Who ranks higher on the Heavyweight list - Evander Holyfield or Rocky Marciano?

I don't regard his CW wins, just as I don't for Tunney which would have him somewhere in my top 10 if I did. If you're going to regard Holyfield's coke wins, then you should at least add Layne on the win list for Marciano. He was considered the next Dempsey and most promising HW fighter. Has a win over Satterfield, Charles, and Walcott (Although Walcott had a hand injury if I'm not mistaken).

Anyway, I rank Marciano higher. Holyfield has lots of depth and was extremely highly rated around 1998. His last 12 years has given him a decline in some minds. I remember when someone had him ranked #3 among HWs of all time before the Lewis fight. Now people just say he lost to Lewis twice, lost a series against Bowe, and beat a shot to **** Tyson. Poor Holy... :-(

 

Marciano - dominant champ, cleaned out his competition, and had amazing consistency.

 

Important point here. Holyfield, even in his prime had struggles and dire times against fighters he had no business being troubled by (At least that's the perception).

 

Marciano did everything Holyfield never did to be fair.

 

If you look at the top ten when marciano joined the rankings and when he left the rankings he prety much beat all of them, those he did not beat personaly his victims did. He beat the guys who beat the guys and knocked out all the active champions throughtout the duration of his career.

Holyfeild beat good guys, he fought them all, but its not so close to what marciano did in a less diluted one champ, one title era. evander was not beter than bowe or Lewis and he also lost against moorer. You list more guys for hollyfeild but only 5 were ever real world champions and 2 were over 40 years old. That leaves Tyson, bowe and Moorer but two of them beat evander. Based on competition its just not as good.

 

Marciano for me, but I could see the opposite argument.

 

Rocky should rate higher. Holyfield was an inspirational fighter, but he should be 1-4 vs Bowe and Lewis, lost to Moorer, and was down and aided by a home cooking slow count vs. Bert Cooper. An inconsistent great if you will who had too many excesses and might have used some illegal substances to enhance his performances.

 

In terms of skills Holyfield is way better than Marciano. Fought much better opposition too.

Based on achievement you gotta respect Rocky's perfect record.

 

Holyfield fought on even or better terms far bigger and better heavyweights. If you go by level of competition it is not close.

 

Marciano so much more dominant and in control

 

Unless specifically ranking the newer divisions, I tend to just lump them together with the original 8. Holyfield's entire career was at Heavyweight by that measure, and I rate him as a greater fighter than Marciano. So I guess that's the answer.

 

you dont seem to respect anything rocky does :verysad

 

If Evander fought guys his size all the time he would have been more consistent and dominant, but he fought when the heavyweights were getting bigger like Bowe and Lennox and fought well with them. I think Evander is overall greater Fought everyone he could.

 

you have to look at what actually happened. Evander did move up to fight the bigger men and fought on even terms but he still didn't have the dominance with the competition he was faced with that Rocky did.. we can speculate all we want, but what actually happened is more important i think .