his era, guys like Greb,Petrolle, Armstrong.

 

Yes, I agree with you Mcvey.

 

Maybe it's just me but these Marciano stories are starting to sound like fairy tales at this point.

 

Marciano adjusted his diet, road work, and overall training to his opponent just like Ali, Louis, and other fighters did. For some opponents he did less and others did more. Jimmy Carter, who was a very good friend of my grandfather had a high opinion of Marciano’s work ethic, but was very critical of Marciano doing roadwork uphill, since he said running miles uphill puts too much stress on the lower back, toes, and ankles.

 

Around Marciano's weight? Plenty. Usyk and Lebedev and Briedis all come to mind.

 

He was. Also, there seems to be a misunderstanding that Marciano ran 10 miles a day when he started camp. Marciano would usually start off with 2 1/2 miles of road work a day in his first week of camp and then add a mile each week and depending on the camp in the final week he’d be doing anywhere from 6-10 miles a day.

Back in the early 90’s Jimmy Carter himself told me that an active fighter should always be within 3-5 lbs of his fight night weight going into camp.