Rocky Marciano vs the 80s heavyweights.

I thought Valuev damned near beat Haye (I would have to watch again but I have better things to do), had his best performance against Liakhovich where his jab was actually working very well, and certainly beat Ruiz. Super-limited guy who could enforce his few but enormous physical advantages.

 

Some of the time the 1980s guys were better than Frank and Frazier. Some of the time they were not.

Scott Frank drew with Snipes who beat Berbick who beat Page who beat Coetzee who drew with Thomas who beat Witherspoon who went 1-1 versus Smith who Marvis Frazier beat. These guys were all equally erratic.

Either Frank and Frazier were terrible or the whole division was.

 

I think Valuev was a very smart fighter and certainly skilled. Just incredibly slow and limited by his size as much as he benefited from it.


I think his best performance was against Barret, great match making from King for his first and only real American showcase.

 

In a way it is a tragedy that Michael Spinks, never defended his title against Tucker.

That is the fight that could have produced a Jersey Joe Walcott, or Ezzard Charles figure for the era.

 

As you know I like Baker, but there are a lot of 80's heavies that would beat him imo. Suze.

 

Tucker would beat him.
The rest were pretty inconsistent.

Biggs and Tubbs could pull it off if they stay disciplined.

 

I wouldn't favor any of them, but I think Tucker would be the wildcard.

 

I watched Tyson Tucker last night.

Tucker would definitely beat Marciano and probably stop him as well.

 

I find it strange that you should reach that conclusion, based upon that fight.

It seems to me to offer a model for Marciano winning.

 

Well i dont think Marciano was as good as Tyson.

Tyson also had 3 inch reach advantage over Marciano and even then Tucker finished the fight pretty unscathed, despite taking a lot of big punches from Tyson.

Tyson was also naturally bigger than Marciano.

Marciano's reach 68", Tuckers reach 83", that's a 15" reach advantage!

 

Tucker poses problems but stopping Marciano seems a bit too bold. Who did he ever stop who was worth anything? Tucker didn't really beat anybody. Orlin Norris? James Broad?

 

Marciano was prone to cuts, hed be taking too much punishment on his way in.

I dont think Tucker fought anyone as small as Marciano and vice versa.

 

That's not enough of an argument. Being big and tall? but not good enough to stop a decent fighter?

I could bring up guys as big as Tucker that Marciano beat but not as good, so I won't bother. It would only prove size on its own is no obsticle for Marciano. Size and being great is a problem. Size itself is not enough to beat a great fighter.

Please name the best fighter Tucker stopped.

 

There was nothing natural about the size of Mike Tyson he was talented but a laboratory experiment if ever there was one and it was not his size and power that Tyson beat Tucker with. Tyson beat Tucker with work rate and speed. Now I know Tyson had more speed than Rocky but for being bigger I don't see that he was anymore effective, had more work rate was more determined or harder punching than Rocky was at World level. In fact Tyson was a touch frustrated in that fight, was never hurt either. Tucker had a fair first round but just survived. There was no strain of domination in Tuckers performance against Tyson. Nothing he did there that made me think he would trouble Marciano or any other real champion. Tucker was just a good boxer up to a level.

 

Marciano fought 9 men over 200lbs ,all but two of them were dross. C*ck ell was a good light heavy whose weight had ballooned after glandular fever . The other Louis, was way past prime.
Size and very good boxing ability , coupled with youth , against slowness of hand and foot plus poor boxing ability and a tendency to cut, are excellent qualities to possess.:good