Give credit, Marciano left the heavyweight division ALMOST decimated.

Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small. Marciano sucks and was very small.

 

He left at the right time because his body was breaking down and he no longer had the fire. When you no longer want it, it's time to quit.

 

Probably got out at the right time. I think Valdes has a case for being avoided from 53-55 though.

 

He has a case because he was ranked number 1 at the end of 53 &54. I don't think he would have beaten Marciano but he deserved the chance.

 

At this point the NBA didn't have a top 10 as such. Every 3 months they would list an indeterminate number of fighters grouped as "logical contenders", "outstanding boxers" or "honorable mentions."

For the first quarter of 1956 there were 3 outstanding boxers and 6 honorable mentions. Which pretty much backs up your point since by not listing any logical contenders the NBA were explicitly saying there was no one out there who they considered any real threat to Marciano.

 

When he gave his retirement press conference he was asked if he thought he still had fights left in him,he seemed surprised by the question and said definitely.As reported in the Boxing Illustrated.

 

Rocky had beaten everyone they put in front of him, He'd been working his butt off since 1947 to get and stay in shape. Locking himself away in training camp....working himself down to 188 lbs...getting himself mentally ready to fight. His brother Peter said that Rocky started to hate the smell of the gym...and he was losing the fire. Charlie Goldman said that he saw Rocky in early 1956 and told him he was looking "puffy". Rocky told him that he wasn't taking his walks anymore. Goldman knew then that he was done. He had trouble with his back...and his relationship with manager Al Weill was crumbling. So...in April 1956 he said goodbye. He left while his powers were still intact. You don't stay around forever with Rocky's style. 49-0 is a hell of a lot better than 49-1.

 

A win against Baker or Valdez May have quieted some critics today. Back then I’m sure it didn’t matter because size didn’t win them the championship. That being said a Baker fight at the time would have been ideal even if he had already lost to Moore

 

He got out at the right time.

With no crystal ball to see into the future, and know who the winners and losers were going to be, fight number fifty could have been a very lackluster affair.

 

He left at the right time. Even 60 plus years later in the over critical time we live in-it's hard to argue for him staying around longer.

 

No one can say for sure who would have won a fight that never happened, though Rocky would be the favourite. As you say, Nino probably deserved the chance to find out.

 

I think Marciano would have beaten any of those guys had he not retired, but would lose to better contenders like Patterson, Machen, Folley, and Williams down the road if he took on all the contenders. I think the '59 comeback would be ill-advised.