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

no **** but you could say that about any fighter that's ever been talked about on these boards. the fighters we post about would be undefeated vs all of us.

 

how do you feel about the rock having an amateur loss after starting his pro career? does that take away from his 49-0 record?

 

i like the rock, but top 15, no !!

 

It really depends on what is we base these rakings on.

Rocky Marciano beat all his opponents and competition when he was fighting. That is why BASED ON HIS ACHIEVEMENTS i rank him high.

however if i'd base these rankings on H2H capabilities against all heavyweight boxers in the last 100 years then Rocky wouldn't even be on my TOP50.

 

My dad told me, k: "Don't listen to the words,listen to what you hear

This sounds like, "Rocky's nothin' special" How WRONG you are.

 

you're completely misunderstanding me. rocky is as special as it gets. my point is that most on these boards dog fighters from time to time but no one posting here would have ever got in the ring with that fighter. that's why i made the original comment.

 

Sorry to come down with both feet, k. Haven't had my coffee yet.

 

no worries.

 

To me, It has more to do with the 49-0 (43 KOs) record and cleaning out his division, it is because of how a humble, genuine person he was. He went in to each fight and never did you hear him utter negative things about his opponent (at least to my knowledge).

 

Marciano's record is up there to be attacked- however, whats the worse that can be said? that he might have lost an amatuer fight after he turned pro? That he should have gotten a draw against against a contender he knocked out second time around? That because the best fighters of his day did not add 20lb of extra weight to their frames we did not see what he would do to an elite superheavyweight? would any of that prevent a man who knocked out all the elite fighters of his generation from still being a great fighter?

 

This thread is timely because i've been meaning to reevaluate my placing of rocky as 3rd greatest hw in history.

Upon reading views and going over the same fights and sources again i'm happy with my choice.

There have been few exhaustively dominating champions above rocky in the history of the sport. Anyone pre louis can be thrown out because of the colour line. Louis himself is greater. Since then noone has dominated the division as completely apart from ali, tyson and lewis. Both tyson and lewis were knocked out during the peak of their powers. Ali himself is greater.

There could be an argument that johnson's run as coloured champion was as dominant but he's my number 4 so i'll consider that in more detail at a later date.

 

Well, certainly behind Sir Henry Cooper. :deal

 

What 15 heavyweights could be argued to have better resumes, even theoreticaly?

 

I can see a good argument for having Marciano ranked among the top 2 or 3 heavyweights of all-time.

I can also see good arguments for having him ranked around the #15 mark on an all-time HW list.

And everything in between.

Whatever way, I can't see any good argument to suggest he was NOT one of the greats at all.