Prime Ali vs Prime Marciano: Who wins?

[Capaedia]

Look at the trouble Marciano has finding Moore, even though he can back him up often (Moore still pushes him back sometimes) and cut off the ring.

His accuracy is awful, and he is bailed out by his stamina and power. I do not take credit from the win. Heavyweight Moore was a very good fighter and a difficult styles match-up for Marciano. Like I think Ali would be.

Moore may hit harder and be a bit craftier than Ali, but Ali is a stronger and quicker man than Moore and used more combinations. He is also one of the most durable boxers ever.

He had a lot more left than Moore did at this stage, and Moore was able to drop and outfox Marciano a lot despite being a smaller man.

I don't think Marciano could manage to get anything started. That version of Moore may have been very good, but Ali was great. Come at me

[SlySlickSmooth]

Ali takes Marciano to school and makes Marciano tumble through the ropes. Marciano think he's going to catch Ali? Hell no. And with that crouch stance he'll never knock Ali out. The speed will cause far too much trouble for Marciano, Ali wins something like 12 rounds to 3.

[Elroy1]

70's Ali I think had way too much ring IQ for Marciano, he was much heavier and stronger, faster and longer. He had a good enough chin to wear some damage and his grappling skills would have been able to get him out of any trouble Marciano presented. I can't see any avenue for Marciano to surmount Muhammad here.

Muhammad of the 60's could be different. The more mobile and faster version could have controlled MArciano most of the fight, certainly Marciano could not win on points.

But of course this version is very vulnerable to a Marciano KO. If Cooper can KD him, who knows.

Overall Muhammad takes it.

[BKM-2010]

I kinda agree with him. ali was obviously much more talented much like he was much more talented than Norton but I think Marciano's style would have given ali fits. I wouldn't go as far as saying Marciano wins but I think he would make it at least competitive and then some

I don't know how you agreed with him, he didn't even look at it from Ali's perspective. It was biased.

Rocky's face damaged one of the easiest of all ATG's. Ali's punches damaged people's faces the most of all ATG's. Rocky had trouble against a long reach especially with movement. He'd be up against nearly 80 inches of reach from an Ali who was about 6'7 when dancing on his toes for 15 rounds, never being a stationary target. Rocky was strong and dangerous on the inside but Ali would be the bigger and stronger man and shutout the inside fighting while pulling the short Marciano's head down. And there is also no puncher's chance as Ali survived the hardest shots from the likes of Frazier, Foreman, Shavers, Lyle etc. A knockdown in favor of Ali is far more likely if he sits down on a counter punch, he'd be punching downwards while Rocky's face is coming towards him.

I think people are imagining Rocky to be similar to Frazier and would therefor be a bad matchup for Ali, but he was not Frazier and this is actually a much, much worse style for Marciano to overcome.

[young_robbed]

Click the above link to hear what Ali says about him vs Rocky
I think it's a 50/50 fight.

It's no 50/50 fight, at all, Ali has all the clear advantages aside from power. He's just a better overall fighter compared to Rocky who is a slugger. I am from Massachusetts and calling it a 50/50 fight is nuts...

Prime Ali has more tools, and has a reach and height advantage, but people underrate Marcianos ability to get inside and do tremendous damage to the body and come upstairs, Rocky had power in both hands and could move his head well, I see Rocky slipping most of Ali's shots as he cuts off the ring and closes the distance, with Rocky pressuring him constantly and taking his legs away by the 6th round, then walking him down and brutalizing him.

Did rocky ever fight anybody that had the movement like Ali did? that was as slick as Ali was?? Marciano was able to get inside against Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore and Jersey Joe but compared to Ali those guys are slow as molasses. How is Marciano's slow footwork going to catch up to Ali? Ali is going to jab the **** out of Rocky and keep it on the outside. Move and stay out of trouble. Rocky doesnt' do much better than Chuvalo, Chuvalo is bigger and stronger and while Rocky hits harder he is similar to Chuvalo.

How will Rocky slip Ali's punches? Joe Frazier had much better, more consistent head movement and he still struggled to slip all of Ali's punches. Rocky's defense does not hold a candle to Frazier's. Sorry, but your analysis is way off. Rocky will not land enough to slow Ali down like Frazier did. it's not the same fight at all.

[soul_survivor]

How is this thread still live? Anyone who knows boxing knows that Ali would box circles round Marciano. Rocky had the power advantage and that, literally, is all he had. Ali would continuously wrong foot the smaller man, pop him with jabs till he bled and connect with right hands all night.

[Marchegiano]

Look at all this well done research.....good god....what am I to say?


Y'all suck at attacking Marciano. Because you suck at research. I know....I know.....you've seen an awful lot of boxing......you've been in gyms......maybe even have a handful of terrible fights. oooooooooooooooooo wowwweee.

There's nothing here that actually alludes to any of you knowing what yer talking about, and so yer arguments are basic, and can be found anywhere. You can show a man Marciano right now on film, with no other information, he can make the same detractions as you lot. That's how insightful you are....

The circle grows by others, on both sides, who have 'seen' Rock fight and feel their intuition over what they've observed is more than adequate.

Anyone of you can try me directly if you like, but straight up, I'm telling you you've not read enough, you've not researched enough, and I can tell. I can tell because there's such common misconceptions everyone seems to "know" it's true without anyone having looked into it. Like the size power deal. Foreman's been measured, Rock's been measured, and if I'm lucky enough to read someone post those facts, it'll be in PSI......PSI is not what is used to measure projectiles. PSI was not used in a lab, that's stupid. There's my beef. You lot are more than happen to talk PSI because you don't know about foot-pounds. so who does this FT-LBs to PSI convert? The author of the article you read it on......have you ever checked if they're right? of course not, you just found out about foot-pounds.....why PSI? Because you've seen Rocky IV..... more of a benign example of how and why you don't know dick , but true none the less. When one of you has a real reason to detract from Rock, that is a reason you can't read 1000 times over on any given forum that's never changed anyone's mind ever either way, I'll come back for to talk about it. Until then, this is my open invite to any who thinks they've researched. You don't know what yer on about laddy

[Marchegiano]

see what I'm saying. Goofy sig over here reckons Rocky's only got power. Ali took Joe Walcott's Shuffle and RoLand LaStarza's rope-a-dope. Both of them got Knocked Out. There are men who didn't get knocked out....oddly....they did not dance around the ring.....oddly everyone who tried to dance got ktfo. There's a man who didn't, not in his rematch either. you'd know how he fought Marciano if you knew dick. Ali would certainly know how he fought Marciano. Ali would certainly be aware of the shuffle leading to a timing problem and rope-a-dope leading to a bone structure problem. There's a style that has no problems just requires a little more speed. Perfect for Ali, and you'd know that, had you reasearched anything before running yer yapper.

go get Ali a proper sig, you do him no justice.

[Weltschmerz]

Marciano. Ali never faced anybody like him. Frazier is nowhere near the level of the undefeated Rocky!!!

[Black Mask]

While Marciano is by no means a one-dimensional slugger, I have a hard time seeing him keeping up with Ali. Marciano definitely has the power advantage, and I'd say they're about equal in chin, stamina, and heart. But Ali has clear advantages in speed and skill. I think it ends in a close, but clear unanimous decision for Ali.