Ali vs Marciano - Who was the greatest?

I'm no expert, but I am smart enough to know that only a fool would bet against 49-0 Marciano. Marciano was the greatest boxer of all time in my opinion. It's obvious that Ali was beatable. and some could make the argument that Marciano was too. but nobody did ever beat him and because of that I will never say that any boxer (alive or dead)could.

We have gone over this many times, and Ali in my opinon and the opinon of most all the top boxing historians around, agree on this.

You can not go just by the record, its who you fought. Ali fought way better competition then Rocky did. Rocky fought 13 boxers 16 times that were rated in the top 10 at one time or another. Ali fought 38 boxers 49 times that were in the top 10. AND, Rocky only fought 8 boxers in his 49 bouts, 11 times that were rated in the top 10 when he fought them.

Rocky fought boxers with an average record of under 30 wins and over 10 losses. Ali fought boxers with an average record of over 33 wins and just over 5 losses.

I do rate Rocky in the top 10 of all times but I have Ali, Louis, Holmes and others ahead of him.

You can go to another thread: Boxing History & Results and find out all I have stated about this in detail.

Ali was a great fighter, but Marciano was too.

I didn't think any heavyweight fighter in the history of "gloved" history, could have beaten Rocky Marciano in his prime and at his best in a 15 round fight.

More rounds would be no advantage in fighting Marciano, it would only be more risk of being knocked out by Marciano.

I say Marciano would win a 15 round fight with Ali, and that Marciano would win by a knockout!

JC

As long as the fight would not be stopped on cuts, I say the Rock would win. Though I think Lennox Lewis would pugilate both of the two.

JCC said:

Ali was a great fighter, but Marciano was too.

I didn't think any heavyweight fighter in the history of "gloved" history, could have beaten Rocky Marciano in his prime and at his best in a 15 round fight.

More rounds would be no advantage in fighting Marciano, it would only be more risk of being knocked out by Marciano.

I say Marciano would win a 15 round fight with Ali, and that Marciano would win by a knockout!

JC

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Ali's chin was one of the best in boxing history. If Foreman, Frazier and Shavers couldn't do it, Marciano wouldn't do it either.

What if Ali or Holmes fought all the boxers that Rocky fought, in the same time period. I truly believe that they too would be unbeaten.

If Rocky fought the boxers that Ali or Holmes fought, I doubt very seriously that Rocky would have the same success as Ali or Holmes did.

Dr. Wisdom said:

As long as the fight would not be stopped on cuts, I say the Rock would win. Though I think Lennox Lewis would pugilate both of the two.

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If the fight was held today, instead of in Marciano's day, that would be possible. I say that because if Marciano's fights had occurred today, some those bloody fights Marciano had that brought forth the ultimate of Marciano's spirit and determination would have been stopped long before he had gotten the knockout ... no question about it.

But as Lennox Lewis? A Maricano-Lewis fight?

I say Marciano would have knocked Lennox Lewis without any question. Marciano ... would have bobbed and weaved and get under him and worked to the body, and hurt and exhaust Lewis and his hands would come down and Marciano would throw that right hand and the fight would be over, Marciano would have gotten the knockout.

Remember, Marciano could hurt you with either hand, no matter where he hit you, arms, shoulders or wherever?

JC

hhascup said:

If Rocky fought the boxers that Ali or Holmes fought, I doubt very seriously that Rocky would have the same success as Ali or Holmes did.

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I kind of figured you'd would say that!

But hey, it wouldn't be any thing for Ali to be ashamed of to get knocked out by Marciano, Marciano was a great fighter!

JC

I just go by the facts, and the facts are that Ali fought the better boxers in his day. If you change Ali time with Rocky's I would bet anything that Ali would have been unbeaten as well and Rocky would have lost to several boxers of the 1960's and 70's.

As far as Lewis goes, Lewis would stand a good chance of beating Rocky, BUT his chin wasn't the best. If Rocky did, and I am not saying he would, tag him, Lewis would have been done.

Wow I knew this would finally happen.The sun rises and sets with Rocky on this site and even with the best of stats and logical argument you can't get past knockout % jammed down your throat.I love the point of Ali having fought different caliber opponents,yet that will never be good enough.If Ali and Rocky fought more than once than each could have figured each out enough to beat the other.

The Auctioneer said:

Wow I knew this would finally happen.The sun rises and sets with Rocky on this site and even with the best of stats and logical argument you can't get past knockout % jammed down your throat.I love the point of Ali having fought different caliber opponents,yet that will never be good enough.If Ali and Rocky fought more than once than each could have figured each out enough to beat the other.

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Ali would win everytime. He was just too big, too fast and if Rocky did hit him with his Sunday punch, Ali would take that too. He had one of the best, if not the best chin in boxing history.

Just about every top boxing historian agrees with that.

Marciano had the power... Ali had everything else... and boxing simply just isn't about power... so I say it's Ali

hhascup said:

Ali's chin was one of the best in boxing history. If Foreman, Frazier and Shavers couldn't do it, Marciano wouldn't do it either.

What if Ali or Holmes fought all the boxers that Rocky fought, in the same time period. I truly believe that they too would be unbeaten.

If Rocky fought the boxers that Ali or Holmes fought, I doubt very seriously that Rocky would have the same success as Ali or Holmes did.

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I don't think Ali could have beaten Joe Louis

AmVhon said:

I don't think Ali could have beaten Joe Louis

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Louis was one of the Greatest!

The only thing is that he had trouble with boxers like Billy Conn, who was ahead going into the 13th round, Tommy Farr and Jersey Joe Walcott, who most people thought won the 1st meeting between the two. I rate him 2nd, only to Ali because of that and also Louis didn't have the Greatest chin in the world.

Most boxing historians have them 1-2.

JCC said:

If the fight was held today, instead of in Marciano's day, that would be possible. I say that because if Marciano's fights had occurred today, some those bloody fights Marciano had that brought forth the ultimate of Marciano's spirit and determination would have been stopped long before he had gotten the knockout ... no question about it.

But as Lennox Lewis? A Maricano-Lewis fight?

I say Marciano would have knocked Lennox Lewis without any question. Marciano ... would have bobbed and weaved and get under him and worked to the body, and hurt and exhaust Lewis and his hands would come down and Marciano would throw that right hand and the fight would be over, Marciano would have gotten the knockout.

Remember, Marciano could hurt you with either hand, no matter where he hit you, arms, shoulders or wherever?

JC

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Rocky power today is way underrated. People tend not to relize how hard the man hit. I have no disagreement that Rocky could KO lewis, but I have a hard time seeing the Rock getting past Lewis's jab. I think if the Rock tries to come underneath, Lewis would catch him with an upper-cut.

And for the Record, I Like Rocky much more than Lewis. I just don't see Rocky beating him on a constantly

Muhammad ali was the greatest and would have danced around a slow sluggish marciano all night

tyson said:

Muhammad ali was the greatest and would have danced around a slow sluggish marciano all night

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I agree 100%

ALI ALI ALI ALI And Dr. Wisdon all I got to say is you got some issues lol

White Tyson said:

Marciano had the power... Ali had everything else... and boxing simply just isn't about power... so I say it's Ali

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Sounds Ironic coming From White Tyson