Rocky Marciano in the modern era....?

Question

If Rocky Marciano, same guts/heart, fight style etc. were to have fought in between 1998 - 2008 instead would he last ?

Since he was quite a small heavyweight (188 pounds) i could imagine him being light heavyweight or cruiserweight, so he would be up against guys like Bernard Hopkins, Antonio Tarver, etc etc would he last with his awkward ''go in and charge'' fight style?

In fact heres another question, what if he was a welterweight in todays era? could he beat guys like Mayweather who dance around ?

Answer 1

Most experts have already stated that Marciano could be heavyweight champ right now. Rocky could probably whip Tarver and hopkins at the same time. There were slick boxers in Rocy's day also. Jersey Joe Walcott was the original Ali - trained by the same people.

Answer 2

if he was a welter, then mayweather would outbox him.

as for being a cruiserweight, only roy jones jr would have a chance against him, and only if he kept moving.......but one good punch from rocky would send jones jr into la la land.

over the past 10 years at heavyweight,

nikolai valuev might beat him...only because of size and reach

the klitschko brothers might have a reach advantage over him as well, but marciano is still one of my top 6 all time greats.

Answer 3

Rocky would not last at Cruiser. We're talking a massive size difference. David Haye, when was at Cruiser, had to practically saw off half his butt cheek to make weight, and likely showed up at the fight weighing over 200 pounds at 6'3, and a long reach.

Rocky never faced anyone that big. He would never be able to get in close. He'd suffer from the same problems Tyson had against big men that knew how to fight like a big man. Everytime Rocky would try to get inside, he'd be walking right into Wlad, Haye, blasting range.

His best shot would be at Light Heavy. He could easily beat Chad Dawson, and bully around the burn-out Tarver. Joe Calzaghe if he kept fighting a Light Heavy would not match Rocky, who had has high of a workrate, if not higher. And unlike Calzaghe,  Rocky didn't throw slaps.

Answer 4

IT's near impossible to tell.   IF he were a welterweight he might not even have the same style.  He also might not have the same heart because he may have fewer reasons to display such.  At heavyweight he was always at a disadvantage.  THe same probably wouldn't be true at 147.  

Would he be shorter? or are you speaking as if he just lost about 40lbs and became a welterweight.  He might not even be a puncher at that weight.

If he were fighting today, I think he would beat all the light heavy and cruiserweights.  He would certainly not be able to beat a guy like Lennox Lewis.  Lennox is simply too big and skilled.  He MIGHT be able to chop down some of the earlier big men, like the very inept Jess Willard but even then, he would have trouble because of the sheer size difference.

I think he would have a very hard time against someone like Wladimir Klitchko who, tho he has a suspect chin, is again, too big and talented.  He would beat SOME heavyweights but not too many top level ones.   He's just too small.

Now, as in the case in your welterweight example,  he could possibly TRAIN like today's fighters, including nutrition.  That would also make him a very different fighter.  

LITTLE KNOWN FACT:  Rocky wasn't THAT small outside the ring.   He regularly walked around over 200 lbs.  Because there were not very many ''movers'' in the division,  Walcott being one of the few,    Rocky and his team felt it best that he fought at the lighter weight in order to maintain some kind of speed and balance.  

Because of the committment he put behind his punches and his great stamina, he often lasted into the latter rounds where he could wear his opponents down.  

IN COMPARISON:  Most agree that Mike Tyson would be too BIG, Strong and Fast for Marciano.  Tyson, at best, was about 216lbs.  Rocky is around 188.  It's not just the size difference but the style.  With Similar styles BIGGER is usually better.  However..................  

IF you do the math,  there are about 25-30 lbs. between Rocky and Tyson.  I have always maintained that Rocky could fight effectively, and not surrender much stamina, at 205lbs.  The truest test of stamina is the ability to KO an opponent in the later rounds.   Tyson has never KO'd anyone after round 10.  Rocky has.  

At 205, Rocky would still not match Tyson's early power.  However, he would still have better stamina.  There would not be so great a difference in strength with Tyson having a slight edge.  

Tyson would KO the 188lb. Rocky.  There's just too much difference.  Rocky would actually have a better chance of knocking out a 216lb. BOXER than SLUGGER.  Tyson would also hurt the 205lb. version of Marciano.  The difference is that Rocky would absorb enough early punish to take the fight into the later rounds.  Stamina is part conditioning and part natural.  Rocky would surrender SOME, but not much stamina if he trained properly to carry 205.  

He he survives the early barrage I could see him taking Tyson into the later rounds and scoring a late KO or TKO.  He would still have trouble with bigger fighters like Lewis but he could outlast the "Stamina challenged" Tyson.

