Prime Riddick Bowe vs prime Rocky Marciano (12 rounds)

Bowe

His jab and size would have been too much for Rocky and eventually the sustainied punishment would built up. Im going by Bowe late TKO

 

Marciano decision or late stoppage

Bowe wasn't one to maximize his physical advantages, he would only jab sporadically and look to brawl on the inside where Rocky can get under his arms and score with big punches to the body and head. Holyfield had early success hammering Big Daddy in close quarters in fights I and III, scoring with countless clean shots but his lack of threatening power and elite stamina was his undoing. It was the wrong strategy for Evander but it wouldn't be for Marciano. Would be brutal though, could end up being the Vingo fight all over again.

 

Bowe too big, too good that the size difference would not be a huge factor. Yes it would be a brawl, but Bowe could brawl. He also threw short punches on the inside which works well against shorter opponents.

 

I'd favor Bowe. Peak Bowe mind you. Bowe can box with his huge reach advantage and take away maybe Rocky's greatest asset in his infighting skill.

Though I'm imagining such a fight would see Bowe deteriorate just as fast as the Holyfield fights did.

 

Given Bowe's reach, range and power, Rocky would have a mountain to climb.
What Rocky has on his side is determination. If he gets inside, this will get interesting.

 

Marciano would stop Bowe - Bowe avoided big punchers.

A curious thing would be - would it be 12 or 15 rounds?? If it was 15 rounds the fight would be scheduled to last longer than Bowes prime!

 

This is how I also feel..

Bowe would win in a war, and may never be the same again..

 

mmm, if Bowe goes to war with holyfield, then he will have a very hard time with Rocky, who hit harder then holyfield and could probably take bowe's punches better
i can easily see Marciano knocking bowe the **** out if holyfield can do it with one left hook

 

A prime Bowe would destroy the much smaller Marciano.

 

not really man, when you look at how well Holyfield did when he stood toe to toe with Bowe, and then you got rocky, who hit harder then holyfield, and had a better chin, you can make a very good argument for Rocky beating Bowe.
besides, we really don't know how well Bowe could take Rocky's suzie q, since Holyfield put him down with one left hook. Rocky would have finished Bowe if he put him down like Holyfield did.

 

there ya go :good
After thinking about this fight more, Rocky has a hell of a chance.
Bowe had lots of trouble with Evander Holyfield, who doesn't have a better chin then rocky, and doesn't hit as hard. Rocky would compete better in the exchanges then Holyfield did. And he would actually have a better defense. Going down into his crouch would really help him avoid that jab.

 

Bowe is much more fitting for Marciano than someone like Lennox Lewis that utilized their range and jabbed and clinched whenever a fight entered close quarters.

Holyfield scrapped his plan on boxing Bowe and went to war. All this talk about how Bowe is far too big and strong is the same talk we heard with Holyfield-Bowe I. Holyfield didn't have the style, power, or work-rate to really maximize the potential effectiveness of such a strategy. Marciano has those tools. It really is up to Bowe though. Bowe liked in-fighting and was a great in-fighter and did jab a bit sporadically as Mongoose mentioned. What's different about this fight is that the dynamic is clear that Marciano is a come forward power-puncher and that Bowe is a big strong skilled elite size HW. Will Bowe jab, move, and occasionally mix it up on the inside? Or does he throw caution and strategy to the wind and just play Russian Roulette by fighting Marciano head on?

I think in a 12 round fight Bowe could decide to fight the right way and win, but I don't know think he would. I think it would look like Holyfield-Bowe except with a bigger puncher in there. Bowe SD... in a 15 round fight I think Marciano wins.