tyson said:
JCC. compareing him to ali he would be slow and after ali has out worked him he will become sluggish like any boxer would.
Could it be that you say this only because Muhummed Ali was in your time, and Rocky Marciano wasn't and you saw Muhummed's fights and not Rocky's and your more familiar with Ali, than you are with Marciano that you say this?
The "experts" disagree on many things about Rocky Marciano, but the one thing upon which all seen to agree is this
he was the most well-conditioned heavyweight fighter of all-time.
Rocky's brother
LOUIS "SONNY" MARCIANO had said (2004) that people had often asked him why Rocky rarely clinched during a fight, and he said he'd tell them it's like the newspaperman
Arthur Daley wrote in one of his columns praising Rocky;
a clinch is for fighters who are either tired or hurt. The fighter who has the stamina to go the distance and hasn't been staggered has no need for clinches.
Sonny went on to further say:
I was at every fight and I saw Rocky just keep on charging forward throwing punches, because the truth is he was never tired and never hurt enough to slow him down for more than a few seconds. In all of his fights Rocky was only knocked down twice, once by Jersey Joe Walcott and the other time by Archie Moore, and even then he was never badly hurt and was on the canvas for only a total of seven seconds. But the two biggest reasons that Rocky could never be beaten were his tremendous confidence and utter lack of fear.
I have what most would consider to be Rocky Marciano's greatest fight on two (two hour)video tapes. I've watched all those fights on tape and Rocky never clinched and rarely stopped throwing punches, and he always was going forward, and he never backed off in any fight he had ever had, and he bulled his opponents in every single round, and keep them going backwards always.
Just to note one fight in particular Rocky's first fight with Ezzard Charles which Rocky got the decision and that fight went the distance of 15 rounds, and he bulled Charles for 15 rounds.
You think Rocky in his prime would have been tired and sluggish going 15 rounds with Muhummed Ali?
It was be just the opposite that would likely happen.
It would be Ali who would be tired, slow and sluggish by the late rounds not Rocky.
In an Marciano-Ali fight you would see Rocky bulling Ali in every round, and you would see Ali going backwards in every round.
When fighter is forced to keep moving backwards in the ring he will tire faster, and the first thing that usually goes out first on a fighter is his legs.
I see Rocky getting Muhummed up against the ropes in a late round and knocking him out.
By the way, in Rocky's second fight with Charles that fight did not go the distance, and Rocky knocked Charles out in the eighth round.
In the Marciano-Ali computer fight, the computer picked Rocky the winner by taking out Muhummed in the thirteen round.
That's kind of how I see that fight would go too.
I see Rocky getting Muhummed up against the ropes and knocking Muhummed out in a late round.
tyson said:
I could see A cut opening on rockys eye making it even harder for him.
Of course, any thing can happen in a fight. If Ali could keep off the ropes for 15 rounds and score enough with his jab I think he may could get the decision.
Only, I can't see Ali being able to stay off the ropes for 15 rounds in a fight with Rocky Marciano.
The one place where a fighter doesn't want to be in a fight with Rocky is against the ropes because that's the place where Rocky is the most dangerous.
Of course, any thing can happen in fight. Its possible that Ali could get the win by the fight being stopped due to cuts in using his jab.
But you got to remember Rocky was an inside fighter who bulled his opponents and jabs aren't effective fighting on the inside.
For reasons of the way Rocky fought staying on the inside fighting the jab was never effective against him. Nobody ever beat Rocky he didn't lose any fights.
Rocky never lost any fights for reasons of stoppage due cuts.
On several historic occasions during Rocky's professional career he defied ringside doctors, referees, trainers, and especially the fighters that threatened to end his reign as the heavyweight king of the ring, and before the doctor or referee could stop the fight, Rocky would get out there and get the knockout.
Interesting, it wasn't just some times Rocky was able to do that. But every time that ever happened to him in a fight, he was able to do it.
Also I'd like to add that this is not the way that a fighter really likes to win fights any way, over a guy getting a cut eye or something like that.
Nobody really likes to win a fight that way, by reasons of stoppage due to a cut eyes or something like that.
Back when I was boxing in the amateur ranks, I know I would have never wanted to win a fight that way, for I really wouldn't have felt I had really beat the guy if I win a fight like that. I've never personally ever known a fighter to ever feel good over getting a win for reasons of a stoppage due to cuts.
Of course, fans perspective is very often different than fighters especially if they have never been fighter.
tyson said:
People seem to forget how good Alis chin was.
Ali could take a punch, and also he could be hit too, and Marciano could hit hard. I mean VERY hard.
This is why, I say Marciano would likely knock Ali out in a late round.
No way, Ali could hold up being bulled and punched with as many punches as Marciano threw in fights, and especially not as hard as Marciano could punch, he could hurt you with either hand, no matter where he hit you arms, shoulders or wherever he hit you.
tyson said:
Yes he went down from Copper and Frazier but notice how quickly he recovered.
That's true, but Henry Cooper was no Joe Fraizer or Rocky Marciano.
At best Henry Cooper was a club fighter, and he came very near knocking Ali out.
Also Rocky was stronger than Fraizer and a better puncher that Frazier.
Frazier's best weapon was his left hook, but Marciano had the big punch in both hands.
JC