Marcianos actual resume Jersey Joe Walcott 2x Joe Louis Ezzard Charles 2x Archie Moore Rex Layne Roland Lastarza 2x Harry Kid Matthews Don ****ell What if Marciano went 49-0 but piled up this resume instead? Jersey Joe Walcott 2x Floyd Patterson Harold Johnson Nino Valdes Clarence Henry Rex Layne Hurricane Jackson Earl Walls Roland Lastarza Bob Satterfield
I'd pick him to beat everyone on the second list. It wouldn't change where I rank him all time and apart from Valdes it wouldn't answer how he would cope with big class heavies .I think Valdes is overated anyway.
In retrospect I think Marciano certainty fought the better men but because of the emphasis these days on size, I would have liked to have seen him KO Valdes , Moore and Walcott beat a few guys on the 2nd list and beat the guys that beat the guys that are on the 2nd list. I think had Marciano gone the way of Holmes and fought the lesser men of his day he would have been criticized today even more. Kockel could have been replaced with Valdes but Nino was also beaten 2X by Moore who was talking a lot of smack about Rocco
there were no big heavyweights at the time other than Valdes and Baker and they were beaten by the 5"10 Bob Satterfield who was beaten KO'd in 2 by Charles and beaten by Moore. and the 5"10 Johnson also beat Valdes and others but stopped by Moore
It would make little to no difference, he beat what was in front of him, and the 2nd list is no better in terms of competition than the first. It still gives him less than 40% chance of beating Liston, Ali, Frazier ( increases odds to about evens ) Foreman, Holmes, Tyson. Holyfield, Lewis, or the K2 brothers. If it's any consolation I'd give him a more than even chance of beating the hapless Ruiz who won, lost, and drew with the 38 - 39 year old Holyfield.
Rocky beat who was available there is no argument about that. I have several times said ,I think he beats all the guys he missed. I don't know how I can be fairer than that?
