Prime Riddick Bowe vs prime Rocky Marciano (12 rounds)

Come on now.

There is now way in a month of Sundays that Holyfield hit as hard as Marciano.

 

Maybe his one shot power is not as hard, but was he as accurate as Holyfield? Holyfield always seemed to be able to find that opening.

 

You don't think Marciano hits as hard as Holyfield? Are you nuts? I think he clearly has the better power.
I don't understand how a fighter's chin can be better if he is out of shape or in shape. but i do think a fighter's durability can decrease after being in a war like Bowe was in.
yeah, Holyfield did have great reflexes, and he saw openings to hurt his opponents, (durable opponents too), but that doesn't mean he has the better raw power. he certainly has the better timing or skill, but i doubt he has better power.
Marciano wouldn't have let bowe off the hook if he floored him.

 

the stylistic argument is overused. bowe was not good enough.

 

We wouldnt know. Does Marciano hit that much harder than anyone Bowe had ever faced, and with his deficits in height and reach would he be able to deliver it cleanly to Bowe?

 

In a slugfest, don't you think Marciano would have the advantage? that's basically what Holyfield did for the duration of the fight, was slugging with Bowe.
Not a smart idea when you consider Holyfield can't win the exchanges with his punching power. he had the skill and ability to outbox bowe, but he didn't do it.
marciano would hurt bowe a lot, for sure

 

If Holyfield had hit as hard as Marciano with his punching form, he would prety much have wrecked everybody put in fromt of him. Interestingly such a fighter would be physicaly possible.

While Marciano did not have the same punching form he did bring a certain close in quality to his punches, that Bowes style might have put him at odds with. Many people picking Bowe here do so because of his size, but it it actualy going to be a help or a hinderance trading in close with a Marciano or a Frazier?

 

i never really liked bowe's style.his outside game is not good when you compare him with lewis and wlad.yea he has a really good inside game,but not better than marciano.shorter arms are always advantage when it comes to infighting.bowe did beat holyfield in a brawl,but i don't think he would beat marciano.i think marciano hammers his body nasty and than the head falls.marciano late tko

 

It could be, but I am under the impression that he could take the Rocks best shots. Out of curiosity who was the heaviest puncher in your opinion that Marciano ever faced? Louis was pretty far gone, but I read something once where the Rock had said that Joe could still really punch and he felt his power early..

 

I actually pick Bowe because of his inside game interestingly enough. Bowe threw a mean uppercut and short hook and Marciano seemed to be open for that on the inside. As far as the size factor, I think the way Bowe got on the inside by throwing that jab and righthand would negate any type of countering or mid range fighting because of Bowes height and reach.

 

Again, I would tend to say that the bigger Bowe would be negated on the inside, where he might end up making the fight. He would probably just end up getting in his own way.

This is a much better fight for Marciano than one with Lewis for example.

 

Hard to say really.

Some of Louis's oponents still lauded his power at this stage, though his reflexes were obviously gone. Once you factor this in, sombody like Jersey Joe Walcott might be a better chin checker.

Rex Layne was renowned as a banger.

It might even be some non entity like Bill Wilson who had the power but nothing much else.

 

archie had a good punch too

 

Asinine. Foreman said Holyfield didn't hit hard. And Bowe took his best stuff like bubblegum. Hell, Jersey Joe Walcott probably hit harder than Holyfield. How many real knockouts does Holyfield have? I'm talking knockouts, not stoppages. And we're talking Holyfield of 91 not 96.

 

Carmine Vingo was also a something of a wrecking ball by all accounts :bbb