Remember Rocky Marciano stood at 5"10,182lbs, a small compact heavyweight. His frame was closer to gravity. He possessed great strength in his arms, in his 1953 title defense against Roland La Starza, he busted blood vessels in Roland's arms,to the point he could not raise them to protect himself and was knocked out. He would claim later, that his arms felt as though he was holding heavy sacks of cement. Marciano would hit you everywhere except below the belt, and where he landed, it would cause damage. His strength and determination was evident when he won the World Heavyweight Title from Jersey Joe Walcott on Sept 23,1952, he was losing and had been down once in the fight. Then came round 13, and he nailed Walcott with a perfectly thrown right hand on the jaw, Walcott went down, he was then counted out. Against Ezzard Charles in 1954, Charles had split Rocky's nose open and the referee was on the verge of stopping the fight. Rocky came on to knock out Ezzard in the tenth round. In 1969, before his death, he participated in Murray Woroner's computerized fight against an exiled Muhammad Ali. He Knocked out Ali in the 13th round to win, even though it was a hypothetical fight, Ali commented later that his arms and hips wore very sore. Marciano had been retired since April 1956. He retired undefeated, 49-0, 43by knockout.

Hello my friend. Rocky Marciano at a fraction over 5'10" with a 68 inch reach and weighing around 185 lbs would even be small for a cruiserweight and if he were fighting today would perhaps be persuaded to fight at light heavyweight.

Despite this he won all of his 49 professional fights, 43 by knock out and retired as undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. This suggests a great deal of strength, I saw a video of Marciano working out on a punching bag that weighed something like 280 lbs, it was specially made for him because he would destroy smaller heavy bags.

I would dare say that Marciano was stronger than a lot of men 100 lbs heavier than he was. I put this down to his almost obsessive training. I have always looked at Marciano as an example of where hard work and dedication can get you. If you looked purely at his physical disadvantages he had no business being a heavyweight boxer and yet became the only heavyweight in history to retire undefeated through his attitude and dedication.

Gentleman Toughguy,

When one ask this question there's only one particular fight that the Rock had that explains his physical strength and that would be his rematch with Ronald La Starza. Rocks first fight with Ron was a bar burner in fact it's the closest that The Rock ever came to losing, though early in Rock's stellar career, both fighter were undefeated at the time and the fight went exactly the way it was suppose to, with The Rock winning but no without people talking about how the fight could've gone the other way. This bothered Rocky very much to point Rocky wanted a rematch as soon as possible but Rocky management wanted no part of it. Charlie Goodman even went as far to say "Rock we don't need that fight again, you ain't got nothing to prove."

The rematch is where Rocky showed his true raw Power he sheared Ron's teeth off at the gum-line. The referee picked up LaStarza mouth piece and there were four of LaStarzas teeth stuck in the mouthpiece. Now Rocky had great knockouts Louis, Walcott and Moore but of all his fights the showed pure power, unbelievable power. Press row wrote "They could hear the thud of Marciano's punches as he hit Ron on the arms, head and midsection and would watch his skin bruise upon impact." What more needs to be said.

Walcotts frozen and twisted face I believe is the most talked about photo in boxing history and to me has always been awe inspiring, but reading the papers and listening to the old radio recording of the second LaStarza fight really shows Rocky's power. LaStarza was never the same after that knockout.

Rocky knocked out Joe louis, Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore and Joe Wallcott. These men were seriously tough even though they were getting on in years.

In the Ezzard Charles vs Rocky fight I remember the look of concern on Charles' face.

The Rock was indeed physically strong, hence the name Rocky, and mentally tough too. IMO he was relatively stronger than what his frame suggests. He's one of those very tough guys who when he punch himself to the face will get knockout cold. LOL

what most people ignore is that Marciano religiously followed the diet and the exercises routines of self reistance advocated by Charles Atlas training.'s famous dynamic tension system

Big does not neccessary mean strong. The way Rocky was built is very solid. He is compact with very little fat. He has great punching power and he can take a punch,too.

Dr. Odowonge-Jaboudi Fasar conducted a study to test strength and found Marciano was very strong.