Just remember to take me with a grain of salt:tong [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdjblkRkoPU[/ame]
Wasn't Louis a bit one-handed in the bout? We all know Louis ,at his best,had the ability to hit hard and follow up with combinations,when an opponent over-extended himself.
The Marciano nut hugging that goes on in here is sickening. Prime 4 prime, Ali boxes circles around the slow plodding Marciano and takes him out late. Marciano never even gets close too Ali, he was much to fast and elusive. Frazier rates above Marciano seeing as he beat the better opposition. Foreman blasts out Marciano in 2-3 rounds TOPS. Marciano's defensive deficiencies and general lack of boxing ability come back to bite him is the ass HARD in this one. Foreman just hits WAY to hard and Marciano is an easy target...
I think Ali was a smart enough boxing mind to know who would be a tough opponent. I know a lot of people that post here do not see Ali as a man but a God and Marciano as a skillless midget. Ali and Frazier both put Marciano high on the list of ATG's, Frazier had him as his number 2 under Joe Louis at #1 but Ali also judged what was inside a man. He knew Marciano was strong mentally and most of the ATG know late-blooming JJWalcott on a given night was a nightmare. A lot of people in there undermining effort talk about the age of the opponents but lets face it Charles was also still very much a dangerous, sklilled and experienced fighter when Marciano met him and Rocky dominated. Walcott was a master with 2 fisted pinpoint power. I respect Ali and his honesty, remember he and Marciano shared a ring and he felt the old mans power and reconized the fact that Rocky had balls and was not the type you could get to mentally. Marciano is highly underated on this board but not everyone has the first hand knowlege of Ali. I personally have spoken to some of the great trainers like Freddie Brown, Ray Arcel and others and they all rate Marciano up there at the top
Marciano nut-hugging @ it's finest. Wasn't Marciano *down* on the scorecards in the first fight going into the 13th round? How is that domination?
The Rock was a tough SOB, but so was Ali. Rock would not be able to land enough punches. Ali's speed and footwork would bedazzle Rock. Ali's panchant for laying on the ropes came later in his career. Prime Ali cuts and batters the Rock for 15 rounds. Either a wide UD or a late stoppage by ref. I give props to the Rock for his record, but he never fought any one like ALI. Hell, he never fought Louis, Charles or Moore at their best.