Would Marciano have beaten Charles in his prime ?

I agree with you.

 

I belive the Rock would have still beating Charles, the first fight relly was not that close on the cards. Plus Charles would be lighter, I still make the Rock the favor, base on his win and that he destory Charles in the rematch.

 

Charles was literally suffering from and showing early symptoms of the disease that would eventually kill him as of the first Marciano fight and before.

He still took Marciano 15.

 

Marciano and Charles shared seven opponents--Louis, Walcott, Layne, Matthews, Beshore, Reynolds, Moore.

Charles went 10-4 with four knockouts.

Marciano went 8-0 with eight knockouts.

I would rate Marciano the better fighter if the two had never fought and Marciano was no spring chicken himself by the time they met. He beat Charles decisively the first match and dominated him the second.

 

My error--I didn't want this quote.

 

Charles had been fighting for far, far longer than Marciano, obviously. Ezzard began fighting seven years earlier than Marciano.

He ended his career with over twice as many fights as Marciano, and had over 90 at the time he fought Marciano the first time.

 

No. He would not have lived until 1975 with adult onset ALS.

 

Charles was a LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT had Marciano fought Charles in his Prime. People like to say the first fight was close, And sure on a rounds sysem perhaps, But Marciano turn Charle's face into mush. And gave Charles one of the worse lickings in heavyweight history. Marciano relly had a cut over his right eye, and his nose, but it pales in comparssion to Charles face.

 

As much has I respect Marciano, I'd probably make Charles favourite too.

The first fight was close over the first 10 rounds, in fact Charles might have been level or ahead. A younger more mobile Charles would probably claim the same points or better without taking as much punishment, and maintain that standard in the championship rounds. In fact, with those "fresher legs" Charles might build a sizeable lead throughout, not that it would ever be an easy fight.

I think the rematch is not as relevant, Charles was just past that stage of his career and at that age where he really couldn't recover from the first fight. He was never the same again, and really dropped into obscurity within a few fights.

 

You are assuming that Marciano had not gone back at all by 1954. I think he obviously had, especially as a puncher. Charles struggled quite a bit in the 1949 to 1951 period with men like Valentino, Beshore, Barone, and Oma, who were not in Marciano's class.

 

I'm the exact opposite in that regard, though I also believe great punchers could beat him. I think Ali would handily beat him, as would a guy like Holmes.

 

I think he was around his peak. He looked pretty good a year later against Archie Moore. Charles was one of his two or three best opponents to date.
Truth is, Marciano's whole career he was in plenty of fights where a critical eye could easily say he was "a bit off", even against some third-raters, but that was just Marciano, that was his style.