Marciano: "There will be no comeback!"

[HomicideHenry]

December 1955, Marciano plans on having his 50th fight, opponents considered were Earl Walls, Nino Valdes and Bob Baker, but no bout was scheduled/sanctioned.

-Marciano offers 'Tuesday Night Fights' to have a two round exhibition match with Floyd Patterson, but the offer was denied, as nobody was interested in a televised match that wasnt for the Heavyweight title

April 27th, 1956 Marciano announces his retirement

Late 1956, Jim Norris and Al Weil and the IBC offer Marciano a $1 million garuntee to fight Floyd Patterson; rumor has it Marciano said to Ali Weil, "I was looking forward to this day when I could look you in the eye and tell you I dont need it any more, I dont need boxing and I dont need you!"

1959, Lou Duva tries to negotiate a $1.4 million dollar deal for Marciano to take on Ingemar Johansson. Marciano sets to train, but due to business ventures, he was side tracked; Cus D'Amato put the final nail in the coffin by blocking Duva and Marciano's comeback attempt by securing a rematch with Johansson. Training time? One month.

In the fall of 1966, Rocky Marciano was offered a staggering $4 million dollars to make a comeback to fight Muhammad Ali. Sports Illustrated was quoted as saying, "Forty three is no age for a white hope," after Marciano turned down the money offer. 1969, however, these two would meet, in a way, filming the computerized fight/farce that was being distributed by Murray Woroner.

[My2Sense]

I always found it funny that Marciano didn't fight just once more and make that magic number of 50.

[HomicideHenry]

IMO, he would have made the 50-0-0. What it would have proven, is anyone's guess. I think, in the end, he would have been criticised more so than he is now. Valdes, Baker, Walls, seldom get a mention anywhere else in boxing history---so what would a win over any of them would have meant? Nothing! Had he come back and defeated Patterson or Johansson, maybe then, it would have meant something.

[Adamj1987]

a rematch with moore would of been good or a 3rd fight with charles and no doubt he'd be fave

[Robinson]

He did what he did for a reason. But I like you all would have liked to
have seen him do it one more time. Perhaps in staying on the side
lines he displayed a greater discipline that he had been known for.

Must have been hard for the fighter in him to watch these other men
do what he was so good at just years prior.

[raylawpc]

The story I heard was that Marciano came to loath his manager, Al Weill. Unfortunately, he still had some years left on his contract Weill, but Rocky didn't want to fight for Weill anymore. So he retired.

(Marciano believed Weill cheated him out of $10G in connection with the Don Cockell fight.)

[Robinson]

I recall some JKD-Jun Fan clown a few years ago on NHB.com (now MMA.tv)
claim that Bruce Lee sparred with Marciano. He insisted that Lee taught the
Rock some things around 1964ish. I argued with the dude, but like many
of those MA retards its hard to find any common ground.

Any how he apparently had on good authority that Marciano was training in
JKD with the likes of Coburn and McQueen and was looking to enter a full
contact Karate tourny.

He even had photos...But alas no evidence was produced and no other source
was presented besides him and some other JKD guys words. I guess its like the
Lipton footage, its for us to take their words on it. The photo's he saw he could
no longer find...

Thought I wouild mention it as I was discussing the BS surrounding Lee with
another forum member earlier, and I recalled this guys thread back in '99-00.

I dread to imagine what the Rock would do if he 'sparred' with one of those
guys. Kids...

[raylawpc]

I recall some JKD-Jun Fan clown a few years ago on NHB.com (now MMA.tv)
claim that Bruce Lee sparred with Marciano. He insisted that Lee taught the
Rock some things around 1964ish. I argued with the dude, but like many
of those MA retards its hard to find any common ground.

Any how he apparently had on good authority that Marciano was training in
JKD with the likes of Coburn and McQueen and was looking to enter a full
contact Karate tourny.

He even had photos...But alas no evidence was produced and no other source
was presented besides him and some other JKD guys wors. I guess its like the
Lipton footage, its for us to take their words on it.

Thought I wouild mention it as I was discussing the BS surrounding Lee with
another forum member earlier, and I recalled this guys thread back in '99-00.

I dread to imagine what the Rock would do if he 'sparred' with one of those
guys. Kids...

Go to youtube and look at Ray Mercer against Tim Sylvia two weeks ago, and you won't have to imagine anymore.

[Robinson]

And the difference is..to Sylvia's credit is that he is an actual fighter.

Lee on the other hand was many things, but fighter he was not.

Best thing about the Mercer-Sylvia bout (besides Ray winning) is
how he shoots in for a single leg after he lands the right hand.

[raylawpc]

And the difference is..to Sylvia's credit is that he is an actual fighter.

Lee on the other hand was many things, but fighter he was not.

Best thing about the Mercer-Sylvia bout (besides Ray winning) is
how he shoots in for a single leg after he lands the right hand.

Okay, then take three seconds off the time for Mercer v. Sylvia and you have Marciano v. Lee, since Lee wasn't an "actual" fighter.

[Rocky Balboa]

What's interesting is who would Marciano most probably have fought he fought again, even if was a comeback for just one more fight?

At the time of Marciano's retirement, Sonny Liston was 24 & had 15 Pro fights under his belt!