Muhammad Ali often mentioned Marciano when asked about the challenge.
He said the hardest person to knock out was Marciano, noting that “he always comes and hits you with your hands.” The two later shared a showdown, but Ali often returned to Marciano when discussing consistency over skill.
When asked to compare himself to Marciano, Mike Tyson dismissed the idea of rivalry.
He said, he was happy to be mentioned together with Marciano, but he emphasized that it was only two different fights, adding that it was an opportunity to speak in one sentence.
Marciano himself did not separate his legacy from Joe Louis, whom he respected. He later admitted that seeing Louis on the canvas during their fight helped him decide to retire early.
Former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson offered one of the most honest reviews.
He described Marciano as awkward and special, saying “he has two left legs and can’t fight,” before adding that Marciano is also “the strongest fighter I’ve ever seen – and he’s never lost.”
Light heavyweight champion Archie Moore demonstrated this idea.
He called Marciano bad, and said that some of his fights were bad, but he insisted that he had something that could not be taught: hitting hard makes God feel.
George Foreman ranked Marciano among the best, naming Joe Louis, Marciano, and Jack Johnson as the greatest boxers to ever wear gloves.
Ali, asked later in his career who would be his strongest opponent, returned the same answer.
He said Marciano is the hardest guy to knock out and described him as a street fighter who just refuses to quit.
Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko summed up both opinions, calling Marciano a professional fighter and a street fighter – one who was undefeated.
When Ali once asked legendary trainer Cus D’Amato who would give him the toughest fight, D’Amato didn’t hesitate.
He said that Marciano would have been more difficult than any other opponent that Ali faced, pointing to his constant attack and his ability to last longer than Jack Dempsey.
Veteran trainer Don Turner put it simply, saying Marciano was the hardest puncher he had ever seen.