Top 10 all-time 185 lb. fighters?

[El Kabong]

Gene Tunney and Harry Greb would have had the best chances vs Rocky.

[brocktonblockbust]

nobody had a chance against the italian immigrant maniac "airplane propeller" who never tired. sometimes you just have to believe it.

[marbleheadmaui]

nobody had a chance against the italian immigrant maniac "airplane propeller" who never tired. sometimes you just have to believe it.

In these kinds of matchups the rules would make a big difference. Make them 12 round fights and the fast movers have more of a shot. Fifteen rounders really favor the Rock.

[greynotsoold]

The heaviest Greb ever weighed was 176, for one fight, in the middle of his career. Conn weighed over 180 in only his last three fights, and as much as I love Conn that fighter isn't relevant in a "best of..." discussion. Otherwise, he fought in the mid 160s.

[marbleheadmaui]

The heaviest Greb ever weighed was 176, for one fight, in the middle of his career. Conn weighed over 180 in only his last three fights, and as much as I love Conn that fighter isn't relevant in a "best of..." discussion. Otherwise, he fought in the mid 160s.

Yeah but BOTH of those guys handled several/many men who weighed 185 or so. I don't think the issue is how far under 185 one weights, it is how does one perform (while under 185) against other men at or around 185, isn't it?

[IamInuit]

The heaviest Greb ever weighed was 176, for one fight, in the middle of his career. Conn weighed over 180 in only his last three fights, and as much as I love Conn that fighter isn't relevant in a "best of..." discussion. Otherwise, he fought in the mid 160s.

Both of those guys can easily be entered onto someone's list. Conn is relevant and you could make the case Greb also as he handed Tunney his only pro loss and theirs another disputed loss to Tunney out of the 5 times they fought. Greb was a real p4p fighter in an 8 man division. He fought guys that outweighed him by more then 30 pounds. He beat up Levinsky who Nat Fleischer holds to be the 5th greatest light hev of all time. He also fought and beat future hev contenders. Conn was pitching a shut over a much better version of Louis then Marciano fought until the 13th round. Of course he's relevant to the conversation.

[Master]

Yes Rocky would be the last man standing against Holyfield.

[El Kabong]

Stanley Ketchel would also deserve a mention.

[greynotsoold]

So what we are talking about, then, is anybody 185 or under that somebody thinks could beat Marciano? Or really good fighters under 185 pounds?

[marbleheadmaui]

So what we are talking about, then, is anybody 185 or under that somebody thinks could beat Marciano? Or really good fighters under 185 pounds?

[scratching head] I thought it was the former...but I could be wrong.

[IamInuit]

Gene Tunney and Harry Greb would have had the best chances vs Rocky.

I almost included Greb but stuck to lh

[marbleheadmaui]

I think my top ten 185 and unders would include the following (in no order)

Langford
Fitzsimmons
Tunney
Ezzard
Foster
Conn
Evander
Dempsey
Moore
Spinks

Now Rocky beat two of them, so while both were probably past their peaks, tought to reverse those.
Langford is where I think the rules under which they fight are extremely important. In a 25 round fight? As fit as Rocky was, nobody could sustain that pace that long. In a 15 rounder? Either Sam stops him on cuts or the Rock wins a decision. Fitzsimmons hung in there with Jim Jffries as an old man, but when Jeff turned up the heat Fitz was just too small. Same thing happenes here I think. Tunney is a toughie for the Rock. Could he have just stayed away and jabbed for 15? Same with Billy Conn. Tunney? Maybe. Conn gets stuipid and Rocky drills him late. Bob Foster and Spinks get blown away. They just didn't have a heavyweight's chin. Evander and Dempsey would both be "we need to have an ambulance in both corners" kind of fights. Just brutal, brutal affairs.

I think Tunney and Langford are probably the toughest style matchups and Evander and Dempsey would be gladitorial contests where I fear to pick a winner.

I will say that the more footage of Marciano one watches the more impressed one must be. Despite his rep for being awkward? he was amazingly strong, monumentally fit and while technically inconsistent? When he did things correctly? The result was a bolt of lightning. Watch the double shuffle that gets him to the right distance to KO Walcott or the double hook that destroys Kid Matthews.