Rocky Marciano vs 70's HW's

Amen muh'****a. Right up there with Mayweather. Something about being undefeated I think.

 

Marciano was probably the same size as Beterbiev today. If people can picture Beterbiev dominating at CW and HW as he is, with no bulking up, then that would go a long way to answering this question. Most people won't of course, even the crusty old farts that mythologise da Rock, but somehow Marciano is immune to this sort of logic checking.

 

No,,I think he goes about 9-7

 

Given his power, he would only need ten to land.

 

He did not have that much power. He ain't in the top 5 punchers.

 

If you look at the actual fighters he beat in his time and compare them to the list then he probably beats, or has a good chance, against the following:

Patterson
B Foster
M Foster
Ellis
Young
Chuvalo
Bonavena
Quarry
Shavers

I think he gets blasted by Foreman and Frazier, outboxed by Ali and Holmes, and Norton and Lyle I'm undecided about. Thing is, he'd probably be behind in a lot of those fights and require a late KO to win (Ellis and Young especially) and I'm not sure how long his luck would hold out in that sort of grueling scenario. Wear and tear might get to him sooner rather than later here.

 

Hes a stylistic nightmare for Ali imo, he would get inside and land that hook like pretty much every smaller boxer who fought him did. His workrate would give him a long night as well.

Not saying hed win but I dont think Ali would enjoy that fight and would have a tough night.

Frasier is a 50/50, would just end up a fight and the toughest man who wants it more wins. Toss up.

Hed smash most of thr contenders - Pattereon would get KOd, guys like Quarry, Foster, Ellis dont fare well at all.

Holmes seems like hed be a mare for Rocky tbh. Foreman is probably that right levelnof being too big and hard a puncher.

Im not sure with Liston, Id have to think on that fight, sounds like a great one on paper.

 

Rock wouldn't be there anymore in the 15th.

 

Interesting idea. I think I agree, as Rocky's lack of explosiveness and traditional head-movement means getting past that jab would be impossible. There's also the uppercut which would make sure Rocky didn't enjoy his time on the inside. But honestly, I can see Larry going down or looking poor at times due to his strange habit of knuckling down and trading. I don't know why he did it, but he did. I think Marciano tales advantage of that at times.

How is Foreman too big and hits too hard but Liston isn't? The size difference is miniscule and the power difference even more so. Plus, Liston has that jab and much better stamina, and likely a better chin (I don't subscribe to the theory that Young Foreman had the same level of chin as Old Foreman, I think the weight added a lot more).

Maybe for an older, post-Manilla verison who's foot-speed had declined, but you have to remember how well Walcott did with his foot-speed and hand-speed. Then of course factor in that Ali of, say, the Quarry rematch was much quicker, longer, stronger, likely hit harder (really close), harder to hit, smarter and 20lbs heavier with a much better chin.

Ali is all kinds of wrong for Marciano

 

I think Holmes had a better defence than Ali and didnt seem to struggle as much with smaller fighters the way Ali did.

Ali just used to get clocked constantly with thr left hook against fighters of that stature - Frazier, Cooper, Jones. He just fell into that trap constantly and Marciano would do the same. Norton was the same height but was able tonuse a similar style to cause him problems too

Whilst Holmes has a sinilar style to Ali, I dont see him falling into that trap constantly. Until late in his career the fighters who bothered him were around the same size - Witherspoon, Snipes, maybes you have Shavers as an example against.

Norton did cause Holmes problems as well tbf but it was Holmes first big fight.

I just think Holmes is more likely to stick to his boxing throughout whereas Ali will get drawn into a brawl.

 

Same Ali got battered by Cooper for four rounds and lost to Doug Jones though.

Liston and Foreman have very different styles of boxing, Liston fights off the jab whereas Forema is way more aggressive and looks to wade in landing big hooks trying to overhwhelm his opponents from the off. Plus I said I havent decided on how Rocky does against Liston and need to think on it, I might very well.come to the same conclusion.

 

Ali himself said he wsnt sure he would have beaten Rocky, thinks he would on his best day but also says Rocky could outpoint or drop him.

He sparred him for that fantasy fight things they done and said he was very dangerous and his punches hurt.

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I seem to remember Cooper winning two rounds and Jones losing a clear decision. I also remember Cooper getting the **** beaten out of him in the rematch. I assumed this was talking about the best verisons of 70s Ali, not the green kid who hadn't developed. If we're taking any version of Marciano, then he loses to all of them because he needed a robbery to beat Lowry.

I know. You didn't say that before, you said one had the size and power to beat Marciano, but the other didn't despite there being a very small amount between them in both catagories.

I didn't say otherwise.