Answer 5

I can't believe people are insinuating that Rocky didn't fight impressive oponents, Jersy Joe was far from a sloach, in fact nobody thought Rocky could win that fight, but he is in my opinion the greatest boxer ever, the only undefeated heavy weight, no telling what he would accomplish now.

Answer 6

these guys 1998-2008 would destroy him:

Tyson- KO in 3rd

Lewis- KO in 10th

Holyfield- UD

Roy Jones- split decision

Tarver- TKO upset

Klitschko W- KO late 12th

Klitschko V- RSC/TKO in 4th

guys he'll have a chance:

Rahman- KO in 8th

BHop- Draw

Ruiz- TKO in 11th

Toney- KO any round

Maskaev- exciting match

Mayweather- late KO

Answer 7

I believe Rocky could have fought at heavy weight just like Holyfield did here is my only problem with Rocky Marciano in his day he did not fight the top black fighters he only fought the older black guys who time was up I respect the fact that he was undefeated but who did be relay bear . Now let not get up set let,s find out the truth and the truth will set us free

Answer 8

Im Rocky Marcianos Clone i will rise in 14th july 2008 as the new heavyweight champion.

Answer 9

Having an undefeated re cored in boxing  really creates this Ora of invincibility. Fans and Media tend to think a guy who hasn't lost is the greatest thing in the sport until he is defeated only then do they become "normal fighters". I respect Marciano but some of the comments i have read about him being able to beat this fighter or that fighter. I am really getting the impression that his fans have this superman, unrealistic image. Marciano is great for his era but too compare him to the modern Heavyweights is ludicrous. Marciano was strictly a one dimensional  come forward inside fighter. That's why he had trouble with Ezzard Charles,Jersey Joe Wallcott, Archie Moore because these guys could box at 30 and 40 years old with 100's of fights. Marciano wouldn't have gone undefeated in the 1970's 1980's or 1990's. Look at some of the greats of those era's Larry Holmes Muhammad ALI, George Forman, Lenox Lewis, Joe Frazier, Ernie Shavers.  To think Marciano could dominate any era is silly. So many fighters could have outboxed him I think  the  Klitschko brothers give him tough fights.

ITS A NICE STORY BUT PEOPLE NEED TOO STOP TRYING TO FIND WAYS FOR MARCIANO TOO BEAT ANY FIGHTER.

Answer 10

your right/to small for the likes of these today!

Answer 11

Marciano could be competitive at Light Heavyweight, But I guarantee he wouldn't go undefeated. Too many slick boxers, and say what you will about slick boxers in his day, they are not even close to how slick some boxers are today.

Bignorme absolutley, I have been making that argument as well, and most of the time they disagree. Its Evolution. The sport has come for far since then. Training,styles, better nutrition. In reality Marciano wouldnt have done well against most top champions since the 1970"

Answer 12

most people don't understand that Rocky slimmed down to 190 lbs.he had no problem getting over 200lbs.if he was fighting today he would probablly set his weight around 208-210.he would be a huge force in the heavyweight division.he may not be undefeated.but he would still beat alot of good fighters.he hit very hard and could go 15 rounds easy.he was relentless in every fight.he would come at you as hard as he could for all12 rounds.his trainer once said after rocky died that when he was in his prime he was actually scared he might hurt people.he hit that hard.he said he almost never hit as hard as he could unless he had to.

and grant b is a moron.rocky would kill people in the cruiser weight.he is one of the hardest puchers of all time.

Answer 13

all discussions are plausible.

but the match-up comparisons and projected results by the pos30 couldn't be truer.

mike tyson would destroy him any day.

Answer 14

In today's era Marciano would be a cruiserweight, he could gain weight and fight at heavy weight but at 200 pounds he he would loose considerable speed (and he was already slow to begin with) many people like Jo S have this myth in their head that Marciano was the hardest hitter ever when in fact he wasn't, marciano's high knock out percentage is simply because he had superior stamina,not only could he endure damage marciano could throw non stop flurries and punches for minutes at a time and simply finish fighters off with his signature right hand punch (the suzie q), but at 200 pounds he would have been too slow and he would have taken too much punishement. At crusierweight today he would easily dominate simply because his stamina and chin were made to endure damage from heavyweight punches, he would out box most of the competition and only face serious trouble against guys like holyfield and haye, against holyfield he would have trouble because Holyfield was essentially a modern day version of ezzard charles and marciano barely got by a 38 year old charles in the first place, against Haye i think he could win although haye's reach advantage and power as well as his speed were significantly more than any guy marciano faced in his prime, i don't see marciano dominating at heavyweight level, he would not win against guys like lewis or tyson, lewis was too big and skilled and tyson was faster,stronger and bigger than him as well. He would be much better off dominating at cruiser weight instead of fighting in a division were he would have been in a huge disadvantage.