Let's stop judging past heavies on the size of their opponents

I have no problem with anyone rating Marciano highly p4p if we're judging him based on his own era and standards of the division at the time.

I myself have Rocky anywhere from #4-#7 based on career achievements.

 

The main distinction about Marciano's era is that it was uniquely devoid of legitimate heavyweight-sized fighters. The previous era featured genuine big men like Max Baer, Primo Carnera, and Buddy Baer. The following period showcased Sonny Liston, Ernie Terrell, and Cleveland Williams, followed by Ali, Foreman, and others.

Marciano's era stands alone as the one period where virtually all top contenders were former light heavyweights or smaller men. This isn't just about comparing eras with different standards - it's about recognizing that his era specifically lacked the physical specimens that existed both before and after him.

While Walcott at 195 pounds might not have looked out of place size-wise in the late 1950s or early 1960s, the presence of fighters like Liston, bigger, stronger, and more skilled than the typical pre-1970s heavies would have raised the bar beyond what Marciano’s era required, making it doubtful that someone like Walcott would have enjoyed the same success.

This context matters when evaluating his legacy. While impressive for his time, Marciano never had to solve the puzzle of defeating truly big, skilled heavyweights that other all-time greats were forced to overcome.

 

I’ve always been fine with evaluating fighters by the standards of their OWN era regardless of the size parameters of the average man within a given era…. Where it becomes a problem for me is when you see fantasy fights placing someone like Bob Fitzsimmons against Lennox Lewis and people are somehow expected to simply ignore the obvious.