Rocky Marciano, Your Thoughts?

A transitional champion who sucked up the oxygen between the levelling of talent by the world war and the oncoming of the modern athletes of the 1960's.

 

One thing to keep in mind, and this comes right out of Marcianos own mouth when he was commentating on his own Charles 2 fight years later, is that Marciano wouldn't try to be accurate when he had guys hurt. He says that when you have a guy hurt, just keep throwing punches. Don't start picking your punches. He looks sloppy in those situations no doubt but it's by design. He knows he isn't going to gas and has the stamina advantage also.

One other thing is that he was a very dirty fighter. You cannot usually find a fight where he isn't using his head as a weapon at some points and I mean a big clear butt attempt which in many cases he's successful at. The guy truly had the mindset of a champ, win at all costs. I also don't think he minded wasting punches because he was gassing his opponents with his sheer volume.

 

It's one fight I would really have loved to have seen, especially when you see Liston was in his prime in 1958. Prime Marciano vs Prime Liston could have actually happened if Rock maintained his hunger.

 

There are several fights where Rocky looks sloppy long before he hurts the opponent. Even in the first round he can get sloppy.

And yes he could be quite dirty and grimy wearing his opponents down. But it's up the ref to enforce the rules. He was a true swarmer/grinder applying tons of pressure both legal and illegal.

 

Prime Marciano was already done when he retired. The back was bothering him and he was having trouble training. Undoubtedly, he was also tired of giving away have his money to his manager, and there seem to just be a satisfaction and lack of hunger that contributed to his decision, but the back pain was cited, and probably the split nose had something to do with it, too.

 

Rocky was starting to cut a lot, I think that helped his decision to retire. One of the reasons I would have given him a shot in this is because I question how Liston would be in a tough, long fight and the Rock would never quit. Maybe Liston's size advantage and big bomb would get him through it? We'll never know. Would have been interesting.

 

@janitor

If Rocky had retired and then came back a year later registering again as a pro boxer, would he be able to bypass his contract with Al Weil? Or was giving money to his old manager unavoidable?

 

The the issue was that Weil was connected. There was no walking away.

 

Marciano had more heart & guts than Liston ever had...

 

Frazier had more heart and guts than Foreman ever had. Didn’t seem to matter once they stepped in the ring.

 

Rocky Marciano wasn't going anywhere near a prime Sonny Liston, Sonny would have been all wrong for him. The man who was dropped by Archie Moore and stunned early by Walcott would find Sonny's bombs way to much to handle especially after eating the hardest jab in heavyweight history . Once Marciano is stopped from coming forward he's all target against a MUCH stronger opponent who had a 14 inch reach advantage and at least 25 pounds of muscle . There are at least 3 fighters I think Rocky has no chance of going past 4 rounds with ,Liston Foreman ,and Tyson.

 

Just looked it up and Shkor was ranked in the April NBA ratings after beating Mauriello. He also has victories over ranked contenders Flynn and Payne, incidentally.

Muscato was ranked in April 47 NBA ratings, as well as January 47, April 46. Muscato was also ranked by Ring magazine in 47. Very solid guy.

Can't find Bernie Reynolds on the annual RING ratings they have on Boxrec, but an article I found indeed says he was RING ranked:

https://www.ctinsider.com/sports/article/Guest-Commentary-Fairfield-boxing-great-4279270.php

Boxing: At his peak in the late 1940s, Reynolds was regarded as one of the outstanding heavyweights -- a guy who won 50 of his first 55 fights and, in May 1949, was ranked ninth in the world by Ring magazine.

Also, Freddie Beshore was ranked by Ring Magazine in 48. Didn't even realize that.