Why couldn't Marciano beat Holyfield/Tua/Tyson/Foreman/Lewis/Holmes?

[SlimTrae]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but did Rocky ever fight anyone under 40 for a world title?

LOL! Not many, if any!
Same ole same ole though.
Not too blame for the era he fought in, but here is something to add to it: After Rocky starched Archie Moore, the mongoose went on to fight about 40 more times over 8 years getting stopped by a young Floyd Patterson & Cassius Clay. Around 30 of those he KO/TKO'd his foes.

Could same be said of the LHW division? Maxim had just won over Ray Robinson who quit over dehydration. But the old mongoose got his day by beating that very LHW 17 years into the game- when today's fighters retire!
Yet he held it for 10 years up till 1962 & 1/2 way is when he went to HW, got overwhelmed by a guy he dropped aka Rocky. In other words I see Moore as a worthy competitor whose ring years wasn't a reason to question Rock's win over him.

Rock's 2nd last fight was against a guy around age 28? Don't know much about Don Cockell other than he was the British & or Commonwealth champ. Rock bruised & abused him.

Ezzard was way past his prime, everyone whooped him when Rock did.

Seems the HW division was in shambles? As the old vet Joe Louis vacated the title that was constantly vied for by the 2 old geezers of Charles & Walcott. Charles won it, then Walcott-over any youngins' at the time.
When Rock fought him, it was Jersey who had the lead on 2 score cards. And we know the ending, both guys threw a right, Brockton's got there 1st. Hard to say how much Walcott had faded in his last few fights as that was before my time.

I can only say that no matter the age- Rock threw an insane amount of punches guys in their 20s don't throw. His last fight, @NoSavingByTheBell can tell us; he may have thrown a few hundred punches in the last 2-3 rounds of his career.
Few young guys can stand up to that, so I double down, Rocky in his 20s up to his 30s would have thrashed today's LHWs. He wouldn't have considered HW division cause he'd weigh 183-188lbs.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

Jersey Joe Walcott was 38 years old when Rocky knocked him out to win the title. He never needed to "fight anyone else under 40 for a title" because the dude KEPT the title for 6 title defenses and retired.

Every single fighter --- Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles (twice), Joe Walcott (twice), Archie Moore, Joe LaStarza (twice), Don Cockell (25 years old and UK Heavyweight Champion at 215 pounds), etc. said Marciano "HIT HARDER AND HAD MORE STAMINA THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THOSE DAYS".

Nobody was beating him, no matter the age.

[El Kabong]

He was a tiny heavyweight. I think he'd have a chance vs Holyfield, Tua, Tyson. Reason being the size & styles of those guys, yes all were iron chinned but so was Rocky...Foreman was all wrong for him, Lewis & Holmes were too effective fighting with their reach and height. The big guys I'd give Rocky a shot vs? Bowe (he was addicted to inside fighting so routinely gave up his advantages), Douglas because he was so hot & cold, Briggs stamina issues, Grant inconsistent, Liakhovich inconsistent

Patterson, Johansson, Liston, Frazier, Norton, Lyle, Moorer, Chris Byrd, Bert Cooper, Qawi, Brewster, Ibragimov, Povetkin, Rudduck etc he would have had a good shot at.


I think out of all of them Foreman would have been the absolute worst for The Rock to fight because he had the style (as seen vs Frazier twice) to just rain bombs DOWN on a guy in a crouched position. A guy like Ali is the toughest match because Ali had legs on him, he'd have 0 issues fighting off the back foot for 15 rounds...not saying it would be impossible for Marciano to catch him though.


Most interesting hypothetical matchups for Rocky IMO: RJJ, Toney, Patterson, Dempsey, Tunney.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

prime RJJ would make Marciano look like a slow motion bulldozer

[El Kabong]

prime RJJ would make Marciano look like a slow motion bulldozer

The RJJ who beat Ruiz....how would HE do? I'm not certain he'd do so well. He COULD, but I'm not CERTAIN of it. John Ruiz relied on mauling and while Rocky could certainly do that, he was a lot more dangerous and with both hands too.


Based on SIZE and skillset, I like the matchup.

[nuggetdotcom]

Jersey Joe Walcott was 38 years old when Rocky knocked him out to win the title. He never needed to "fight anyone else under 40 for a title" because the dude KEPT the title for 6 title defenses and retired.

Every single fighter --- Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles (twice), Joe Walcott (twice), Archie Moore, Joe LaStarza (twice), Don Cockell (25 years old and UK Heavyweight Champion at 215 pounds), etc. said Marciano "HIT HARDER AND HAD MORE STAMINA THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THOSE DAYS".

Nobody was beating him, no matter the age.

You don't mention the ages of the opponents other than Don Cockell, lets have it straight please

[NoSavingByTheBell]

The cincinnati cobra, 32 years young, one of the greatest, he axed him twice

[Master]

Jersey Joe Walcott was 38 years old when Rocky knocked him out to win the title. He never needed to "fight anyone else under 40 for a title" because the dude KEPT the title for 6 title defenses and retired.

Every single fighter --- Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles (twice), Joe Walcott (twice), Archie Moore, Joe LaStarza (twice), Don Cockell (25 years old and UK Heavyweight Champion at 215 pounds), etc. said Marciano "HIT HARDER AND HAD MORE STAMINA THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THOSE DAYS".

Nobody was beating him, no matter the age.

You don't mention the ages of the opponents other than Don Cockell, lets have it straight please

All are under 40 for his title defences.

[SlimTrae]

Jersey Joe Walcott was 38 years old when Rocky knocked him out to win the title. He never needed to "fight anyone else under 40 for a title" because the dude KEPT the title for 6 title defenses and retired.

Every single fighter --- Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles (twice), Joe Walcott (twice), Archie Moore, Joe LaStarza (twice), Don Cockell (25 years old and UK Heavyweight Champion at 215 pounds), etc. said Marciano "HIT HARDER AND HAD MORE STAMINA THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THOSE DAYS".

Nobody was beating him, no matter the age.

You don't mention the ages of the opponents other than Don Cockell, lets have it straight please

All are under 40 for his title defences.

I understand @nuggetdotcom point. Nugget Just wasn't aware that it may have been better to say old guys and be vague. He was specific (40). We countered. Next time just say old!