Why does Rocky Marciano rank so high to many of you?

The Rock had no business being the champ...he was short...had short arms...think legs...crude...but he was the best conditioned fighter ever...he had a kill or be killed attitude...feared no man...had an incredible tolerance for pain...great heart...chin...courage...power in both hands...hurt you no matter where he hit you...kept on coming...beat the top fighters of his era...champ from 1952-1956...49-0...43KO's...knew when to quit...he'd be HELL for any fighter...'nuff said...

 

i dont know why fighters arent like him nowadays, punching anywhere and everywhere. the forearms,biceps,chest,gut,neck,ribs. you dont see it often now. you can beat someones arms into submission

 

This. It's easier to imagine the glass ceiling on a fighter that has lost.

 

because he never lost a fight and his non stop relentless two fisted attack is the reason why (see Archie Moore)

shades of a young Tony Ayala Jr

Top 15 p4p easy

 

Sure.

At least onece a fighter has lost you can be sure that there is a glass celing.

 

:good

Very,very, well stated. :good

 

apollack for POTUS!

 

R,I second what you post. I have first hand knowledge of Rocky's power,having seen him almost kill Carmine Vingo at MSG in 1949. But until
I saw Marciano sparring at Grossinger's from the first row to the ring, I couldn't truly see the immense power landing on his sparring partners body. Thud,thud, thud. Like a battering ram propelled by Marciano's rock
like body, and immense THIGHS. Seeing this from 3-4 feet, made me appreciate Rocky Marciano up close. Cheers.

 

If you mean "Bad" as in tough I agree. He was a little off in the head. For example, one story in his earlier bio told of a guy who was with him in plane that was ready to crash, but pilot managed to ride it out. He said Maricano just said "Well, if e don''t make it, it's been nice talking to you" and just put head down as instructed and and stayed calm.

He also would go after someone if they did wrong, he once went after a guy abusing an ex-fighter working as bell hop at a hotel.

 

I have nothing to add that apollack hasnt already stated.

It used to be that people new to boxing did not rate marciano, now its just those who have not explored enough boxing history that dont rate him.

 

That undefeated record looks better and better with each year that passes.

 

It truly is unbelievable that since 1956...no one has yet to match his undefeated/untied record as a champion.

 

Rocky Marciano's unique undefeated record is not a shallow reason for some shallow mystique.

The Rock will forever portray the winner who has done it all well, with a touch of class.

His era was not the strongest, but he did everything a man can be asked to do: he fought his way to the title, wrested it away from an excellent, determined, fully-seasoned holder, beat back all worthy challengers, rematched his toughest foes and was smart enough to know when to quit and never sullied his accomplishments confusedly attempting to regain the prime of youth.

In strong and weak eras alike, no other heavyweight champion has been able to equal the Brockton Blockbuster.

The facts of his neither coming back nor artificially trying to reach a neat 50-0 so fly in the face of today's hollow appearance-obsessed, sound-bite seeking, gaudy celebrity world.

Beyond money and self-aggrandizement, the Rock grimly working the huge bag in solitude is the image I prefer of a true winner, because, unlike Mike Tyson, who blew it, or Muhammad Ali, who hung on far too long, Marciano reached the finish line having done everything he had to do, never having tasted defeat, and forever the People's Champion.

And that's a mighty good mark to leave.

 

Eloquent superb post.

 

Charley Goldman took a raw puncher with two left feet and made an champion out of him that was never lost a fight in the ring. He was definitely beat up by Charles, Walcott, Tger Ted and LaStarza. Some old timers believe Tiger Ted and LaStarza deserved wins against him but Marciano still beat them all and retired undefeated.

To see the man break down in tears after beating his idol, Joe Louis, should tell you how much respect he had for the sport and the former champion.