Who ranks higher as a all time heavyweight Rocky Marciano or Evander Holyfield?

I think this is the first time ever i have voted for Marciano

 

4x (should be 5x) heavyweight champ. 23 years at heavyweight. Evander Holyfield.

 

Depends on how much you value Marciano's unblemished record and clear superiority over the division, and how much you don't care about Holy's blemishes and lack of dominance.

I say Marciano, but it's close. The 2 wins over Charles, Moore and Walcott 1 get underrated. Charles still had more left in the tank than advertised (Marciano utterly destroyed what was left afterwards, though), and I think both the Walcott and Moore wins get overly harsh treatment due to their age, despite both men (especially Moore) being in very good places in their careers.

 

For me, it's Evander and not even close.

 

Evander by far; beat better opponents, beat more good opponents by my count, and beat actual heavyweights not light heavyweights and cruiserweights.

 

I have marciano higher at heavyweight. But when we combine Evander’s two division feat he places higher all time overall for me.

 

Holyfield's cruiserweight opponents are bigger than most of Marciano's heavyweight opponents. There is a decent argument that you could include Holyfield's cruiserweight fights in this comparison.

 

There's also a good argument that Rocky and his opponents weren't even heavyweights

 

The problem is they are classed as heavyweights even though they are weighing what light heavyweights weigh in modern times.

That's were it gets complicated. But I think it's fair to count Evander's cruiserweight fights but the classification says something totally different.

 

One ruled a era, and the other shared a era.

 

One rule a weak era the other shared one of the strongest eras ever*

 

Walcott, Moore and Charles is not really a weak era. People only call it weak because Rocky ruled it. Holyfield was losing the title to the likes of Moore and Ruiz.

 

Marciano. Most of Holy's big wins were also guys well past their physical primes a well, and the Rock doesn't have the losses.

 

Even losing to Bowe is nothing to be proud of. Who did Bowe beat outside of Holy? Tony Tubbs...oh wait, even that was controversial.