(PRIME) Rocky Marciano vs. (PRIME) Joe Frazier

Exciting match up. Both of them have the power to knock each other out but only Marciano has the iron mandible. I think Frazier would win a decision as i think 20 pound weight advantage would suit him well in this fight

 

Rock gets off the canvas a time or two and grinds him down with his supreme stamina, durability and two fisted power

Rock KO 12-15

 

Great fight against two fighters with great stamina, heart, and punching power.

I voted Marciano. I think he would knock out Frazier, who never had the best chin. He probably would have to get off the canvas to do it and it would be an absolute slugfest.

 

You must have forgotten about Fraizers stamina. Fighters didn't move like Fraizer back in Marciano's era. That left hook and that bobbing would have been too much for the Rock.

 

Ain't but one man ever knocked Fraizer out and that was Foreman, and that same Foreman would have knocked the Rock out also.

 

I think Foreman stops Marciano too, no arguments from me. But Frazier was stopped by Ali in their third fight, not only by Foreman. And he was nearly stopped against Bonavena (an undersized HW like Marciano) in their first fight. It was a SD, I think Frazier was down twice early. He was also hurt badly against Ali in their rematch, and Ali was not a big puncher.

These are all hypothetical because we will never know for sure, but the evidence points to Frazier not having the best chin. Maybe he clips Marciano first but IMO he would need to land something big early or he would eventually get stopped himself.

 

But didn't Marciano get dropped by smaller men than Frazier? Walcott I think it was, maybe Charles too. Not 100% , may be flat out wrong.

 

This is my dream fight. The undefeated man against the winner of the fight of the century. Two big punchers capable of throwing a 100 a round. Love both of 'em.

 

I think Marciano was down against Walcott, I'm not sure about Charles. I thought Charles just split his nose opened, I'm not sure if he dropped him or not.

It's not a slam dunk for Marciano but if I have to pick a guy who I think would last longer in a slugfest, it would be Marciano. And I think if Bonavena could drop and hurt Frazier, so could Marciano who was a big puncher.

 

Yeah, Rock was cut from a different cloth. One hell of a fight.

 

Two very similar fighters who styles was to wear down and break down their opponents. Clearly that isn't going to work here because both of these guys had limitless gas tanks and could fight and a phenomenal pace, neither man is going to gas in this fight.

I give the edge to Frazier. He's physically bigger and so more likely be able to push Marciano back and so it will be Marciano who will be forced to adapt and fight in a manner he's not used too. That along with Marciano's tendency to cut and the fact Frazier's win over Ali overshadows any win on Marciano's record which for me means Frazier has proven he can fight at a higher level, then yes Frazier has to be the favourite.

 

Frazier was dropped when he was 22 years old. He was young and inexperienced, in this thread we are talking about prime Frazier. Ali from the FOTC gave Frazier a beating which was 10 times as bad as Bonavena gave him the first time and he still didnt go down. The point im trying to make? Chin's tend to get better as the body matures, when the Boxers get to the mid 20s - early 30s (ofcourse imo). Ali was dropped, Greb was stopped, Ezzard Charles was stopped, but still their chins were rated very highly as their career progressed. Would the '74 Ali get dropped against Cooper? Would Prime Greb get stopped against Joe Chip? Would FOTC Frazier get dropped against Bonavena? I dont think so. I think we shouldn't rate the punch resistance of boxers, based on their early fights and their immature and inexperienced form.

 

Chin decides this fight. Rocky wins late

 

Great post