Do people REALLY believe....

[ReadyUp]

Do people REALLY believe that 5 foot 10 and 185 pound Rocky Marciano would knock out guys like Lennox and Foreman??? And... would the Rock knock out the likes of Holyfield if he was a cruiserweight? AND... Wouldn't James Toney and the Rock at 185 pounds be fun to watch?? I do think the Rock was underrated somewhat as a fighter. His will to win was above average as well as his work ethic and dedication were on par with almost anybody in history. He was a true "never say die" boxer but if he was matched up with the bigger, stronger heavyweights or with guys his size like a James Toney that had great defensive and counter punching skills, I think he would ultimately be outclassed or overpowered.

Ice, I think you missed the big debate last week.

Tell them how a Chad Dawson v Kelly Pavlik fight would play out, in your mind. (sorry for interrupting the thread, you can create a new one on the Dawson/Pavlik topic if you'd like. I know alot of people are interested.)

[Wiley Hyena]

Actually, I never thought that. I think if you hypothetially match fighters of yesteryear to today and contemplete what would happen if they ever matched up YOU HAVE TO do so in terms of exactly how they were when THEY fought. If Sugar Ray Robinson,for example, fought Roy Jones as many speculate about, it would be a 147 pounder against a lightning fast 168 pounder. And with the Rock it would be 5 ft 10, 185 pound Rocky against 6 ft 5 , 250 pound Lennox. NO....CON...TEST

1919-Jess Willard (6'6", 250 lbs, 83" reach) v. Jack Dempsey (6' 1/2", 180 lbs, short reach).

Round 1: Dempsey opens with one of the most devastating body attacks in the annals of boxing. As a result in round 1, Willard sustained 12 fractures of the cheekbone; a broken nose; 13 fractures of the jaw, 8 avulsed teeth, and 2 broken ribs.

Now Marciano v. L. Lewis?? I don't think I'll be so bold as to run Marciano down. Marciano was one great champion any way you look at it.

[BmoreBrawler]

Marciano would have probably dominated the cruiserweight division. This criticism of him as unable to compete with today's heavyweights is negated by the criticism of him not being a legit heavyweight to begin with.

[brently1979]

I agree totally with this.

[shawn_]

Actually, I never thought that. I think if you hypothetially match fighters of yesteryear to today and contemplete what would happen if they ever matched up YOU HAVE TO do so in terms of exactly how they were when THEY fought. If Sugar Ray Robinson,for example, fought Roy Jones as many speculate about, it would be a 147 pounder against a lightning fast 168 pounder. And with the Rock it would be 5 ft 10, 185 pound Rocky against 6 ft 5 , 250 pound Lennox. NO....CON...TEST

I think the rock at 210 vs Joe Frazier at 210 would be the best fight in history,

[JackSlack]

I'd take Marciano over both Toney and Evander.
Foreman would have beaten him quite badly as he was made to order for George.
Lewis was so much bigger than him, so I would take him as well over Rocky, though I never liked Lennox as a top heavy fighter with stamina issues.

[Red_Menace]

Well, I'd take Marciano over Jirov at cruiser, and I'd say Marciano vs Holyfield and Toney at cruiser are pick'em fights. There's probably a lot of smaller heavys that Marciano could take care of, but the real massive heavyweights he'd have a lot of difficulty with. He wasn't that slick to get away from a huge heavyweight with a solid jab. Any of these guys that are 6'3 or up and 220+ would be a nightmare for Marciano.

But I don't really like these fantasy comparisons. You can't compare athletes from different eras. I like to use this hockey analogy:

If Sidney Crosby stepped into a time machine and played hockey at the same time Gretzky was starting, he would probably dominate more so than Gretzky did. He has over 20 years in advancement in conditioning, hockey programs, nutrition and overall knowledge of the game. That said, it doesn't really mean anything. The only way to judge a player is how well they performed against their peers. Last year Crosby lead his league in points with 120 points. The next closest guy was Joe Thornton with 114, then St. Louis with 108.

Gretzky tied for the league lead in scoring during his rookie season and led in his second season by 30 points over Marcel Dionne. In his third season, which is the season Crosby would be entering now, Gretzky scored 212 points. He was the first to break 200, and was 65 points ahead of Bossy who was the 2nd leading player that year. In 83/84 he was 79 points ahead of Paul Coffee. If that Gretzky stepped into a time machine and started as a rookie now, he wouldn't dominate nearly the way he did back then. Again, it doesn't matter. At the time he played, he was outrageously far above the level of competition, and it's pretty hard to argue that he is not the most naturally talented and dominant player to play the game. He reinvented the game and raised the bar far beyond where it had been set.

I think the same applies to boxing. How far did a boxer stand above his peers. That's the only way to judge the greats. None of this fantasy time machine stuff.