What if: Ezzard Charles beats Marciano

[Capaedia]

Would it have changed your rankings (P4P or heavyweight) if Ezzard CHarles had decisioned Marciano and then stopped him on cuts in the second fight, or through any other way defeated him twice?

I think Marciano would drop out of my top 10 and Ezzard would make it to the lower half, at least. Personally.

[Barn]

Most likely, by this time Rocky would have been a former champion and unbeaten in over 40 fights. Very good win for Charles and had he beaten The Rock, he would definitely go up. Seeing it's one of the Rock's only good wins of like 5. His ranking would drop significantly. To couple that he would lose his unbeaten record which is the reason many regard him so highly in the first instance.

People also forget Charles defence's of the HW title. He made a number of them and is very under-rated as a Heavyweight in my opinion.

Not sure my P4P would change much. Charles is already in the Top 5 for me. I don't think one win over a much lower (now) regarded Champion would be enough to take him over Armstrong my 4th choice.

[Capaedia]

I know it'd be very hard for him to move P4P, even if he was credited with two wins over Marciano as he is regarded now. I'm more interested in how peoples heavyweight lists would change to be honest.

Any idea what moving you'd do?

[Barn]

I think Ezzard Charles would be Top 10.

That would be an extra 2 defences and winning it 2 times. First person to regain.

Marciano would probably move to about 15 or something. That's his defences cut to a mere 2 fights. And two of his best wins gone like that.

Put it this way. With two losses on his record only two defences, no Ezzard Charles and one of the main wins on his resume gone he moves down an awful lot.

[IronDanHamza]

If Ezzard Charles beat Rocky Marciano I would probably consider him the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

[Barn]

If Ezzard Charles beat Rocky Marciano I would probably consider him the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

You have to keep in mind Marciano's stock goes way down.

No longer unbeaten, only a handful of decent wins, only 2 defences.

[raf727]

You have to keep in mind Marciano's stock goes way down.

No longer unbeaten, only a handful of decent wins, only 2 defences.

Bear in mind though how those losses go down determines alot as well, considering his only 2 losses would be to an arguably top 10ish(give or take depending on your opinion) ATG.

If he is decisioned a couple times in close ones, I doubt he falls too too far. KO1 or some type of ridiculous blow out, thats another story.

No shame in losing to Ezzard Charles.

[IronDanHamza]

You have to keep in mind Marciano's stock goes way down.

No longer unbeaten, only a handful of decent wins, only 2 defences.

His stock would go down but if he split 2 fights with Marciano, Marciano would still be the best Heavyweight of that era.

Charles was a former Middleweight and Marciano is not only a Heavyweight but a beast at Heavyweight, one of the hardest punchers of all time in the history of the sport.

If a past prime Charles were to beat him it would have been beyond amazing.

Just the thought of a former Middleweight beating Marciano is crazy to think of.

[Scott9945]

Two losses to Charles just kills Marciano's all time rating, IMO. He barely makes the top 10 now, and he's mostly in because he retired unbeaten.

[Barn]

His stock would go down but if he split 2 fights with Marciano, Marciano would still be the best Heavyweight of that era.

Charles was a former Middleweight and Marciano is not only a Heavyweight but a beast at Heavyweight, one of the hardest punchers of all time in the history of the sport.

If a past prime Charles were to beat him it would have been beyond amazing.

Just the thought of a former Middleweight beating Marciano is crazy to think of.

Then you've got Armstrong, a FW who beat Middles. (He beat Garcia I read.)

I honestly don't see how it can bump Charles up anymore than 1-2 places. Rocky suddenly becomes arguably lower ranked on a HW list than Jersey Joe Walcott if he loses twice to Charles.

Also if you take into account Rocky wasn't really a true 200Ib Heavyweight. In the second fight Charles outweighed him.

I'm not denying Charles greatness here, moreso Marciano's as if you take his unbeaten record away making him less dominant in an already weak division then he becomes a footnote when talking about ATG heavies.