A prime Marciano would give anyone the fight of his life...I wouldn't count him out against anybody...but...we'll never know...49-0 43 KO's...
No. Rocky would be hard to beat. Even losing, in his Prime, he was capable of giving life and death with impossible odds against him. This is fighter with a good chin and two handed power who had not tasted defeat. An obsessive personality who trained and fought like a maniac as if his life depended on it. That long list of fighters won't include many fighters with ATG equalizing power in both hands and ATG durability in their absolute prime.
Ah The Rock, surely ESB's most divisive figure! Some will say he is too hard and too hearty to give in to anyone but the most steel chinned and powerful giant, others portraying him as an out-moded midget! My tuppence is that those champs with an adaptive, cerebral style would probably out-point him: Louis, Johnson, Ali, Vitali K....maybe Lewis too. Other than that the list gets very thin and uncertain IMO. The exception would be Foreman, I just can't see how anybody 'trades' and survives although the awkward, rough-housing and return bombs from Rocky may see him KO Big George....
Marciano's durability has to be taken somewhat on trust, he never met a super heavy who could bang, he never met a regular sized heavyweight who had top form power. The best two punchers he met were both past prime yet they dropped him, neither compare to the real bangers the division has had. How would Rocky weather the booming jab of Liston and those thudding hooks ? How would he deal with a prime Louis's piston jab and his rapid combinations from fists that aren't frozen in decrepitude? Louis badly marked Marciano up with just the remnants of his jab what could a prime Bomber do ? How would Marciano fare coming in crouching to Foreman? How does Marciano avoid Ali's lazer like hands? Holmes's all time great jab? Could Rocky take the right hand of Lennox Lewis without hitting the deck, his chin failed the test against a 40/42yr old,[ depending on if you believe him or his mother]Moore? Holyfield lost two out of three to Bowe because he was just too big, would Rocky smaller, lighter, and one assumes not as strong, fare any better? Bowe was a very good inside fighter for a big man, with a good uppercut,the standard antidote for the croucher. Marciano's best chances are against those similar in style and stature to himself Dempsey and Frazier . Dempsey I think is faster afoot ,faster with his punches and his equal in power,I pick him to stop Rocky but if the fight goes into the later rounds Marciano's chances increase dramatically. I like Marciano to beat Frazier simply because he has two handed power. Frazier's faster hands will give him fits and possibly drop him before Marciano gradually asserts himself and gets on top around the 9th round,to win by a stoppage. Tyson has the edge for me simply based on his handspeed he should in theory be capable of getting his punches off first, he was also up to 35lbs heavier. If Marciano could withstand Tyson's blazing early onslaught he might manage to ride out the storm and begin to equalize things with his own big shots, but I feel he would ship too much damage early on to be capable of turning the fight around. I see Jack Johnson nullifying Marciano and taking a scrappy, lack lustre decision with a frustrated Marciano warned several times for fouls,and being docked points,Jack imprisoning him in a vice in close and ripping uppercuts into Rockys face, is warned for pulling down and docked a point.A bad tempered bout that fails entertain the fans,which would be Johnson's fault.
Foreman,Tyson & Lewis decimate him, far too much power. Ali & Holmes break him down over the stretch. Rocky was one hell of a fighter but a few posters on here give him godlike status.
IT shows that he could do well against big men, not the best of the big men and that is the difference in H2H match ups .. I agree on Rocky as he never fought any of the sort and was smaller, had a ten inch shorter reach and was slower starting and overall .. meanwhile H2H a fight between Rocky and Jack is pick em to me ..