Rocky Marciano is not a top ten all time heavyweight and I'll tell you why

[juggernaut666]

Since we're being real let us not forget that Tyson didn't absolutely pummel anyone who wasn't afraid of him and I highly doubt Marciano would be scared. Also it's a very big step to say that someone who was never hurt in there career would be absolutely obliterated by other fighters.

Berbick /Biggs /Frazier /Tucker / Tillis /Ruddock /Robalta / Green /Holmes ALL thought Tyson to be overatted ,you can try and revise history as so many do but the fact with Tyson was all his top fights no one thought they would lose outside Spinks and they ALL thought they had the Tyson answer.Marciano would be lucky to get by Spinks ,and some of you nuts on here actually believe Marciano if anything would be a difficult fight for Tyson,ANYONE under the 6 foot mark /200 pound mark is a sacrificial lamb for the slaughter and anyone who has two feet firmly on the ground and reality intact would see why!

[Mr.MojoRisin']

Tyson losses were to much bigger fighters than Marciano, who hit much harder.

Holyfield was a smallish heavy but even he had 20+ pounds and several inches on Tyson and Rocky...Lewis and Douglass 6'4"-6'5" were huge skilled heavies.

Movement, clinching, jab and grab troubled tYSON, not squat fighters and the squat fighters he did face were blown away

Rocky gets blown out before stamina becomes a factor. Tyson would have 30 pounds on him and is stronger, faster, better defense, great chin.

I just don't see how you can go from a guy who wasn't hurt in his career to being blown out of the water regardless of who's hitting him. Had there been a moment when Marciano was on wabbly legs then yeah I could understand but no way in hell will I ever buy a guy like Marciano not being able to stand up to the punches of the 80s heavyweights who were mostly bums save for a select few.

[young_robbed]

My List:

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Foreman
5. Lewis
6. Holyfield
7. Frazier
8. Tyson
9. Liston
10. Marciano/Wlad klitschko

[McGoorty]

I never said he had no skills but in comparison to Holyfield, Tyson, and others his skills look primitive, he got hit an awful lot.

Sure he wont he title vs walcott but got beat like a bad habit in the process. One punch isnt gonna bail you out everytime, especially at the top level and Walcott was highly inconsistent and Johnson was not.

Do i think Johnson would have beat him? Yes...would have it been easy? Idk

Tyson and Frazier had to deal with tougher opponents. bigger, more athletic, and some like Holyfield would dominate that crap division Rocky was in. Put Rocky in their with Mercer, Tyson, Bowe, and Lewis and he wouldnt see the 6th round. How can you say he was a better pressure fighter yet Frazier and Tyson had to deal with much bigger men, more athletic and better overall competition.

Do i see rocky beating Ali of the early 70s....hell no

Do I see rocky walking through Lewis, Holyfield, Tony Tucker, Ruddock etc...hell no

Rocky dealt with guys 5'10-6' barely over 200s where as Frazier who was 205 and 5'10 dealt with guys 220+ and 6'3"+....Tyson fought much bigger fighters than Frazier

So since you think rocky is better, that means he couldve defeated foreman, and holyfield right? Hell no he gets mashed to bits


Rocky is overrated as **** and beat a washed up joe louis and blown up light heavyweights

Well I think Tyson would have trouble with Marciano but I can't see Rocky overcoming the huge size of Lewis, but it has to be a Lewis AFTER the fight he had with Mercer, that is pre-prime Lewis and Rocky beats him that night.

[therealpugilist]

I just don't see how you can go from a guy who wasn't hurt in his career to being blown out of the water regardless of who's hitting him. Had there been a moment when Marciano was on wabbly legs then yeah I could understand but no way in hell will I ever buy a guy like Marciano not being able to stand up to the punches of the 80s heavyweights who were mostly bums save for a select few.

if you feel that way about 80s heavies im sure you feel the same about the 50s. Tony Tucker vs Don ****ell lol...Tucker had size skills and speed. too mcuh for em. list goes on.

dude got dropped by former light heavyweights but mike tyson, one of the most explosive heavyweight punchers of all time cant get a 5'10: 185 pounder out of there....yeah right

Tyson had way more talent and skill than this guy. You're high off nostalgia.

[therealpugilist]

Well I think Tyson would have trouble with Marciano but I can't see Rocky overcoming the huge size of Lewis, but it has to be a Lewis AFTER the fight he had with Mercer, that is pre-prime Lewis and Rocky beats him that night.

what trouble would he have?

Tyson would be bigger, stronger, faster, more elusive, better combos, the whole 9. Longer reach and better jab.

there is literally nothing marciano does better than Tyson and he didnt have the tools to deal with big heavies like Tyson. T-rex arms marciano wouldnt last 4 rounds with Tyson. Style match up is bad for him.

[The Old LefHook]

what trouble would he have?

