This thread won't be half as toxic on here as it would be on ESB - so who do you think wins? It'd definitely end up as a great fight.
I might be in the minority here, but I see a lopsided fight in favor of Holmes. Rocky faces all the same problems he did against Charles, Walcott and LaStarza, but against a much bigger guy with huge reach
The problem with this match-up IMO, is that in the two fights Holmes had in his prime vs guys like Marciano, he struggled in. But he was definitely compromised, as he fought Weaver while having the flu and Norton while injured. Obviously neither of those two are close to being as good as Rocky. I don't actually think Rocky's fights with Charles, and Walcott are that indicative of a fight with Holmes, since neither of them actually fight like Holmes did. Charles by that point didnt really have his legs, and spent most of the fight, on the inside, shutting down Marciano's offense with frames and pins, but then using his tighter, quicker shots and excellent defence to win the rounds. It worked well and he only lost because he was past his best. That fight was damn close, and if Charles had the better stamina and speed he had when he was younger, he would've won. But Holmes couldn't do that, because he doesn't have the inside game. Walcott was more of a counter-puncher than anything else. Holmes wasn't. Holmes' issues with Snipes, Weaver and Norton - granted, I know they're not all carbon copies of Marciano - lead me to think Marciano has his ways off winning. Snipes landed his overhand a fair few times before the one that did the damage, and Weaver's pressure was something that Holmes didn't like dealing with up close. Norton's aggression caused Holmes to tire and lose his legs. I have no doubt Marciano would be able to combine these aspects and have some form of success, especially down the final stretch. The jab is why I go Holmes, though. Louis' jab gave Marciano plenty of pause on the way in, and whilst commentating on a Harold Johnson fight (I forget which, I think it's his 5th fight with Moore), he said there was no punch he hated more than a long, heavy jab. If he fought some of the ones he were facing were heavy, wait until he got a load of Holmes'. I think the fight ends up being a Holmes domination in the first half, but fairly soon, the overhands creep in over the top and the body work does start making Holmes look at little weary. When Holmes' legs start fading, Marciano gets very competitive and you get action like the Weaver fight before it gets one-sided late, in Rocky's favour. Close, but pretty clear decison for Holmes. Larry wins the first seven or eight, Marciano sweeps the last three and the others are scrappy and razor thin. I tend to think Marciano has his ways of winning, and that he can do it, but if they fought in real life, he probably wouldn't get past the jab enough. Technically, heavyweight is just so poor compared to the other divisions, though. Holmes is one of the best fighters and boxers in heavyweight history but he's very basic, skillwise. Somebody like Inoue has a more diverse skillset than both Liston or Holmes. This is a man who hasn't actually achieved enough to be a top fifty bantamweight.
Larry might have some trouble dissuading Marciano but in the end it wouldn't really matter as he would put round after round in the bank. He's also tough and crafty enough to weather the inevitable rough patches.
Norton and Weaver were both much bigger than Rocky too - over 6-feet and weighing in the 200s. So was Snipes. Heck, even Shavers was notably bigger than Rock. Rocky would have a helluva lot to overcome to beat Holmes - his physical advantages, his skill, his punch variety, and the fact that Holmes himself never allowed himself to be beaten in his own prime.
