You are seriously grasping here. If Marciano was a better fighter at 210 he would have entered the ring at 210. His only defensive move was his extreme crouch and bend at the waist, taxing a back that was already degraded and oft injured. Put another 30 pounds on him and he either is A) a stiff sitting duck or B) perpetually rehabbing from his back issues. He was what he was. Accept it.
Or he fights like Tua. Rocky didn’t have access to steroids. To put on functional mass like today’s fighters. Your argument is people don’t put on functional mass today? You could be right he may avoid the division altogether or not. We will never know. I think he would have chased the money and fame personally
Tua was a big jointed, wide shouldered unit, who would never look remotely like Rocky were he put on a starvation diet. Completely different genetics going on. Also, Tua had quicks and balance, two things Rocky lacked and couldn't get no matter how much juice he took. Also, take into consideration Tua had a long and successful amateur career. Or are we going to also allow that to Rocky, along with 30 pounds weight, a few inches in height and whatever other nonsense you want to create from whole cloth?
Tua had about thirty pounds of roids added on. You just have no understanding of how much mass you gain from gear. I know 5”6 guys who became jacked adding thirty pounds and functioning easy. If you think Tua in 1950 is walking around at 230 going into fights you just don’t understand modern training
And FYI it doesn’t just apply to Rocky because he’s my favorite Italian. Let’s look at Elmer Ray? Lee Murray? Clarence Henry? Max Baer? Joe Louis? Nino Valdez? All these men over 6 foot weighed either under 200 or low 200s. How much do you think they weigh compared their contemporaries in the 70s with weight training became popular? What about in the 80s on where everyone was and is on roids? The weights balloon. Rocky isn’t the only light weight fighter. There wasn’t a ton of 220 guys running around. But there would be if they trained today.
Sure, but Rocky isn't one of those guys. He is a shallow chested, small jointed, truncated, short dude with very small structure. Max Baer, for instance, was a freaking unit. Big-jointed, broad shouldered, long, athlete. He at 225-235 is very reasonable. Rocky, additionally given his style, not so much.
If you can’t admit the man could easily gain 15-20 pounds you’re not being genuine or honest. I know you’re no dummy when it comes to fitness. I think you let your judgment of a fighter cloud your rationale here. Rocky coming in 205 would be reasonable and easy. Rocky coming in 215-225? Prob not functional for his style. Rocky was a natural athlete. The best in his neighborhood. He played center in football and catcher in baseball. This odd idea you have of some unathletic individual is just wrong by all accounts. As I stated before I know smaller men who gained massive amounts of weight on roids. Far more than Rocky would need to compete. Going from 190-205 is not a stretch even with a bird chest that he doesn’t have
You try so hard to disparage Marciano that you have to make it sound like he was the size of Danny DeVito. Max Baer, was such a "unit" that he couldn't turn sideways anywhere near quick enough, and such an "athlete" with his **** poor footwork that he couldn't take a single step backwards to give him enough space to hit Braddock with a decent right when he was forced to fight him up close. Marciano did that to just about every opponent of his, forced them to fight him up close where they could not hurt him, but he sure could hurt them, for almost the entirety of the match. George Chuvalo was tough, both physically and mentally, but he was slower and had less output than Marciano. That makes all the difference when you can't hit someone clean.
You have no idea who took steroids and who didn’t. You also don’t know how Marciano would have been had he done them. You’re taking a fantasy match prediction and turning it into just make believe you can turn Rocky into whatever you need him to be. At least you realize as he was he would have been no match for the modern champs. That’s better then a lot who post realize.