BoxingManiac

This post is basically been the major question of boxing ever since the death of Marciano. They made a computer fight saying that Ali fell in the 8th round.

Tell me what you think would happen in the fight, going 15 rounds, and then for a finish fight (a fight going on forever.) and do the same for the Ali after being banned.

Heres how I see the fight ending
PRIME VS. PRIME
Marciano TKO12 Ali
PRIME MARCIANO VS. 1970S ALI
Marciano KO6 Ali

DRPUGILIST

Ali never actually fought in his prime, he was railroaded and banned, that 3 year stretch would have been his real prime.

Who, under 35, did Marciano beat to make you think that he could KO Muhammad Ali?

Sonny Liston was comprehensively out boxed and disected, Liston hit harder than Marciano and had better boxing skills. Foreman also hit harder though was not as good a boxer. Before the ban Ali wins by a wide UD win, possible stoppage on cuts, after the ban closer UD or possible stoppage on cuts.

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BoxingManiac

How can you know that he never fought in his prime.... IF HE NEVER FOUGHT DURING THE TIME THAT YOU SAY IS HIS PRIME!!!!! He was in his FIGHTING prime in the mid 1960s.

Marciano beat Ezzard Charles, Rex Layne, Lee Savold, and Harry Mathews. Liston did not hit as hard as Marciano. Marciano broke Lee Savold's forearm, and after the fight with Roland La Starza, La Starza had to immediately go into surgery because the vains in his arms needed to be reconnected or something like that. When Marciano fought Bernie Reynolds, he hit Reynolds so hard that Reynolds so hard that he floated far enough so that the back of his head and his heels touched the canvas at the same exact time. There is no way Liston could ever be better than Marciano in punching power. Give me some facts better than the ones I just gave you.

There is no way Ali would have gone the distance in his 70s prime. His 70d prime was to lay back on the rope while his opponent punched the crap out of his arms, and got tired. Marciano hit extremely hard, and would break Ali's arms, and Marciano NEVER got tired.

Brooklyn Rican

In rocky marciano's time wasn't the gloves not even padded well enough? Thought of that?

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BoxingManiac

There was not that much difference in the gloves. they were only a decade apart.

Brooklyn Rican

A decade is a long time.

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BoxingManiac

Not really. gloves don't change all of that much over a decade without a reason.

bill1234

They were padded just as much. They fought with 8-10 ounce gloves too. It was 6 ounce back in Dempsey's day, and about 4 ounce in Sullivan's.

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MEMBER OF BOXINGFORUM.COM HALL OF FAME-JANUARY, 2008

BoxingManiac

lol i was waiting for you to come and save the day

Obama

Breaking forearms and whatnot isn't an indication that Marciano hit harder than Liston. Placement of the punch does that. Force alone doesn't break a forearm. Comparing early round KOs of marquee opposition is a much better indicator. Liston wins there hands down.

Marciano didn't fight anyone I knew basically until 1951, 4 years into his career. Normally this would be fine except his career only lasted 8.5 years, and he was only heavyweight champion for 3 of them. His most meaningful win in my eye was the first fight with Ezzard Charles, who was the only great fighter of reasonable age he fought. Ezzard had a glass jaw and was a natural Light Heavyweight as he spent most his career there, yet he went the full 15 rounds the first time around. Now Ezzard is the type of guy you can compare physically to Floyd Patterson. Extremely fast Heavyweights on the small side with good skills but lacked real Heavyweight power and had questionable jaws. Marciano went a total of 23 rounds with Charles, Liston went a total of 2 with Patterson.

You know, had Marciano stuck around a couple more years he would have fought Liston. Shame we didn't get to see it. I can't really give Marciano much of a chance tho. Liston had an 84 inch reach, Marciano had a 67 inch reach. Liston was a little over 6 ft, Marciano was 5'10. Marciano weighed around 185-190, Liston weighed 210-220. And if that advantage isn't enough, Liston would be the only young elite fighter Marciano ever fought. Anyways, this started with who hit harder. The shear physics of what would today be a Light Heavyweight on the DAY OF the fight (ie weigh in at 175 and re-hydrate to 190) being able to compete power wise with a natural Heavyweight is reaching. It's still possible, but considering Liston was put in there with the best when he was still green and knocked them out early regardless, not much of a case can be made for Marciano having the harder punch.