NO. 4 ROCKY MARCIANO
Record: 49-0 (43 KOs)
Years active: 1947-55
Title reigns: One (1952-56)
Among his victims: Ezzard Charles (twice), Roland LaStarza, Joe Louis, Archie Moore, Lee Savold, Jersey Joe Walcott (twice)
Background: Marciano is synonymous with perfection: 49 fights, 49 victories. The “Brockton Blockbuster’s” winning formula was inhuman stamina, volume punching and durability combined with crushing punching power, which made him the greatest heavyweight between the reigns of Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. He had some close calls. Most notably, in 1952, he was losing on all cards in his first fight against Jersey Joe Walcott when he landed a short right hand in the 13th round that removed Walcott from his senses and went down as arguably the hardest punch in history. Marciano was particularly effective in rematches, which might speak to his ring IQ. He stopped Walcott in the first round of their second fight and did the same in eight against Ezzard Charles after a difficult first fight. Marciano stopped the ageless Archie Moore in 1955 and then, at only 32 years old, announced his retirement from boxing. We’ll never know how he would’ve fared against the likes of Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Ali but we can be certain that he would’ve taken them to hell regardless of the outcome. Marciano was killed in a plane crash in 1969.