Marciano was overrated and not an ATG.

[Jiddu Dali]

[zelley]

MARCIANO - An all Time Great

Following some of the messages and comments on this long extended thread is mind
numbing with some of the comments.

The only question is - Is ROCKY MARCIANO an all time great?

The obvious and only response is YES.

Sadly, some folks are willing to trash all of Marciano's opponents in the process.

Somebody had the audacity to claim JERSEY JOE WALCOTT was slow.
Well now, most reasonable boxing analysts with elementary analytical skills
could provide reams of analytical evidence to strike down false claims about
Walcott's "speed". One obvious example in the body of evidence would be
the left hook that was used to knockout Ezzard Charles.

Of course, speed is only one of the four key ingredients in the "effective punching"
department.

Then throughout the thread, there are numerous examples of who MARCIANO couldn't
beat based on a body of assumptions that tend to be groundless in the reality of facts.

So, minimize all of Marciano's opponents, and make claims about other boxers superior
performance against him based on assumptions and speculation and it is easy to prove
Marciano and every other boxer is not an all time great.

But if we deal strictly with the known facts and real performance, Marciano is a
logical choice to be recognized as an all time great. But, then again, Bob Fitzsimmons
and James J. Corbett are also all time greats along with Floyd Patterson.

[hardmanbrit]

How many Heavyweight Champions of the World have retired undefeated?

[hardmanbrit]

That is a rhetorical question by the way!

[cooper's left]

Does anyone seriously think that Marciano would stand even a small chance against physically powerful black world heavyweight champions from the distant past, such as Floyd Patterson and Joe Louis?

As for taking today's heavyweight world champions more than 1 round, no way!

[JAB5239]

Does anyone seriously think that Marciano would stand even a small chance against physically powerful black world heavyweight champions from the distant past, such as Floyd Patterson and Joe Louis?

As for taking today's heavyweight world champions more than 1 round, no way!

Marciano would have killed Patterson. Louis is another story.

[sleazyfellow]

How many Heavyweight Champions of the World have retired undefeated?

Gene Tunney was undefeated at HW, and retired as champion...but he did lose at lightheavy.Jim Jeffries retired as undefeated champion as well, but with 2 draws.

Does anyone seriously think that Marciano would stand even a small chance against physically powerful black world heavyweight champions from the distant past, such as Floyd Patterson and Joe Louis?

As for taking today's heavyweight world champions more than 1 round, no way!

Who knows, Rocky was gonna come back against Ingamar but when Floyd won the rematch he did'nt. I think if he fought floyd he'd KO him late in the fight, either that or stoppage.

As for Louis....no way, Louis would cut him up and stop him or just win on points...Rocky was lucky to have an older louis in front of him he could just walk into. If it would of been a younger Louis, walking right in with no defense would of been suicide.

[zelley]

I agree that a young Louis would likely win against a young Marciano, but
it is still speculation, and speculation doesn't win fights, but raw power of a Marciano does and Marciano won them all.

Comparing Rocky and Floyd, I guess one opponent that could answer that question would be Archie Moore.

[Derranged]

Rocky Marciano did what he could in the era he was in. Bottomline.

[Bigmacpoper]

Marciano would have killed Patterson. Louis is another story.

Patterson would have beaten both,Louis would never have faced Patterson regardless as Patterson fought with a pulse up until his very last fight.

Patterson at his peak was just too good for Marciano,greatest hand speed of any heavyweight in history and that would be way too much for Marciano.