Muhammad Ali often singled out Marciano when asked about toughness.
He said that the hardest man to knock out would be Marciano, noting that “he would keep coming and hit you on the arms.” The two later shared an exhibition, but Ali often returned to Marciano when he discussed durability rather than skill.
When asked to compare himself to Marciano, Mike Tyson dismissed the idea of ​​rivalry altogether.
He said he was flattered to be mentioned alongside Marciano, but emphasized that they are simply two different fighters, adding that it was a privilege just to be talked about in the same sentence.
Marciano himself never separated his legacy from Joe Louis, whom he idolized. He later admitted that seeing Louis on the canvas during their fight contributed to his decision to retire early.
Former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson offered one of the most honest assessments.
He described Marciano as awkward and technically crude, saying “he had two left feet and couldn’t really fight,” before adding that Marciano was also “the most determined fighter I ever saw — and he never lost.”
Light heavyweight great Archie Moore echoed that view.
He called Marciano awkward, said some of his fights were awkward, too, but insisted he possesses something that can’t be taught: punching power that feels God-given.
George Foreman grouped Marciano with the very best, naming Joe Louis, Marciano and Jack Johnson as the greatest fighters to ever don the gloves.
Asked again later in his career who his toughest opponent would be, Ali returned to the same answer.
He said Marciano was the hardest man to knock out and described him as a street fighter who simply refused to go away.
Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko combined both ideas, calling Marciano a technical fighter and a street fighter – one who never lost.
When Ali once asked legendary trainer Cus D’Amato who would have given him the toughest fight, D’Amato didn’t hesitate.
He said Marciano would have been tougher than any opponent Ali had faced, pointing to his relentless aggression and his ability to sustain it longer than even Jack Dempsey.
Veteran trainer Don Turner summed it up more simply, saying Marciano was the hardest puncher he had ever seen.
