Would Marciano be a light heavyweight if he fought today?

It gets worse....

This is general.

 

Marciano could fight Wanheng with 'modern nutrition'!

 

Mariano was a face first crude slugger who records was 90% bums.

Today he would have been a fat LHW or an even fatter cruiserweight.

There is no one decent from LHW and upwards I would give him a chance against.


Someone like a prime Kovalev or Beterbiev would knock his wig off into the 6th row.

 

Some of these comments.

 

This is as an extremely biased opinion as those who favor Marciano against all SHWs.

First off, it is basic that Marciano was a swarmer, not a slugger.
Next, he was not at all overweight at his stated peak weight of 187/188. And he boiled down from over 200.
So with day before weigh ins he could certainly make LHW, but he would not be remotely "fat".

There are many videos you can watch about the subtle skills he had of feinting, rolling, leaping in, counter punching, how his unusual angled crouch worked for him...While he relied on his power, endirance, determination & work rate, he was far from a crude face first slugger.

When he actually had a wig, filming the hypothetical match up with Ali, the latter spoke about how it was not so easy to land on him. 14 years retired & having just lost 60 lbs.
When Ali DID repeatedly jab his wig off, Marciano doubled him over with a body blow & offered to make it a real fight.

Physical limitations mean he would not be so great as a modern HW.
But to suggest he could not be great against those his own size is rather extreme too.

 

I respect your opinion. However I think fighters from the past are way over glorified. From a skill point of view I havent seen anything from Marciano that makes me think he would trouble anyone elite of today.

Anyone who thinks Marciano comes out of top against someone like Mike Tyson, Frazier etc have rose tinted glasses on.

Just my 2 cents though.

 

I see your point, but he's not talking about those weights, more like 180lbs - 200lbs.
Who would you honestly favour over him around this weight? Even the people who could cope would have the fight of their lives.

 

Well that is a more balanced, less extreme position.
You can search youtube for mucho videos that would support him being great & quite skilled-at his actual size.
But he was a high volume short armed counter-punching swarmer, he will never be a pretty, outfighting boxer-type.

I believe Tyson was too big, fast & skilled for Rocky to surmount.
Beating Frazier is much more likely.
Though I would slightly favor Frazier because of greater hand speed, accuracy, weight., Rocky cut more easily...
Marciano had even more endurance & maybe a slightly better chin, better 2 fisted power & punch variety, at least .

Frazier would not even pick himself over Rocky.
At least it would be very arguable who emerged victorious.

 

He'd be too small for a modern cruiserweight who are 6'3 210lbs on fight night.

 

I would pick a prime Beterbiev to beat him via TKO quite handily.

Kovalev
Michael Moorer

You would have to be elite to beat Rocky.

 

Marciano looked built at 193 against Keene Simmons and still had the stamina to go 15. His legendary stamina wouldnt be required for 12 rounds and he'd probably take up more explosiveness work. He'd come in around 197-200. A small Cruiserweight but too big to be a LHW (unless your name is Anthony Yarde you aren't cutting 25lbs). No we have not advanced in training methods nor diet, in fact I wager to say Marciano had a stricter diet than any modern fighter.


Ultimately all of this is pointless though, you know why, because Marciano, early in his career, weighed in once at 178, light enough to easily make 175! But he never fought at 175! You know why? Because Marciano fought for greatness, he wanted to go down in the history books as one of the best at the most famous weight, heavyweight

So Marciano would pretty much be a 200lbs flat heavyweight today. And he would be knocking everyone out.

 

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The picture in the tale of the tape is 205lbs off-season Marciano. Take a look at actual in perfect condition 185lbs Marciano. He isn't fat, and he's well defined.

 

That's what LHWs weigh on fight night

 

Nobody "fights" Wanheng, they knowingly hop the ropes into premature death yet are still grateful to be able to receive such divine punishment.

 

5 star grilled chicken is a gift from the divine.