Marciano vs Ali: Great fight or mismatch?

Marciano was great, but Ali was greater.

This would have been a highly competitive fight, primarily for stylistic reasons.

 

Great fight.

Ali's career taught us his weakness lies on the inside.

Rocky's career taught us his strength lies on the inside.

Ali will won rounds as long as he can stay away from Rocky, but how long will that be?

I favour Ali to win an 8-7 type decision.

 

Whether it'a a great fight or a mismatch depends on how it would turn out.
That's something we'll never know.

 

Ali himself wasn't sure he could have beaten Marciano after experiencing the reality of sharing the ring with Rocky. I suspect this may be true with a great many ATG's when it comes to evaluating how they'd do against their predecessors. He certainly would pay for giving Marciano the same free shots at his torso he gave Chuvalo in their first match.

Rocky wasn't looking to score, he was looking to land...anywhere. Ali said his arms were sore after working with Marciano for Woroner.

Whether it's a great fight or dull mismatch depends on Ali. If he flies around the ring from the opening bell as he did before decking Liston in Lewiston, it could be a long fight for Rocky, who ought to insist on a 14 foot ring with a padded surface. Marciano versus peak Ali could look a great deal like the first several rounds of Holmes-Norton, or the first five rounds of Ali-Norton II, where Ali sticks and moves while Rocky tails him without getting close enough to even have an opportunity to pull the trigger.

That's my guess, a lopsided decision for Ali where Marciano just doesn't get that much chance to inflict punishment, on Ali's hips, arms or body, with his fists or elbows, as the bigger man just has too much foot speed, stamina, legs, height and reach for Rocky to get close enough to unload significant punishment before the final bell.

During the 1960's, Ali didn't conserve energy by resting on the ropes, he did it by dancing, because it was then punching which actually wore him down. He wasn't yet capable of the monstrous punch rate even he was probably surprised he had in him for Manila. I don't think this is a war of attrition, but a track meet over 15 rounds.

Glass jawed Hein Ten Hoff was the chief HW contender of Ali's size with a stick and move template during Marciano's era. Ten Hoff even put JJW on the front foot, and might have lasted a few rounds with Rocky before getting nailed with a solid one.

 

Ali wins by decision or tko, his advantages in skill,speed ,and size are too much for Rocky .No mismatch,Marciano would give him a tough go of it he was 100% a warrior,nobody has that easy a night with him .

 

Ali would cut and knock down the rock and win inside 10.

 

Ali by hard fought but clear decision.

 

Ali I think would be in his ultra focused mode for this one, no goofing, he'd have that meaner nastier look beforehand, no jiving, just business.

And I don't think he move a massive amount either, because I don't think Marciano would chase him. Rocky was pretty poised and cagey himself and tended to come in gradually whilst leaning away slightly to negate anything coming back potentially.

I think Ali would want to start by getting a gauge on how much he would need to move to not not be in range of Marciano setting goals up properly but still close enough to land effectively enough, otherwise I think he would be running to nowhere really.

People say h e danced for 15 rounds when he was young and just used his spellbinding speed etc but if you watch the Chuvalo fight in '66 for instance he didn't move tons?. And as early as the 2nd or 3rd round Ali he went to the ropes even and did a bit of rope a dope at times - he also did a fair bit of holding both forearms in a high guard in midring and letting Chuvalo club away at him - possibly part psychological games but he wasn't the sidewheeling Clay of the Liston fights in this one but when he had let Chuvalo have his successes he normally let rip himself just to show him he was getting a bit petulant - but Chuvalo definitely had his successes and gave him a real going over to the body and the sides of the head at times even if he was a little ineffectual but Ali wasn't really moving away or running so I think this fight could end up looking a similar way - Ali I think would fight in a more flat footed way than most expect in this one to get a bit more venom into his shots but I think he'd find Marciano quite difficult find with many consecutive shots at all really - Ray Robinson himself said of Marciano - that he was a guy you really had to look for - this is a lot more even fight than many would figure

 

It sounds reasonable, but have you ever predicted a cuts based stoppage, in a fight where the prediction was going to be tested?

I sure as hell haven’t.

 

G

Since Marciano was cut against:
Simmons
Moore
Louis
Walcott
Charles x2
McGrain's forecast seems pretty logical to me.

 

Charles in the first fight simply reopened the same cut that Simmons had inflicted and the nose thing was once in a century freak injury - next you'll be saying Marciano is at risk of being stopped on a split nose!? or how about Hasim Rahman would be suceptible to losing on having a swollen brick on the side of his head in every fantasy matchup