Rocky Marciano vs 1948 Ezzard Charles

I definitely think 1948 Charles gives Marciano a much tougher night than the 1954 version did, but I’d still lean toward Rocky eventually getting to him late.

In '48, Charles was physically fresher, faster, and lighter on his feet. His reflexes were sharper, his combinations flowed better, and he could still get in and out without getting caught as easily. He was also a much more confident fighter then, still building momentum from dominating the light heavyweight scene. That version of Charles would be far harder for Marciano to trap and grind down early, he’d slip more shots, use angles better, and probably be able to rack up rounds behind his jab and clean counters while Rocky's still trying to close the distance.

But even with a sharper Charles, the size difference and Rocky’s style would still slowly wear on him. Marciano’s pressure was different, he wasn’t just aggressive, he was methodical. He worked the body constantly, chipped away, and kept a pace very few fighters could match for 15 rounds. And the reality is, Charles even at his peak wasn’t a true heavyweight naturally. He’d bulked up a bit by '54, but in '48 he was still more of a natural 175-180 pound fighter. Against a guy like Marciano, who throws every punch to hurt you and keeps coming no matter what you land, that physical grind would add up sooner or later.

I think young Charles would win more rounds early, he'd outbox Rocky clean for stretches, frustrate him with movement, make Rocky miss more than he did in the real fights. Maybe even build a real lead halfway through. But over 15 rounds, it's almost impossible to keep Marciano off you completely. Charles would have to be near-perfect for too long, and the style of fight Marciano forces, relentless pressure, body work, rough inside fighting, eventually breaks even better pure boxers down.

I'd see Marciano stopping him around rounds 12–14. Maybe Charles still ahead on points when it happens, but the damage and pace would eventually catch up. Wouldn’t rule out Charles making it to the cards either if he boxed the perfect fight, but it would take the fight of his life over the full distance.

Closer, cleaner, and a lot more competitive than '54, but probably still ends with Marciano finding him late.

 

Don't do this to me, man. Two of my favs.

Look, I'll contribute this...Charles lost a few fights because when he got far enough ahead, he coasted, and that gave the judges a chance to, fairly or unfairly, rule against him, and that would not have done well against Marciano's style of starting slow and growing in strength and volume through the fight, and finishing strong. But I do think Charles in his prime was live against anybody.

Two great fighters.