Since Marciano has very little agreed-upon hope against your Foreman's, Holmes', Louis' to the eyes of most, what about your mid-level Champions historically, such as a focused & primed Maxxy Baer?
That sounds about right. I think Baer's toughness (both chin, & grit) sometimes get under-valued, but he isn't going to win a war down the stretch against Marciano, & that's exactly what I think it would come to. Nearest he came was a brutally spiteful & bruising, unlawful encounter with Galento. Baer prevailed there, & I think he has Marciano off his feet at some point, but he succumbs eventually. Marciano late.
yup Baer was very big and strong, especially for the era in which he campaigned, he had more the build of a 70s and 80s heavyweight than a 1930s one and he could hit like a bastard... I also think that his toughness gets undersold somewhat due to his clear-cut "okay, fuck this shit" performance against a phenom Joe Louis and his lacksadaisical, half-hearted showing against Jim Braddock, whom he should have easily annihlated... but he also had showings of great desire (Schmeling, most notably) and toughness... still, unless you are George Foreman or someone, any fight with Marciano will involve having to take and give out loads of punishment... Baer will wilt under the endless barrage eventually, but with a spirited start
Even at his "best," Baer was still outworked for long stretches on the inside by Schmeling, and also showed lapses in effort against Carnera. Marciano's inside skill, persistent pressure, and bodypunching should be able to carry him to victory. The only question is whether Baer's chin cracks at some point in the fight.
