First off, lets understand. A mobile, light footed heavy handed heavyweight didnt exist before Muhammad Ali. There is no one on Marciano's resume that could compare him.
Second, Marciano's style would undo him. His trainer decided that since he was small, his best bet was to make himself a smaller target and turn him completely to the side. Now whereas that does work against fighters standing STILL and walking to the middle of the ring to meet you, standing completely to the side makes you completely slower and off balance.
Marciano's style of lunging all his weight into his punches cant work if the fighter isnt there to catch them. He would be in state of chase. I may add, an AWKWARD state of chase because he isnt exactly used to having to fight moving laterally. It wasnt his style, he fought in a phone booth.
Ali was much bigger, MUCH faster, in my opinion (and of many of his opponents) he hit MUCH harder than Marciano. I mean lets face facts, it took alot of punches for Marciano to knock you out, he didnt one punch anyone out.
With Marciano not being able to square and hammer away at a mobile fighter, that leaves him constantly resetting and following, taking jab, right hand, and whenever he gets close, Ali hooks and gets out of the corner.
Should we even mention how easily Marciano cut? You wanna be half blind fighting a guy thats already at least three times faster than you?
No, one way beating sorry. Ali all day, young Cassius even quicker.
Marciano all day baby! All the guy did was knock people out cold his entire career. Ali had a great defense but that's because he got in people's heads. Marciano wasnt the type to let someone get in his head. His superior punching power (maybe one of the hardest of all time) would give Ali something he never had to deal with before and Marciano had a hell of a chin too. I believe Ali is wayyyy overrated and isn't anywhere near the best of all time. Hell, half the guys fights were fixed against all the big names. Rocky had a steel will from his time in the military and he wouldn't give Ali even a punchers chance at beating him.
The truth is this fight wouldn't have been easy for both of them.
Marciano is infamous for having trouble with old Charles, Archie and Walcott but all were very fundamentally correct fighters and when Marciano put the gas to the pedal, he finished the job in spectacular fashion.
Ali had incredible reflexes but he was prone to several punches throughout his career, guys like Cooper, Doug Jones, Norton Frazier ripped his body which was open far too much, this made Ali less mobile thus they followed by attacking the head.
Still, if you went for Ali's body he could counter you with a overhand right.
The fight;
Rounds 1-8 is in very fast pace [no feeling out process the first rounds], Ali is hopping across the ring landing his jab and straight right. Rocky follows and tries to cut the ring, lands some hooks but every time he does this Ali holds. Ali giving Rocky a clinic but Rocky does land some body shots. Ali wins all rounds, Rocky knows he needs a ko.
Rounds 8-13 Rocky begins landing monstrous body shots which slow down Ali. Ali always counters with overhand right. In one scenario the fight is stopped due to cuts giving Ali the victory, but if Rocky doesn't cut bad;
Rounds 13-15; Rocky takes complete control. Ali gassed out against Frazier & kept fighting, but Frazier didn't keep going the last rounds like Rocky.
Rocky keeps landing hooks and going forward. His hay-makers are doing their job. Ali is flat footed and tries to fight back but doesn't hurt Rocky. Ali holds to buy time.
I sincerely believe Rocky could have dropped a tired Ali but Alis chin & heart let him finish the fight.
Close UD victory for Ali.
I give it to Ali.I imagine that Marciano could hit harder,but Ali was faster and-before he became stupid and punch-drunk-smarter.In in prime,Ali would outlast and outsmart him.
