What if Marciano hadn't retired?

[silent assassin]

He was a damn good fighter but it'd just the way it works n boxing & in life. It's just a matter off time

[Sugar_Shaw]

Rocky would ahve stopped everyone until he ran into a young Sonny Liston, who would have been too strong and too big. What a fight but remember Rocky could have made light-heavyweight and Liston was a monster.

Liston would demolish Marciano

[LegendBoxing65]

If we say that Rock fought until 1959 which would have him retire at 36, and take out the management issues what fights were out there for him to make and how would he have faired? Obviously there is Patterson and Ingemar....Floyd is a great fighter but eventually would get his bell rung after out boxing Rock for several rounds...Ingemar was a slugger and would get KO'd inside two rounds....I think that Liston is to young, who else would have been there from 1955 to 1959 for Marciano to fight, and how is was there anyone out there that could have put an L on his record?

Marciano would have been knocked out by Floyd Patterson who had speed and was quick. Marciano had the career which Mike Tyson would have had had he retired after Spinks. Can you imagine how great Mike would look now had he retired after he beat Spinks? Or how great Leonard would look if he retired after Hagler. Or Hagler after Hearns. ??

[KingAL]

he got knocked down plenty of times

I don't think so, Lyle - he was only knocked down twice in his entire career (Walcott and Moore). The Walcott knockdown was only a flash knockdown as he got straight back up and steamed into Jersey Joe.

I can't think of any other heavyweight champion who was actually knocked down less times than Rocky.

2 times is right. Vitali never went down but he doesn't have the status of marciano or ali so i'm not sure if he's completely eligible for debate here. Ali only went down 4 times i think (Frazier 1, Wepner, Cooper, and i think there was 1 more). Twice is impressive.

The other Ali knockdown was his first one - a flash knockdown to Sonny Banks in 1962. The last knockdown officially stands, but it's dubious: Ali claimed Wepner stood on his foot as Wepner threw a punch, and the tape suggests this was the case - and Wepner didn't have the power to deck Ali genuinely!

[THE THIRD MAN]

Marciano would have lost to a young Patterson and then retired, Liston would have won by KO in 3 or 4 rounds.

[armin]

Maybe by tko, I don't think anyone could knock the rock out in 3, I'm not sure they had tkos back then tho...

[undefeated]

If we say that Rock fought until 1959 which would have him retire at 36, and take out the management issues what fights were out there for him to make and how would he have faired? Obviously there is Patterson and Ingemar....Floyd is a great fighter but eventually would get his bell rung after out boxing Rock for several rounds...Ingemar was a slugger and would get KO'd inside two rounds....I think that Liston is to young, who else would have been there from 1955 to 1959 for Marciano to fight, and how is was there anyone out there that could have put an L on his record?

Marciano would have been knocked out by Floyd Patterson who had speed and was quick. Marciano had the career which Mike Tyson would have had had he retired after Spinks. Can you imagine how great Mike would look now had he retired after he beat Spinks? Or how great Leonard would look if he retired after Hagler. Or Hagler after Hearns. ??

yes patterson was quick, but his china chin wouldnt have alowed him to stand up 2 marciano--yes marciano is slower than him, but so was liston-if liston could ko him marciano could 2. i think marciano would have remained undefeated until liston came along. he would have been an old man against liston and liston woulda ko'd him.

[undefeated]

If we say that Rock fought until 1959 which would have him retire at 36, and take out the management issues what fights were out there for him to make and how would he have faired? Obviously there is Patterson and Ingemar....Floyd is a great fighter but eventually would get his bell rung after out boxing Rock for several rounds...Ingemar was a slugger and would get KO'd inside two rounds....I think that Liston is to young, who else would have been there from 1955 to 1959 for Marciano to fight, and how is was there anyone out there that could have put an L on his record?

Marciano was fading the moore fight was evidence of this. If he had continued boxing he would have lost to patterson or johannson.

archie moore is a legend, who can whup fighters half his age. moore was a quality opponent,
yea marciano floored moore like what 5 times and went into his non stop punching routines. so your right marciano was definitaly fading

[undefeated]

walcott > marciano

if walcott was greater he woulda won

[KingAL]

walcott > marciano

if walcott was greater he woulda won

Playing devil's advocate, that's a bit simplistic. Marciano beat Joe Louis, but there are a lot of people (probably a majority) who believe Louis was a greater heavyweight than Rocky.

[El Kabong]

Marciano would have lost to a young Patterson and then retired, Liston would have won by KO in 3 or 4 rounds.

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Floyd couldn't take Rocky's punches.....Liston MAYBE could beat Rocky but it depends on when they fight.

Louis is my #1 greatest heavyweight of all time....25 successful title defenses a record that won't soon be broken!

[joedadi]

It is possible Floyd might have beaten Rocky, they all get old and eventually lose to a lesser opponents. I think if Rocky fought Liston at that age, he would have been decapitated.

[spanky-banky]

he would have lost and he knew it, he did the right thing and quit while he was ahead!
liston and clay would have beaten the aging champion and maybe pattersons fast hands could to unless rocky cought him with a big shot cause we all know patterson didnt have much of a chin

[undefeated]

he would have lost and he knew it, he did the right thing and quit while he was ahead!
liston and clay would have beaten the aging champion and maybe pattersons fast hands could to unless rocky cought him with a big shot cause we all know patterson didnt have much of a chin

rocky quit because of al weil aka the devil. marciano never thought he would loose 2 any1. rocky would prob been like 35 if he fought liston and like 40 if he fought clay.

[spanky-banky]

he would have lost and he knew it, he did the right thing and quit while he was ahead!
liston and clay would have beaten the aging champion and maybe pattersons fast hands could to unless rocky cought him with a big shot cause we all know patterson didnt have much of a chin

rocky quit because of al weil aka the devil. marciano never thought he would loose 2 any1. rocky would prob been like 35 if he fought liston and like 40 if he fought clay.

your right and i take that back! marciano wouldnt even let the thought of losing enter his mind. but if he keeped going he would of lost like all old champions do that dont know when to quit