"Every Time I Try to Talk about Boxin', a White Man Pull Rocky Marciana Out 'dey Ass. 'Das 'dey ONE....'Das 'dey ONE!" - Coming to America REED:Lok:
True. But Marciano did retire undefeated, which allowed this ridiculous aura to be built up around him, much like the one Hopkins has, and much like the one Roy is busily throwing away. Marciano would have been wasted before or after the era in which he fought. See all those stubby guys like Gerry Quarry or David Tua or Axel Schulz or George Chuvalo? Well they are the Rocky Marcianos of their time. Rocky should be celebrated for being the best of his era who was never in a dull match and, in reference to this poll, for being one of the single best one-hitter-quitters of all time, a list he may well be the pfp king of. Marciano would never have reached the vast majority of fighters with his best punch, and would have spent large parts of the fight being sliced or dropped, but he could stop anyone he could hit. He definitely hit harder than Dempsey and would have stopped guys like Willard the first time he got to reaching him. Its unlikely he would have needed multiple knockdowns for guys like Willard.
:egypt: Marciano did have a lot of quality redeeming factors, there may never have been a heavyweight who was suited to the generation of pure, natural power, derived as it was from things like thigh-strength, bone density, fist size and basic technique. Other guys were faster, had more skills, better combinations, were heavier etc, but for blunt trauma Marciano was the master of all of them. Even Foreman, the Mac-Daddy of heavy-handedness, was 25lbs heavier and a half-foot taller. If Rocky could have reached Joe Frazier, he could have tooken him out too. He deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest natural punchers of all time, but would be at a horrific style and size disadvantage in almost any era but his own.
Minus the work rate and punching power.. Other than that, yeah, 3 of the 4 were white like Marciano. :doh:
Marciano always struck me as the harder puncher when I see fight films of both. I may have to again revisit some of Dempsey's fights, haven't watched any for a while.
Based Solely on the EVOLUTION of Boxing, U HAVE to Side w/Rocky Marciano Here... N Addition to Having a HIGHER KO %, Marciano Fought in a Much More REGULATED Era of Boxing...There was Basically NO 8-Count in Dempsey's Era NOR were Fighters Made to Go to a NEUTRAL Corner Upon Knocking a Fighter Down... 1 of Dempsey's PET MOVES was to Stand on the Downed Fighter's BLIND SIDE & Clock the Living Shit Out of him Upon Arising...SMART Tactic on Dempsey's Part & EXTREMELY Effective...But Marciano NEVER Had that Luxury...He was Always Approaching Guys he Dropped from a NEUTRAL Corner, where they Could @ Least SEE him Coming & Prepare their Defenses Accordingly... MORESO, REED is Pretty Sure that Marciano Fought in an Era were the Gloves had More PADDING than they Did in Dempsey's Day...When U Factor this In w/Marciano's SUPERIOR KO%, it's Pretty Obvious to REED who the Harder Puncher was... REED:hammert:
Fair points, REED. Dempsey faced much, much stronger opposition, though (especially in their pre-title runs) perhaps explaining the KO %. He also had a lot more fights, and that will dilute anyones percentages --- ask Foreman, who lead Marciano on KO % until very late in his career.
Exactly. That alone doesn't "prove" Marciano wasn't a harder puncher but just imagine if he was able to employ the same tactic. Never mind Marciano, any fighter for that matter. It's a MAJOR difference in boxing rules to the way it is now. It's not liking moving the 3 point line an inch further and comparing stats in basketball.
Though Marciano's Resume was Pretty THIN, REED Would Pick Ezzard Charles & a Geriatric Archie Moore to Beat ANYBODY Dempsey Beat...Boxing Technique was ALOT more RUDIMENTARY n Dempsey's Day... REED:mj:
You are quite mistaken in your analysis of Moore, who I agree would be in with a good shout against anyone from Dempsey's time. Charles had faded badly however, & Dempsey fought the likes of Gibbons, Maske, Morris, Fulton, Brennan & Godfrey en route to the title. He also bested Carpentier, Gibbons, & Sharkey after the fact. Those men would take care of almost everyone on Marciano's ledger.
