In what weight class would Marciano fight today?

Under the current weigh in system, LHW doesn't see a bridge too far. I could see him moving up to CW and hanging out there while waiting to see if a guy like Bellew could bag a title at HW.

 

Marciano ran ten miles a day training for a fight, I believe

 

I doubt that. My great grandparents died in the last 15-20 years. And they were from the same generation as Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano. My great granddad was 6'3, taller than me. I'm about 6 feet. I don't find that people today are any noticeably bigger and stronger than people from their era.

People are definitely fatter. I've heard stories of 18 year olds fresh out of high school who were so out of shape that they couldn't make it through military basic training, some even having mild heart attacks and various kinds of sprains and fractures. Problems they shouldn't have until well into middle age.

Also, studies have shown that young men from Joe Louis generation had higher testosterone levels and were on average stronger than young men today.

My great granddad at 6'3 would be considered a tall guy today, but back in the 1930s when he was in his 20s, it wasn't as if he was considered a regular giant compared to the everyday man. And those who were giants back then like Primo Carnera would still be considered giants today.

 

More.

Some people here have seriously questioned whether his training regime was possible.

I offered to do it myself, but that was not good enough, because I am a welter.

 

Whatever weight he started at, he would end up at heavyweight.

 

That’s actually a real long answer. But if you read up on him he was obsessed with money and fame. He enjoyed being known everywhere he went and being called champ. He wanted to make it big time. Just thinking about that I can only assume you aim for where the money is in the HW division. His walk around weight by the was was 200-205. I really don’t see him dropping to 175 much easier to gain 20 pounds of muscle.

 

I think I’ve asked before but does anyone know the best source on this? For what amount of his career did he supposedly do this?

 

Of course he wouldn't fight in todays HW division at 185.
He'd bulk up.
Instead of Goldman hiding bananas from him, he'd be feeding him ice cream.

I think he moves up to CW from LHW early in his career. He becomes the CW champion, moves up and fights 8 or so fights at HW. Wins the title. Because hes the best. Marciano, wooooo!!!!

 

The average union soldier during the US Civil war was 5'6" and weighed 160 pounds.
Yes, people today are FAT.
LOL Marciano putting on 25 pounds and staying in shape. He'd look like an overstuffed ravioli. Dude had what? 68" reach? And he'd be weighing 215 pounds?

No.Just no. Rocky in 2018 is a CW.

 

He could, but those would be one offs. He couldn't construct a career out of fighting at catchweights.

 

http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/577153

But whattabout this guy?

Now do you believe?

 

Many top LHWs are as ripped as Marciano, and manage to boil down just fine. Look at Beterbiev. Rock solid musculature yet he's still able to make the limit. It's a mistake to underestimate the effect of modern weight cutting drugs and how big many of these guys actually are that compete at lower divisions.

I can see him eventually filling out at cruiser, and altering his style to be less cardio intensive while still playing to his strengths, but he'd always be undersized at that weight. Denis Lebedev is around the same height (not sure of the other dimensions) and often finds himself physically overwhelmed at the top level.

 

Unlikely. Lots of very good fighters at those weights.

 

Almost no heavyweight today comes to fights their lightest.
Rocky, and others guys in his day did exactly that.

This notion that he is perhaps the only person in history with the inability to pack on a mere 20-30lb doesn't compute. Especially when he checks all the right boxes for the kind of boxer who can do exactly that. Stamina, heart, strength, power, durability.

Tony Bellew is a top 5 HW today. 210lb.
Rocky can do work. And I don't think he would need to cherry pick the small fighters either.

I do think he couldn't last long with the SHWs career wise.

Step up to HW, have 2 build up fights. Beat someone like Whyte or Povetkin. Challenge one of the elite three for the lineal title. Win. Put on the career performance by defeating another elite three. Defend against a smaller fighter. Retire. Boom, Rocky Marciano. woo!

 

Exactly. These men aren't training to get down to a healthy fighting weight, they're physically torturing themselves to make a contracted limit for a couple of minutes at a weigh in. Rocky was ready to fight at 187. A modern LHW would not be ready to fight if they actually had to weigh 175 on the night. That's a point that often seems to be misunderstood by a lot of people here.