Rocky Marciano v George Foreman

He did not win a round in either fight! No matter how you try to obfuscate and dilute that it is the bottom line!

 

If you think its okay to avoid the deserving contenders and instead cynically defend the title against two no -hopers who were never ranked in their entire careers,then it isn't so bad.

If you think that holding the most exalted and richest prize in sport brings with it a responsibility to do that position honour and defend that title against the most deserving challengers then the answer is emphatically yes!

 

I don’t know what post that’s from, but I believe it is correct that Foreman would be considered favourite by the vast majority if the two ever fought. If I was a bookmaker I would make George a favorite. Would I bet on him? No.

Myself, I would pick Rocky as a live underdog since he has the edge in stamina, workrate, seasoning, experience and was hit less. Marciano is handicapped only by size but not by punch power. That’s equal.

Rocky has a real chance against any guy as easy to hit as Foreman was. That’s worth a punt in itself isn’t it? Rocky timed slick guys like Walcott. He hit everyone more times than they hit him. All were Better boxers than he was.

And of course George has the ability to win too. I cannot rule out George overwhelming Rocky and winning either. He certainly has a 60% chance of it in the first three rounds. But I give Rocky a 60% chance beyond round 3 and 90% after round 6. That’s why I would risk money on an underdog like Rocky. We never saw him knocked out.

Talking of rules, I would however rule out entirely the comparisons between a prime Rocky and a declining Joe Frazier.

 

During that time Ali was the only deserving challenger to Frazier. He’d already beat him! Who was he going to defend against? Ellis again? Quarry again? Chuvalo again? Joe had beat those guys. Or an old Floyd Patterson or old Ernie Terrell?

Who was the elite fighter Joe ducked when he fought Daniels and Stander?

 

Oh the bit where Janitor said Rocky would do significantly better against Foreman than that version of Frazier? Yeah, I think that is correct too.

You don’t think Marciano can do any better than that version of Frazier?

 

He ducked all the top ten contenders in those 2 years several of whose names I have provided.They do not have to be elite fighters just top ten ranked contenders. He could have rung the changes by defending against Mac Foster,Ron Lyle, Jose Garcia ,Joe Bugner ,all were top ten ranked,he didnt and no amount of spin from you will excuse that!

 

Yes they would have been more interesting. Going by how easy he was to hit against George there is a chance Frazier might have lost before Foreman got to him. Perhaps never as dramatically, but what if one of those beat Frazier before Foreman did? It’s clear joe was not the same. He never beat Ali again did he?

 

Pure slip of the keyboard.

I’ve corrected it for you.

 

Ali gets a pass from most when he defended against cooperman and Richard Dunn.

 

Yeah, Frazier ducked all those guys he already beat...

Frazier already beat the #1, the #2, the #4 and the #6 from Ring Magazine top ten. Apart from Foreman, The other guys in the top ten had already lost to the guys above them ...that Frazier beat.

 

Yes he does, and the reason for that is sandwiched either side of them were.:

Frazier,Young,Norton,all top 3 ranked and Ali was also 34years old!