Marciano: in the top10 p4p on stopping ability?

He knocked out every single ranked opponent that he fought. Some will say that his opponents were weak, but they were they best heavyweights in the world and several were Hall Of Famers when it still meant something. And if said feat was doable against "easy" opposition, then why has no other champion in ANY weight class repeated it?

And if not, which 10 clearly rank above him in terms of the ability to stop the man in front of you?

 

The odd thing about Marciano was that his kayo rate seemed to INCREASE once he won the heavyweight title. Most fighters on their way up have good kayo streaks, then it slows down once they are among the elite. With Marciano it was different. Of his six title defenses, only one went the distance. The other two decision wins he had were before he became champion.

So...yeah, his stoppage rate is right up there. Only a handful did it better.

 

Your gonna find it hard for anyone to disagree with that excellent post Chris. Although I am sure Mr. Marvel/Chris Warren will be here soon with there slander on how overrated of a puncher Marciano was.

What I like about Marciano is he could knock you out in two different ways. He could either take you out with his powerful Suzie Q right hand punch, or if that didn't work he would just break you down with swarms of power punches for 15 rounds until you went down and did not get up.

 

I'm not so sure if i'd include Foreman. He has the power, but not the stamina to deal with more durable/slick opponents.



Anyone from the lower weight classes that you'd nominate?

 

Ok, i'll raise the blinds.... top5 on stopping ability?

 

Couldn't knock out Cockell, a blown up light heavyweight who had been stopped before by middleweights and light heavyweights. Referee had to step in because it was no contest (of course). Couldn't stop Charles the first time around. Couldn't knock out Savold, even though Louis knocked Savold out the fight before. Went 10 on a few occasions with small heavyweights (and sounds like he lost two of those). Knocking out a Walcott or a Matthews tells us nothing. His record is mostly punchouts of vastly inferior opposition. I'm not impressed. I think Marciano is massively overrated.

 

But to be fair, in a more modern day scenario, alot of those fights would have been stopped today. No way would a referee these days allow Moore to be knocked down five times, when it was obvious after round seven he was going fast. No way would a referee have let Savold, as bloody as he was, go as long as he did today. No way would a referee today have let Cockell go on nine rounds after being brutalized for almost every round of that bout.

 

The man was incredible as a heavyweight and to say he weighed 188lbs yes he was I dont know who could you add to top 5 Langford, Moore,Olivares,Duran,...even Ketchel,Monzon, did not have the ko %.....Marciano had incredible power,incredible

 

1. Louis-who did he ever let off the hook when they were hurt?
2. Arguello-Tremendous finisher
3. Foster-true one punch KO power, maybe the biggest over the past century.
4. Gomez
5. Hearns-the 1st Barkley fight keeps him from being higher
6. Langford
7. Duran
8. Tyson
9. Monzon-this man was devistating when he had you hurt
10. Moore-he did let Charles off the hook in the first fight
11. Jermain Taylor

Marciano makes a case for 9 or 10 though

*Edit* I am taking into consideration what they do when they have a fighter hurt. Not just their power.

 

I think Pavilk is a great candidate for this honor. He doesn't have one punch KO power like most of the guys mentioned above, and maybe his lack of great competation keeps him from the top 15 but when he has you hurt, you don't survive.

 

So did Earnie Shavers @ "when he has you hurt, you don't survive"

 

Great mention

 

Well he had Holmes hurt as bad as anyone did, but looked amateurish when trying to finish him. Punches that missed by several feet while almost knocking himself down. He was tired, but hey, that's also one aspect of being a complete puncher.

 

He also had Ali out on his feet without even getting him down. Of course, those two are among the hardest ever to finish off. But he couldn't finish off Lyle, either. His two most impressive KO's are Young and Bugner. They were actually very hard to put away.

But of his best opponents he finished three (Norton, Young and Bugner) and let three off the hook (Lyle, Ali and Holmes). Very good, but a bit short of great. His ability to hurt a man was second to none, but his ability to put them away weren't.