Quote Originally Posted by Master View Post
Rocky is a cruiserweight by today's standards and you have to be realistic what he would achieve against top heavyweights that came after him. Rocky struggled with Ezzard Charles and LaStarza, was way behind against Jersey Joe Walcott, cut easily so was vulnerable.

His zero makes him a mythical God which really is not justified.
Rock struggled with Charles & Walcott the top ranked of that era. Lastarza had his number. But we can name a nohoper that took every great to the brink.
His zero does that for some I agree, but for me it is in reverse. I used to question his era, now I accept his era and how he performed in his era, none else's.

Every athlete today are overall techncially better, stronger, bigger than their predecessors, but that doesn't negate how each athlete performs against their counterparts.

I (NOW) rate him top 20 easily because I don't lower the standard of who was/not available to compete against.

For the record-
Tyson 5'11 1/2 to me- but per you and many others; 5'10 vs 5 '10 - both are eye to eye level.
1986 Tyson is 218lbs. about a 20lb advantage has rarely been the case for HWs.
4 lbs more than Wilder. So by that standard- Tyson as well as Rock shouldn't be able to beat the 6'6 & up of today.

Not fantasy to say Rocky couldn't compete with Mike- we keep overlooking how fragile his mind gets when he couldn't KO everyone. If Buster Mathis could get up off the canvas, Ruddock over n over so, too can Rocky.

I think the biggest difference for me with mythological fights is the tendancy to place yesteryear fighters in today's era. But never place today's fighter in the yesteryears'. Tyson in 1930s bites Dempsey- he gets bit back!
Lennox , AJ or Fury gets dropped in the 1920s...aint no standing 8 count!!

Put them in the 1910s and previous...those dudes were basically bare knuckle fighters...these guys got cushion that Corbett, Johnson, Sullivan would've swooned over!

Not sayin' oldies guys are better, just that 1. Marciano handled his biz- and #2 like every great- it was the nobodies that dared to be great- be it Witherspoon on Holmes. Think Jones vs Clay LOL! Yet he prevailed 49 tried & 49 failed.
Marciano is a TOP 20 HW great easily. Arguably Top 10.