Marciano or Holmes ? Who rates higher ?

Snipes and Bey were not as high profile as Cockell was when Marciano fought him. Don had beat Roland Lastarza and held a major title. Snipes and Bey were novice fighters by comparison.

I bet you would.

Valdes was eclipsed by more important fighters. It was only the rematch with Charles that prevented Valdes from receiving the beating from Marciano that everyone knew he would have got.

Satterfeild obliged the eliminator with Charles that Valdes had previously refused.

The close shaves Holmes had with Truth Williams and Witherspoon were more high profile than Rockys close call with Lastarza and Lowrey who Rocky punished in return fights. Larry never obliged Williams or Witherspoon in rematches.

 

No interest in engaging with you. You would spin a house brick!

 

I don’t see any spin here? I haven’t said anything that can’t be backed up.


You don’t think Valdes was eclipsed by more important fighters?

You think Bey and Snipes were higher profile than Cockell?

You don’t think Marciano had return fights with Lastarza and Lowrey?

 

Only until they tried to make out Greg Page was some kind of mandatory contender. I think Larry was entitled to take the Frazier fight for more money. Page proved to be pretty lousy anyway.

 

All Holmes really cared about was making money, his first career anyway. He was Mayweather without as much tackyness. He'd weigh the $$$ vs the risk of losing his 0 with every fight, and if the $$$ didn't exceed the risk, he didn't take the fight. That's why he vacated his first belt to fight Marvis Frazier -- more money for a less dangerous fight.

His second career was different. He was chasing the title, and even when he got robbed of beating George's record for oldest champ, he couldn't put the gloves down either out of love of the sport or some inner demons he had to get out or something. Unlike some guys who fought into old age (Holyfield), he had never spent his money stupidly, and wasn't fighting out of the need for cash in his second career.

 

Who rates higher head-to-head or in terms of greatness? I would pick Holmes to beat Marciano at least 9 times out of 10, but I think Marciano arguably had the greater career.