I'm not sure Jack Johnson would beat Rocky Marciano. True, Johnson was a master boxer, "For His Time", which was Decades before Marciano. Boxing didn't evolve much from Johnson to Marciano. However, I believe Styles Make Fights. Just like I believe that Jim Jeffries would beat Marciano nearly every time, I believe that Johnson never faced anyone like Marciano and that he would have trouble with his "Jab-n-grab" style, which served him so well............................in the 1910s.
Johnson could lump Marciano up but I think he's a bit too conservative to finish him and that might cost him. Johnson could win late but I think there is an equal chance that he runs into a solid right in the later rounds.
I think Lewis finishes Marciano before round 12. Again, FAR too much difference in size and Marciano NEVER faced anything remotely close to Lennox in terms of size or style. Lennox finishes him before six.
Larry Holmes would also beat Marciano but it would take a Lot longer than 4 rounds to do it. He would beat the living daylights out of Rocky but he wouldn't finish him before Rocky mounted a middle rounds rally. Holmes would win it but he would earn it by late TKO.
Gene Tunney. Sorry, I just don't see Tunney ever beating Marciano. Sure, he could outbox him. I just don't see Tunney doing much fighting, not against Marciano. I do see him losing his share of rounds for all the running he'd do. He'd tag Marciano regularly but not as often as he should because, at some point during the middle rounds, he would be reminded that he's in danger.
I see Marciano cleaning up on Gene late.
Liston by KO in 5 is accurate.
All of your picks are close or accurate. I see Holmes taking a bit longer and Tunney and Johnson possibly losing but certainly not stopping Marciano.
Here the ones who could KO Marciano:
George Foreman
Mike Tyson
Wladimir Klitschko
Lennox Lewis
Joe Louis
Rocky Marciano has a solid chin and was in tremendous shape, i personally think he was on some PEDs.
PEDs advanced allot during the 30's thanks to Hitlers Olympic team.
Rocky Marciano took bombs from Ezzard Charles, Ezzard Charles was wearing 6 oz gloves and he had previously killed a man in the ring [more power then most of the heavyweights being mentioned].
Marciano took shots all night, kept walking forward and in the 15th round he was fighting in a flurry as if it were the 1st round, that's not natural and it's fishy.
As for all the people saying boxing is more advanced today; watch Charley Burley.
Rocky Marciano used a different style then what we're accustomed but in no way have the rules of boxing changed except gloves size.
I've always though a prime George Foreman, prime Wladimir and maybe Prime Lennox would have been too big for Rocky the swarmer-puncher.
The weakness of swarmers are punchers, not boxers.
Prime Joe Louis may have also been able to knock him out. He was way too accurate aand if he didn't knock him out then a stoppage on cuts.
I agree with all boxers on this list and I give them all a chance to knock Marciano out. Rocky had a hard chin, but not as hard as most people think of. He was knocked down by two old and out-of-shape boxers, Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore. They were still hard hitters then, but nowhere on the Level of those boxers you listed(except maybe Gene Tunney). Rocky however would pretty sure knock Gene Tunney and Jack Johnson out, before they could knock him out. All the other mentioned boxers would be too much for Rocky. I also see Larry Holmes winning on points against Rocky and not winning by a knockout, since Holmes would lay more attention on his defense against Rocky, than on his offense. Rocky could maybe knock Wladimir out, because of his weak chin. But since Wlad has the power of George Foreman, he would knock Rocky first out. I would add Vitali Klitschko, David Tua, Joe Frazier, Gerry Cooney and Earnie Shavers to your list. They have/had for sure enough power to knock The Rock out. Maybe some of them are worse boxers than Rocky, but when Walcott could knock him down in the first round, all my mentioned punchers would have been able to and he couldn't get up in the count of ten.
It's tough to say, but Rocky's small size would probably be a huge disadvantage. I heard he was only 5'11 185. Really he was a cruiserweight, or even a light heavyweight.
Ali, Lennox Lewis, Tyson, Foreman, Frazier
Rocky was like a piece of iron. You could hit him as hard as you could, but to no effect. I suppose some of these guys could outpoint him, and maybe Foreman could knock him out IF he got a good shot in there.
Muhammad Ali in round 8
George Foreman in round 2
Mike Tyson by round 3
Joe Louis in round 9
Wladimir in round 4
Jack Johnson by round 13 if counters with an anchor punch when rocky tries a Suzie Q
Lennox Lewis in 12
Larry Holms by round 4
Possibly Gene Tunney in the last round 12 or 15
Sonny Liston in round 5
