Where does Marciano rank all-time amongst the hws?

Bull**** post. It wasn´t one of the weakest eras. Johnson´s era wins that title by a mile, the 80s for example were also much weaker with all that fat and drugged up HW´s. Marciano wasn´t undefeated because he fought in a weak era, he was undefeated because he was always in top shape and always very consistent. And he retired at the right time when he noticed that his skills got worse ( and without any real challenge). Btw, if he wouldn´t have got a point detucted because of a questionable low-blow, he would have won the 1st LaStarza-fight by UD. Look at all the great fighters and how many strange decisions they got ( Ali, Holmes, etc.), Marciano always won without the help of the judges...

 

Yeah, I know why he retired. The main problem was IMO, that there wasn´t a real challenge. If there would have been a young, unbeaten fighter with a 30-0-0 (26 KO´s) record, Marciano would have fought him, even when he wasn´t at his best. But the too young, for a puncher tailor-made and shaky Patterson wasn´t surely a challenge. Other fighters like Hurricane Jackson, Valdes, etc. weren´t also real challenges for him...

 

I hope your joking with Tyson at #5.

 

If he had one loss on his record his record would be worse so of course he would rank lower.

But you see he didn't.

 

Marciano still be in the top ten if he lost 1 or 2 bouts.

First off
He domation his era. Only Joe Louis, John L Sullivan, Rocky Marciano, Ali(In the 60's) and perhaps Tyson has that claim. That only should make him in consider for a top ten rank.

2nd, he beat the best of his era. Only a few did that, Louis, Ali, and thats about it. Marciano left no loose ends like Dempsey or Sullivan or even Patterson did. There was no Harry Wills, or Peter Jackson's or Eddie Machens or Follys waiting for nearly 5 or 7 years for there title shots(And sadly most didnt get em) Marciano fought the best men and gave the best number 1 ranking contenders there shots.

Other thing is 6 title fights is a LOT for heavyweights, Most champs major what?? 5 or 6??

Dempsey made 5
Fraizer 4
Bowe 1 I belive
Foreman 3
Corbett 1
Fitz 0
Johnson 6
Between Tunney up to Braddock, 5 successful title defenses between them.

I mean in regards to title defenses Marciano is in the good right??
I mean only Ali, Louis and Tommy Burns made it into double dignits.
That bad at all.

And this is just looking at if Marciano lost a fight.

 

Only Ali, Louis, and Burns? What about Holmes, Lewis, and Tyson?:huh

 

Lewis 7, Tyson 9 and Holmes 20

For Lineal only, Tyson made 2, and Lewis about 5.

 

If he had lost a bout then he would not only have lost it but it would remove a legacy win since presumably he would have lost to one of the best fighters he faced. The way to take away his 0 while causing the least disruption is to have him loose the first La Straza fight.

OK so he lost to LaStraza but it was his first big step up in competition and he brutaly avanged it and went on to dominate an era. It is also worth noting that some papers scored the LaStraza fight his way suggestin that he might actualy have retired unbeaten with some luck.

Despite this early blemish on his otherwise perfect record his competition compares favourably to other dominant champions such as Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey or Mike Tyson and he was more consistent against it.

He therfore clearly deserves a spot in the top 10 and is worthy of consideration for a top 5 slot.

 

I have him somewhere between 11 and 13. I'm juggling him with Holyfield and Bowe for those spots after the first ten. My top ten is pretty much decided.

Ali
Liston
Foreman
Tyson
Louis
Holmes
Frazier
Johnson
Dempsey
Lewis

Marciano to me just did not prove he could beat the heavyweights I have ranked above him. He was ony 5'-10¾" tall and 184lbs, not to mention short arms and p4p below-average handspeed. He could punch, yes, and he was conditioned and could take a punch, but is that really enough? Having a package like that is definetely not top 5 material, IMO. Not a hater, just telling it like it is.:good

 

Who cares about lineal?

Lewis had 14, and Tyson had 10 defenses, period.:good

 

Do you feel that they proved that they could beat him?

 

How can Wills be ranked over Liston, Johnson Holyfield & Tyson?

 

People with boxing knowledge cares. Holmes for example defended against fighters like Bey who were 14-0-0, for me that doesn´t count that much (like a lineal title defense)...

 

If there had been split titles in Marciano's era he might have picked up a strap from some contender like say Lee Savold or Rex Layne before he fought Walcott.

When comparing Tyson and Lewis to him it is only fair to include their lineal title defences since some alphabet titles frankly are not worth two buckests of warm spit.

 

Look at his resume. He won 17 times out of 20 against Langford, beat fighters of the calibre of Jeanette, McVea, Clark, Gunboat Smith, Fulton, etc....