If you rate Marciano as a CRUISER is he #1?

No. Marciano has the same reach as Manny Pacquiao. There have been many better and more dangerous guys to weigh 175-200 but Marcianos situation was perfect for a small HW with some power. Perfect era, perfect opponents, perfect time to fight Louis and Charles. He retired at 32 undefeated after a 8 year career for a reason.


Louis is his only opponent who'd have struggled to make 200. All these great "CWs" from other eras including actually fought big guys. Having power Marcianos size is more uncommon but all the other small hitters power is more proven.

 

Ranking old 175-200ers as "Cruisers" is unworkable for a bunch of reasons.

1)Every boxer in theory is eligible to be a HW. These guys were fighting at HW even under todays rules. If a HW don't top 200 or 225 pounds the fight doesn't get called off.

2)In the 20th century men of all heights carried less weight and the typical size of a person who weights 175-200 pounds is just different.

3)The biggest part of being a cruiser is choosing to not be a HW or LHW not being 175-200 pounds. A Cruiser is a Cruiser to contend for a Cruiserweight title which did not exist.

4)The level of someone who can't make 175 but can't fight the biggest HWs is higher today. Not just because of size boxing today requires winning almost all your fights to contend in a weight class. This changes everything about who or who wouldn't be at a given weight.

5)Boxing was open and you could campaign in multiple weight classes at the same time. Bridgerweight is starting to see this come back but mostly now we've got a ladder system.