Was Rocky Marciano an ATG?

[Johnwoo8686]

Marciano would have KO'ed Patterson, I can say that with no other question in my mind.

No he wouldn't have. A prime Patterson would have been the best guy Marciano had fought. I won't count a 36/37 year old inactive Joe Louis as a great opponent.

[2shameless]

No he wouldn't have. A prime Patterson would have been the best guy Marciano had fought. I won't count a 36/37 year old inactive Joe Louis as a great opponent.

Inactive as in 8 fights (all wins) in the previous year?

Louis was well past his best, which is why isn't usually counted in Rocky's best wins. At least try to be somewhat accurate in your statements if possible.

Patterson wasn't even a top 3 LHW when Marciano retired, but it's doubtful his chin would've held up had Rocky stuck around.

[Jsmooth9876]

Some people used to make a big deal out of Rocky winning 49 fights, with no losses, but to be an ATG you need to win over top competition and Rocky never did that. He fought many "big names"; Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, etc.; but they were way past their prime when Rocky fought them.

So my answer is: No, because he only fought "bums". A 49-0 record means nothing if the "big names" you face are not in their prime anymore.

People who consider Rocky Marciano as top 50 ATG know nothing about boxing.

.

This will get good... Is Floyd a bum too because I can't name many big names he fought in their prime either...

[mann187]

[Raonic]

Some people used to make a big deal out of Rocky winning 49 fights, with no losses, but to be an ATG you need to win over top competition and Rocky never did that. He fought many "big names"; Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, etc.; but they were way past their prime when Rocky fought them.

So my answer is: No, because he only fought "bums". A 49-0 record means nothing if the "big names" you face are not in their prime anymore.

People who consider Rocky Marciano as top 50 ATG know nothing about boxing.

.

Now which undefeated fighter does that remind me of?

[Doritos]

The revisionist history done on Marciano to make him seem like an average fighter on here is honestly sickening. The guy is easily an ATG and easily a top 10 HW ATG. The people who usually revise Marcianos talent are ethnics with agendas, I'm serious about that. They're the same people who give Louis full credit for beating the shadow of himself Max Schemling 2 years after Schemling crumpled him.

[Disturbed]

If a great fighter is out of his prime, that still doesn´t make a win over them "meaningless". Hell, Manny is way out of his prime, yet Floyd´s win over that great fighter isn´t meaningless, not at all.

While it is of course not as good as victory over a prime great fighter, but it definitely still counts.

[billeau2]

I don't know who wins this one but one thing is for sure, people have this idea that Patterson was a weak fighter. ..he certainly is not one of the best heavies but he was very good. He was practically Jones fast, put his punches together really well and had fast feet.

I think Patterson may have been, along with johnson, the next heavy at setting traps. If he could keep from behind overwhelmed by marciano...and liston had a lot more reach and size than marciano, this could have been a great fight.

[Eff Pandas]

All Time Great always has been a bull**** discussion & it always will be. Its just subjective fanboy type **** that is impossible to judge in a sport with the history boxing does & through all sorts of rule changes. I mean f#ck some great boxers didn't even use gloves. Dempsey could hit mfers as they were getting up. You used to knock a guy down & you just won the round & got no extra points like guys do today. There have been amazing enhancements to training, nutrition & just overall knowledge in all categories. And f#ck most cats haven't even seen 5 fights of many of the guys they'd throw into their top 50 with ease. How can you truly judge something you've barely witnessed. Its an impossible thing to judge honestly & fairly with all these issues.

Having rambled on about my issues with ATG silliness I think the only criteria for being an ATG in reality is that they were among the accepted elite fighters of their era & there is no question Marciano was among the accepted elite fighters in his era.

[Eff Pandas]

I don't know who wins this one but one thing is for sure, people have this idea that Patterson was a weak fighter. ..he certainly is not one of the best heavies but he was very good. He was practically Jones fast, put his punches together really well and had fast feet.

I think Patterson may have been, along with johnson, the next heavy at setting traps. If he could keep from behind overwhelmed by marciano...and liston had a lot more reach and size than marciano, this could have been a great fight.

Agree. Marciano vs Patterson & Marciano vs Liston woulda been some interesting fights if they'd have been made & woulda defined Marciano's resume better I feel.