Heavyweight Legend Says He Should Have Beaten Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 Record: “I Won That Fight”

Known by his alias ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’, Marciano ended his professional career back in 1956 at the age of just 32-years-old, having won all 49 of his professional fights – the only world heavyweight champion to retire undefeated.

In his 8-year tenure, Marciano held the title for 4 years between 1952 and 1956, making six successful defences of his crown against the likes of Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott before he finally drew the curtain on his career shortly after he beat Archie Moore in 1955.

There was one legendary heavyweight, however, who once came very close to at least equalling the record set by Marciano that still stands today. Best known as ‘The Easton Assassin’, Larry Holmes came within a single triumph of eclipsing the unbeaten record of ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’.

In an interview with GQ, Holmes was asked if he believed he deserved to lose his 1985 showdown with Michael Spinks – which was the first time ‘The Easton Assassin’ suffered defeat as a professional and his 49th bout – to dash any chance of beating Marciano’s record.

“No. I didn’t think so. I thought it was close, but I didn’t lose. He didn’t do nothing! But do you know what? I was actually pleased they didn’t give me the decision.”

Holmes was then asked why he thought this.

“Because then I didn’t have anything to prove any more. If they want to say Rocky Marciano was the greatest, they could say that. If they want to say Muhammad Ali was the greatest, they can say that. I wanted to end up as the smartest, not the greatest. I didn’t want to have to keep fighting and living up to that.”

Despite falling short to Spinks on two occasions and then Mike Tyson in his next outing, Holmes enjoyed an impressive career which saw him hold the world heavyweight championship between 1978 and 1985, beating the likes of Muhammad Ali, Earnie Shavers and Trevor Berbick in the process.