Peak Marciano would beat Zaire Ali.

He would have had a great shot at it because Ali was more flat footed and Rocky wouldnt have gassed himself like George did........

 

yeah....i go along

 

It certainly is posibble, but my money would be on Ali. The Ali in Zaire was essentially the same who danced for the greater part of his rematch with Frazier to take a deserved UD. I know you don't rate this one much McGrain, but I think it was a very fine perfomance by Ali that showed he had plenty left.

Even the Frazier of 1974 applied more pressure than Marciano IMO, and therefore I can see Ali do the same thing he did over 12 rds to Frazier (stick and move and hold) over 15 to Marciano. Of course, Marciano had more two-fisted power than Frazier, but I don't think that would make a critical difference. If Ali could survive Foreman's power he could in all probability survive the episodes where Rocky catches him on the ropes. If Ali sticks to the gameplan he had in the rematch against Frazier I see him winning a UD over Marciano. If he tries the rope-a-dope Marciano wins.

 

ALi wouldn't necessarily be fighting off the ropes because Rocky wasn't as strong. Ali would have a HUGE reach advantage. He'd be able to catch Marciano on the way in. It would probably look like the Frazier fight. After the first Frazier fight though Ali did better against that style.

I pick Ali UD but its a close call and would be a murderous fight for both

 

Frazier suffered Ali in the clinches perhaps even out of his own volition; Superfight II was hardly the picture of two young, strapping heavyweights in the prime of their lives. Though they would later defy age and put on the performance of the century in Manila, they were very actually far removed from their primes even at this early stage. Marciano is another, different animal entirely. He would not be so gracious to the diminished Ali. Be sure that Rocky, a terror inside in the way Frazier was in '71, would chase after him for the receipt everytime Muhammad tried his spoiling tactics. Prime for prime, I think Ali wins handily, but I don't expect him to triumph here considering the mileage already behind him.

 

I have a hard time seeing Ali winning this fight. Prime for prime, its still a close fight, but a past his prime Ali would have a much tougher challenge and arguably a harder opponent than Frazier. Ali can't go to the ropes because Marciano would constantly hit him anywhere he could with both very hard lefts and rights, and not get tired. Ali's best bet is to try to outbox him but all fighters had failed at that; Marciano has very underrated ring generalship and dictates the pace of the fight. Past-his-prime Ali would have a very hard time staying away from Marciano, any I'd say Marciano does enough to win a decision or late stoppage.

 

Both Charles and Walcott gave Marciano a good run for his money when they were well into their 30's. Can't really see why a 32 year old Ali, a superior boxer, couldn't succeed where they fell a little bit short.

As for Frazier in the rematch, I don't think he was very far removed from his prime. He was a bit sharper in FOTC, but still really, really good in 1974. He looked better against Quarry in 1974 than in 1969, like a more mature, well-rounded fighter with most of his physical assets pretty much intact. This was around the time when Quarry had some of his best wins (Lyle, Shavers), so any notion that he beat a shot Quarry doesn't float with me.

Maybe Marciano would be rougher on the inside (but only maybe), but he didn't pursue with the same speed as Frazier. He was more like a stalker in the mould of Chuvalo in that sense (but of course a far superior fighter), so I don't think Ali would have to clinch as much as he did against Frazier. He would have an easier time keeping away and working Rocky over with his jab.

 

By "dance" i take it you mean the tango, because he was holding Frazier all night long.

Amazing how two fighters can have one of the, if not the most spectacular fight of all time and a downright stinker in the rematch.

 

Ha, ha, good one.

I think he displayed a lot of good movement and that the holding part has been a bit over exagerrated. As fight I agree that it wasn't nearly as good as FOTC, but I still think it was a good fight held in a fast, but not frantic, pace, and in which both fighters displayed some of their best qualities.

 

The only version of Ali that gets beaten by peak Marciano is the one that turned up for the Holmes fight. Marciano is tailor made for Ali, he was being horribly beaten by Walcott, and his only chance in hell to beat Ali is to knock him out. Just ain't going to happen.

Ali by UD, every day of the week.

 

I see this one going the distance.

I can't pick against Ali here. If Ali had enough left to co-set that then record number of punches with Frazier in their 3rd encounter, he would have enough here to sustain a high offensive output. I think he could move much more in Zaire then he could against Frazier that 3rd time as well.