Tyson would be bigger, stronger, faster, more elusive, better combos, the whole 9. Longer reach and better jab.

there is literally nothing marciano does better than Tyson and he didnt have the tools to deal with big heavies like Tyson. T-rex arms marciano wouldnt last 4 rounds with Tyson. Style match up is bad for him.

The T-rex is my own image for Marciano. I claim it. Tyson could be a bad stylistic matchup for Marciano, though. If Marciano is able to keep his balance under Tyson's attack, he would have chances. Even a scaled down Tyson of 5'9" and 185 lbs, would give Rocky a hard fight.

I still say there are no light heavyweight champions who would stand much chance against Rocky if he dehydrated to light heavy and rehydrated before the fight as it is done today. I think what that effectively means is he is a better pound for pound fighter than any light heavyweight champ in history, unless there are a few pure, running boxers who could overcome him for a boring decision, because scaled down (which he hardly has to do any of as a 183 pounder) he will beat any confrontational light heavyweight champion in history to pieces, including the likes of Foster, Moore, Spinks and Braxton, several of whom had skills of elusiveness, but were not runners enough to beat Rocky. I believe he would always find Spinks and Moore, the two more elusive out of the group named who yet stayed in range too much to beat the likes of Rock.

Because Rocky's natural prime weight is so close to light heavyweight anyway, at that weight his punch would be virtually the same as it was at heavyweight. I do not believe Foster could take Rocky's punch, but I believe Foster punches no harder than Walcott did. Octupus that he is, a fight plan giving Foster a high chance of beating Rocky at light heavyweight is not out of the question, contingent upon Bob's ability to avoid Rocky's big shots while dealing out enough punsihment of his own for a decision. But his bird legs where he had no weight are likely to give out with too much running, as well. I think Matt Franklin simply gets beat down in a great fight. I do not see Matt Franklin punching any harder than Walcott, either.

[therealpugilist]

The T-rex is my own image for Marciano. I claim it. Tyson could be a bad stylistic matchup for Marciano, though. If Marciano is able to keep his balance under Tyson's attack, he would have chances. Even a scaled down Tyson of 5'9" and 185 lbs, would give Rocky a hard fight.

I still say there are no light heavyweight champions who would stand much cahnce against Rocky if he dehydrated to light heavy and rehydrated before the fight as it is done today. I think what that effectively means is he is a better pound for pound fighter than any light heavyweight champ in history, unless there are a few pure, running boxers who could overcome him for a boring decision, because scaled down (which he hardly has to do any of as a 183 pounder) he will beat any confrontational light heavyweight champion in history to pieces, including the likes of Foster, Moore, Spinks and Braxton, several of whom had skills of elusiveness, but were not runners enough to beat Rocky. I believe he would always find Spinks and Moore, the two more elusive out of the group named who yet stayed in range too much to beat the likes of Rock.

Because Rocky's natural prime weight is so close to light heavyweight anyway, at that weight his punch would be virtually the same as it was at heavyweight. I do not believe Foster could take Rocky's punch, but I believe Foster punches no harder than Walcoot did. Octupus that he is, a fight plan giving Foster a high chance of beating Rocky at light heavyweight is not out of the question, contingent upon Bob's ability to avoid Rocky's big shots while dealing out enough punsihment of his own for a decision. But his bird legs where he had no weight are likely to give out with too much running, as well. I think Matt Franklin simply gets beat down in a great fight. I do not see Matt Franklin punching any harder than Walcott, either.

Michael Spinks IMO would defeat Marciano or have a great shot...he was awkward...very long, had speed power, and elusiveness. He also showed he could deal with the heavy weights

if they met at 175 or heavy I'd pick Spinks who only lost to Tyson and was undefeated and one of the most dominant champs ever at 175

Braxton would be an awesome fight...He also had success at 175, 190 and had a few heavy fights. He had to deal with behemoths like Foreman. Marciano would get his blocked knocked off by big george too. id favor the rock but it would be awesome to see Marciano deal with a pressure fighter with elite defense

A prime roy jones definitely had a shot. He was so elusive and before he turned 35 was only dropped once and the only fighter to go a round without being hit. Otherworldly talent and success from 160-heavy. Also if Rocky thought Walcott was tricky he will have a migraine trying to deal with a faster, more elusive, more unorthodox Jones. He could spark jones out just as easily lose a decision.

[ShoulderRoll]

Gene Tunney would beat Marciano at light heavyweight.

Possibly Harry Greb would too, hard to say with any certainty though because there is no film of his fights.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

if you feel that way about 80s heavies im sure you feel the same about the 50s. Tony Tucker vs Don ****ell lol...Tucker had size skills and speed. too mcuh for em. list goes on.

dude got dropped by former light heavyweights but mike tyson, one of the most explosive heavyweight punchers of all time cant get a 5'10: 185 pounder out of there....yeah right

Tyson had way more talent and skill than this guy. You're high off nostalgia.

Yeah the 50s was pretty weak just the same as the 80s.