Rocky Marciano (1952) vs Muhammad Ali (1975)

Did you just tell me to deal with it? Lol, that made me laugh, easy chief...

 

LOL..well you did call him 5'8. That is like me saying George Foreman is only 6 feet tall.

 

Fraizer and Tyson were 5,11 Also, and short Joe Fraizer was able to nab a win over Ali.

 

I see you changed it to accept it.. I have been told by many that the guy was very short. My grandfather actually met him and said he was a small man, of course gpa was 6'6 so you know..

 

I mean..it seems your granpa could call anyone a small man, being 6'6.

 

I give Tyson a better shot at his best to beat this Ali, in fact I think he would beat him and we saw what Joe did in 3 fights.

 

I have no problem with you saying Ali beats Marciano. I think a 1960s Ali beats Marciano. But not a 1975 version. Ali doesnt have the speed, movement, and reflexes anymore to keep marciano away from him. A 1975 Joe Frazier is not the monster a prime Rocky Marciano was. Rocky proved his ability to put away declining ATG's did he not? Why is a 1975 Ali any different?

 

versus that ali? Marciano would take it. If it was 60's Ali I would have said the opposite.

 

You make good points, for the record Prime Joe Louis mops the floor with everyone in my eyes..

 

Agreed! Louis was the best

 

Interesting how many are saying Ali was slow and his reflexes were gone at this point.
Ali was slower than he had been but was not slow.
Ali consistantly beat Frazier to the punch and embarrassed Foreman with his handspeed, landing lead rights at will. In fact with him moving less his superior handspeed became more influential
Ali still was able to lean away from big shots. He still used those reflexes but no longer relied on them as he had when he was younger.
To suggest Rocky is more relentless than Frazier is to ignore the fact that the Manilla fight produced the record for punch output that would stand until Tua Ibeabuchi, Frazier was responsible for a large number of those punches.
Ali took big shots from Frazier, Foreman and Shavers who all hit as hard (I believe harder) than the Rock
Ali was very adept at tying up on the inside and was exceptionally strong in the clinch.
At this stage Ali was sitting down on his punches much more than he had previously and if Frazier and Foreman arent walking through him then nor is Rocky IMO

 

You could also say a 33-year old Charles wasn't as good as Ali at that age.

Personally, I think this would be a great fight. Ali in Manilla was the strongest and hardest punching version of Ali. His feet wasn't nearly as fast as they had been, but his hands was still very quick. He would stand much more in front of Rocky and rely on beating him to the punch and trying to control him in the clinches. This could easily be as brutal as Manilla.

 

I suppose. But Marciano essentially twice beat the **** out of charles, so what is your point? Charles took awful punishment in both fights. Also, Charles was 32 in the first fight, not 33. I could definitely see Marciano vs 75 Ali going like charles-marciano I, except Ali sitting on the ropes a lot more. Ali would lump up Marciano's face a bit.

This spells doom for Ali. Ali aint gonna beat Marciano with strength and power. He beats him with speed and movement(1960s). Thats how you beat rocky. Speed and movement. You do not beat him at his own game. He is too strong, too powerful, just too much of an animal. If ali hangs out on the ropes(which he will) and slug it out with Marciano(which he will) he will get battered.

Is Rocky really going to have trouble with his size and strength? Joe Louis was an aged former great whom rocky spotted 30lb in weight and 4 inches in height. Rocky battered him.

 

The mobility would be a bit of an issue. Charles was technical and experienced, and he wouldn't let Marciano trap him on the ropes if he could. Ali would rope-a-dope and fight off and this "lay on the ropes" and fight in spurts just won't work.

I think Manila Ali is better than that Charles as a HW, but his strategy would not be. Not against Marciano. Charles did all he could to use his craftiness and experience to fend off Marciano. Ali wouldn't use tricks, in fact Ali's employment of the rope-a dope at this point would be the worst strategy possible for Marciano than any other opponent. Also, if Ali tried bombing Marciano out like he had Frazier, Marciano would really make him pay in the later rounds. And he wouldn't be blinded toward the end. Ali would be in big trouble.

And let's not forget that Charles was hanging on a thread with Marciano closing in throwing 100+ punches in the last round as Charles held and withered to just keep on his feet and afloat in the fight. So for all his experience, craftiness, and technique he barely made the distance. Ali would be hard-pressed to do so fighting with the worst strategy ever. And believe me he would, he did against nearly everyone post Foreman.

 

Like it spelt doom to be on the ropes with Foreman?

Ali beat Foreman and Frazier flat footed and using handspeed and his own strength and underrated punching power. Ali in Manilla as stated by Bojak hit pretty hard himself and still fast enough to keep Joe and George off enough to win