Marciano Vs Tyson.

This fight always amuses me because of the unrealistic answers I often see. Pound for Pound, Rocky Marciano might have beaten any heavyweight. However, the heavyweight division is the one class where the term "Pound for Pound" has no meaning. Some fighters are simply not big enough to beat other fighters.

It's possible for a smaller man to knock out a man who outweighs him by 30 lbs. I've done it myself. However, I will not sit here and lie to you about any accomplishment on my part. The guy I knocked out did outweigh me by a little more than 30 lbs. but he was not even very athletic and our "fight" was not organized. It was just a matter of a guy watching us spar and thinking he could do what he saw others do. I certainly could not do that against the others who boxed regularly.

The skill level between us was a mile wide. But that is not the case with two world class heavyweights. That would certainly not be the case with Marciano and Tyson. Tyson's best was around 218 and Marciano's was about 189. There is anywhere between 25 and 30 lbs. between them.

Sure, in boxing, it's possible for a smaller man to beat a bigger man. But there must be certainly variables in place. A smaller boxer could "out-distance" a bigger boxer. See: Haye vs Valuev, where the big Russian outweighed David by about 90 lbs.

But this, again, is "Styles". Tyson and Marciano have similar styles --from the waist down. Both are straight forward fighters. Forget all the flak you hear about Tyson's "superior" defense and skill. Even during his prime, Mike would show "some" flashes of skill. However, each time out, by about round 4, all those "skills" go out the window and Tyson becomes the head-hunting slugger he always was. Sure, Mike would kill the body but you won't see him throwing jabs after about round 2. You will see him swinging away until someone falls.

Neither Tyson nor Marciano would have to search for the other. The difference is from the waist up. Tyson has the clear edge in Speed and Power. Look at the films and you will see the clear difference in power and speed. Marciano would get his shots in but not enough to offset Tyson's early rush.

In round 1 or 2, certainly no later, Marciano would go down. He would likely get up but he would visit the canvas again. Here is where the "fiction" comes in. Rocky does, indeed, have incredible stamina. But stamina and ability to take the punch of a hulking brute, who outweighs you by nearly another person, are two different things. Tyson would simply be too strong.

IF Marciano could possibly last into round 4, and with the intensity of the bout, he would likely outlast Tyson, stopping him in round 11. But that's just not likely because of the differences mentioned above.

Rocky's other best chance would be if he could comfortably carry just over 200 lbs., about 202. He would have a better chance of deflecting Tyson's punches, absorbing more of them and landing his own, while taking Tyson into the middle rounds, stopping him late.

But, AS THEY ARE, Tyson would just be too big, strong and fast.

Tyson by KO in 3
Marciano was vulnerable in the early rounds (see the first Walcott fight and the Moore fight) before grinding fighters down with his relentless attack. Marciano and Tyson would have engaged in an almighty slug fest, but Tyson’s better technique, speed and footwork would prevail before Marciano could impose his will on Tyson’s weaker psyche. Tyson in three of the most brutal rounds you will ever see – on cuts or by stoppage, with The Rock complaining bitterly.