Rocky Marciano vs Cassius Clay?

Question

This question has been asked numerous times but I want your personal opinion...if these two fighters had a bout when they were BOTH in their prime, what do you think would be the result?

I think it would be close but Marciano would come out on top as he would try to win by KO rather than on points; providing he was fit enough he would literally damage Clay rather than tapping away at his resolve for the points victory- if Clay was just a little too slow on his feet for even a moment, Marciano would have him cornered...and we all know what happens next...!

PS, I say Clay, not Ali, as it is my personal opinion he was at his absolute peak during this time, but please don't feel you have to do the same!

Answer 1

Cassius Clay every time. At his peak he was the fittest and most skilled boxer that I have seen, and if all else failed he'd have talked Marciano unconscious.

Answer 2

When I was a child, I saw a film called "Someone Up There Likes Me" It was the story of Rocky Marciano, from then on I was hooked, I couldn`t see or hear or read enough material about him. Rocky was a slugger and stayer with him it was blood and bruises all the way. Whereas Ali, really was "The prettiest boxer you`d ever seen"
Different styles, different times,different men, both fantastic boxers.
When a 21yr.old boxer called Cassius Clay won his Olympic gold medal, sports writers declared "This kid is good" What an understatement that turned out to be!. As to who is the best, I think it has to be Muhammad Ali on points.
Did you know, in the year 2000 here in England we voted Ali to be the "Sportsman of the Century"? The ceremony was televised
and Ali came over to personally accepted his award. The roars and cheers of appreciation from the audience must surely have been heard around the world. Wonderful!
Incidentally, I know a guy who has a Boxer dog called "Rocky" and another who has a Pekingese dog called "Ali"

Answer 3

I heard that a computer was used to have a bout between Marciano and Clay in the 1960's. The two were filmed extensively, so that the film could be edited to show any outcome the computer determined. The bout turned out to be much like the one between Ezzard Charles and Marciano. With his short arms, Rocky took a beating in the first half of the fight, but he endured it and had been damaging Clay who couldn't take as much. Clay began to slow and run out of steam. Rocky finished him off in the 13th round. I agree with the computer. In boxing books and magazines, one reads much of the smooth Boxer versus the tough Slugger. The Slugger wins most of the time. Such is the case here. Clay couldn't KO the Rock, but the Rock could KO Clay.

Answer 4

Mariano was also a clever and intelligent fighter with a fearsome punch. Mariano would of done to clay what Jo Frazier did to Ali but much worse. Marciano might not have been a fast puncher but he did have a good chin and Stamina. Clay would have to finish him quick. Marciano stamina and strength would eventually defeat Clay maybe 7-8 round KO with maricano's Susie Que.

Answer 5

Ali was at his peak just at his being stripped of the title. Nobody would have beaten Ali then! Marciano, although a "great" would have been stopped by Ali. Joe Frasier's defense was much better than the Rock and Ali almost hit him at will. Not true that Ali didn't go for knockout, look at Cleveland Williams fight (his peak). I do not believe that Rocky would have made it into the last third of 15. If you watch Rocky's fights he always dictated the pace, that would not have been the case with Ali, he would have been in control 100% of the time. I respect your opinion but you'll be vastly outvoted with this one.

Answer 6

The classic match of boxer vs slugger with the slick moving and fast Ali vs the ever charging and relentless Marciano. Ali no doubt would win the early rounds but in the process would get nailed with some teriffic punches to the body. Marciano was a very durable, strong man with ko power in either hand capable of knocking out a man in any round. I believe that Marciano would hit Ali to the body with more power than anybody who ever lived and in the 14th round would land his famous Suzie Q right hand and knocking out the great Ali.

Answer 7

15 rounds, 12 rounds or unlimited rounds?

Clay couldn't have ko'd Marciano, but Clay had alot of durability, too, and could avoid most of the "big punches".

But no one has ever hit like Rocky Marciano, who could go south paw or right in his fights. Clay would work at him and work at him, but Rocky wasn't just a statue, he just kept coming forward and forward, rushing THROUGH punches.

I'd go with Marciano by KO after Clay finally made a mistake and he got him against the ropes.

Answer 8

I think that Clay would win. He was much bigger,more skilled and did have a knockout punch, although he usually wore his opponents down with a flurry of blows. Marciano beat many men much bigger than himself but none of them had the speed and skill of Cassius.

I call him Clay, as other previous answerers have done, because his golden era was before he changed his name to Ali.
You shouldn't be too touchy,Smitty !

Answer 9

my 2 cents, marciano today would be a cruiserweight, ali would outweight him longer reach taller faster both take a shot, a fight in the 50`s era prob doesn`t get stopped on cuts a black man defeating a white for the title in todays sport the ref would stop it as marciano would have been a mess, in ali`s prime say 1966 and not over rating rocky he would have stayed away and won on points in a landslide say 11-4

Answer 10

The Rock would have outlasted and slowed the dancing Ali down with his body punches. Rock KO Ali in 11 to 13th round.