Prime Rocky Marciano vs Prime Mike Tyson

[billeau2]

Kevin Rooney himself said Mike would beat every heavyweight in history EXCEPT Marciano and Ali.

It would be an ugly fight, both of these men have styles that are designed to chop down bigger men and aren't really designed to fight men of the same size.

Good point!

I think Marciano could win this. It would be a matter of who could back who off first and most often. Thing is Marciano like Armstrong could get his weight forward very easily. This would mean it would be/it was very hard to catch marciano on his heels. It was also very hard to catch Marciano clean. Tyson was a bit of a croucher also...

Who hits first? marciano hitting down, or Tyson hooking in?

[QueensburyRules]

Kevin Rooney himself said Mike would beat every heavyweight in history EXCEPT Marciano and Ali.

It would be an ugly fight, both of these men have styles that are designed to chop down bigger men and aren't really designed to fight men of the same size.

- -Rooney, bless him, was Loony Teddy's replacement ordained by the now enfeebled Cus who could no longer physically train Tyson.

Not an original thinker.

Historically very few have a chance with young, well trained Tyson, but Rock a better chance than most.

Call it 20/80.

[ShoulderRoll]

Prime Tyson wins by KO.

[JAB5239]

- -DPY, dumbest post of the year.

Rocky and Sonny barely overlap. When Rocky retired, Sonny a novice serving a prison sentence.

https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/9031

Thank you for clearing that rubbish up.

[cfang]

It would have been a massacre! Marciano openly ducked Sonny Liston, who chased him around the world looking for the fight. Everyone knows that Sonny was a mean SOB. Mike Tyson would've made Rocky Marciano piss himself! Realistically, Mike was too fast, too strong, and his defense was underrated. At 185lbs, Rocky is too small to keep Tyson off of him. Tyson by KO3.

What on earth is this all about? You're just making things up here. Rocky had his last fight in Sep 1955 and officially retired in April 1956.

At this time Liston was 14-1 and had just beaten marty marshall on points. He wasn't in the top ten. Or the next year, he was ranked 9 in 1958- two years after rocky retired. He became the number one contender in 1960- four years after rocky retired.

[Dempsey19]

- -Rooney, bless him, was Loony Teddy's replacement ordained by the now enfeebled Cus who could no longer physically train Tyson.

Not an original thinker.

Historically very few have a chance with young, well trained Tyson, but Rock a better chance than most.

Call it 20/80.

Teddy had an even lower opinion of Mike, thinking he'd lose to any previous heavyweight champ of any significance.

[QueensburyRules]

Teddy had an even lower opinion of Mike, thinking he'd lose to any previous heavyweight champ of any significance.

- -Loony Teddy ever confess how much he lost betting against Mike and the Ks?

The whole reason he has to sell himself on broadcasts to pay for his misanthropic habit.

[Ritz Kola]

Mike would eat him alive. Simply because while their styles were great for action. Rocky was too small, and not as strong or explosive. Or athletic...see where I’m going? Great for his time period, but like someone mentioned things change and improve, Rocky would be food nowadays at HW and would’ve been desert for Mike.

[Granath]

This is much tougher than people give it credit for.

Mike never beat a great champion with his only notable victory going against Mike Spinks, who would have been whipped against Marciano. Mike's chin could be dented, but only after repeated blows. He may have been KO'd late in his career against Lewis or Douglass in his prime, but only after taking a lot of punishment. His chin is underrated. He's about as quick of a HW that the world had seen since Ali and he could throw thunder with both hands.

Rock fought in a different era. He's slower than Tyson. His resume is also a bit suspect, beating older guys like Joe Louis or Archie Moore and needing a miracle (and getting it) against Wolcott in the first fight. He could be floored - the Mongoose nailed him as well as Jersey Joe - but he had a pretty granite chin. Like Tyson he had huge power and a great will.

It's tough with guys from different eras because there were advancements in training, diet, approach to the sport, tactics, etc. But here's my take:

Tyson was a very quick starter and Marciano was a notoriously slow one. Tyson is going to come out like he's on fire and he has 2-3 rounds to really beat Marciano up. He's faster, stronger and younger than Marciano and if he can find a way to truly dent Rock's chin this fight will be short. After three rounds Rock is going to rough up Mike for the rest of the fight and will probably win by KO somewhere around the 9th or 10th round. He's going to rabbit punch, butt, elbow and rough up Mike in a bad way and Mike will lose his confidence.

Mike floors Rock in the 1st. Rock gets off the canvas and beats a mentally flagging Tyson in the 10th.

[them_apples]

lol this tale of the tape isnt right. Marciano does not have 22 inch thighs.

take these tale of the tapes like a grain of salt.

I got Rocky though. These guys are close in size (not that it matters, both beat men twice their size)

both have records with holes in it.

I actually think Marcianos record is a bit better though, for 1 he never did end up losing. and 2, at least the fighters he fought were active. Tysons 2 biggest wins were inactive fighters pulled off the couch on short notice for a pay day.

Tyson probably drops Rocky early, if they don't wave it off, rocky makes the 10 count and by round 6 starts landing more telling blows, Tysons starts falling apart once he realizes Marciano isn't intimidated by him.