Heavyweights: Chris Byrd vs Rocky Marciano

[mayorcurley]

Byrd by decision.

[gilgamesh]

I'd have to go with Rock. Byrd would give him troubles no doubt, but I think Marciano would be able to wear him down, and ultimately catch him with a big KO shot to end the night.

Though Byrd by decision is certainly not out of the question.

[DrDuke]

Byrd could establish the lead on points, but I don't see this soft and feather fisted guy to deal with the relentless onslaught and power of Marciano for all distance. Rocky by KO in about 8 rounds.

[scorpio83]

Rocky by KO 12. Byrd may out-boxed Rocky in the early rounds, but he wouldn't last the distance in the late rounds as Rocky would wear him down with heavy punches on the body and head and knocked Byrd out.

[mayorcurley]

How do we take into account physical size across eras? Byrd has prob 10-15 pounds over Marciano.

[DrDuke]

How do we take into account physical size across eras? Byrd has prob 10-15 pounds over Marciano.

Walcott had about that advantage over Marciano.

[mayorcurley]

How do we take into account physical size across eras? Byrd has prob 10-15 pounds over Marciano.

Walcott had about that advantage over Marciano.

Oooops mispoke. Looks like Marciano was 185, Walcott 195 and Byrd 215.

Of course if he was around today, he would have access to better training methods and dietary science. Probably be heavier.

He looks slow and awkward on fight film.

[Woldemar]

Marciano by KO 9

[Ambling Alp II]

How do we take into account physical size across eras? Byrd has prob 10-15 pounds over Marciano.

Walcott had about that advantage over Marciano.

Oooops mispoke. Looks like Marciano was 185, Walcott 195 and Byrd 215.

Of course if he was around today, he would have access to better training methods and dietary science. Probably be heavier.

He looks slow and awkward on fight film.

Marciano and Walcott had very little body fat. Byrd was on the soft side.
Marciano was in incredible cardiovascular condition. He could fight at a fast rate for an entire fight.
Maybe this says something about the supposed better training methods of more recent times.

[mayorcurley]

Walcott had about that advantage over Marciano.

Oooops mispoke. Looks like Marciano was 185, Walcott 195 and Byrd 215.

Of course if he was around today, he would have access to better training methods and dietary science. Probably be heavier.

He looks slow and awkward on fight film.

Marciano and Walcott had very little body fat. Byrd was on the soft side.
Marciano was in incredible cardiovascular condition. He could fight at a fast rate for an entire fight.
Maybe this says something about the supposed better training methods of more recent times.

Yep Rocky Marciano clearly had less body fat than a guy like Evander Holyfield. Old time training and diet science.

[Ambling Alp II]

There are plenty of ways to train. Some modern ones are more efficient, work faster. However that doesn't mean the older ways don't work. Sit ups aren't the fastest way to build abs. But they work.
Marciano had very little body fat. He certainly was in better cardiovascular shape than Holyfield. (Though overall not quite as good.)
But sure, there are guys in more modern times who in great shape and old timers who were not. Depends on the guy. And being in shape doesn't always translate into being a great boxer.

Anyway, Marciano would not have lost to Chris Byrd.

[mayorcurley]

There are plenty of ways to train. Some modern ones are more efficient, work faster. However that doesn't mean the older ways don't work. Sit ups aren't the fastest way to build abs. But they work.
Marciano had very little body fat. He certainly was in better cardiovascular shape than Holyfield. (Though overall not quite as good.)
But sure, there are guys in more modern times who in great shape and old timers who were not. Depends on the guy. And being in shape doesn't always translate into being a great boxer.

Anyway, Marciano would not have lost to Chris Byrd.

Yes that's true. Old school boxing training is badass.

Nothing like the heavybag or jumping rope or medicine ball or speed bag.

Boxing is a great art.

And Marciano was rugged, no doubt. Archie Moore, Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles are all the real deal. Think of all the boxing knowledge those guys had.

[gilgamesh]

There are plenty of ways to train. Some modern ones are more efficient, work faster. However that doesn't mean the older ways don't work. Sit ups aren't the fastest way to build abs. But they work.
Marciano had very little body fat. He certainly was in better cardiovascular shape than Holyfield. (Though overall not quite as good.)
But sure, there are guys in more modern times who in great shape and old timers who were not. Depends on the guy. And being in shape doesn't always translate into being a great boxer.

Anyway, Marciano would not have lost to Chris Byrd.

One thing you gotta admire about Marciano. He was basically realistic about the fact that, he wasn't as skilled as the likes of Joe Louis, so he worked twice as hard as him to make up for it.

Joe Louis ran 6 miles a day? Rocky ran 12. Joe Louis did 500 pushups a day? Rocky did 1000.

That was his benchmark. Everything Joe did. He doubled it.

It's what allowed him to make up for his technical deficiencies. His body was as prepared as it could've been, and he certainly retired at the right time because with his aggressive style along with putting your body through that kinda grind, he was surely about to start slowing down noticeably had he continued on.