Who would win?
It doesn't matter, 'cuz Ali in his prime would cut the winner to ribbons inside of five rounds.
Marciano and Jack Dempsey are the two most over-rated heavyweight champions in history. Granted, both were superb punchers and Rocky consistently demonstrated an uncanny ability to absorb punishment, but to include either one in the upper tier of an all-time Top 10 ranking would be a stretch, IMO. Ditto for Tyson.
Marciano's 49-0 record is impressive — until you realize he made only six title defences after winning the crown from ancient Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952. Three of those defences were against light heavyweights (Ezzard Charles twice, Archie Moore), and another was against unranked British champ Don Cockell. Dempsey likewise had his hands full with light heavyweights (two losses to Gene Tunney) and had only five successful title defences in six years against very pedestrian opposition — the best being Tommy Gibbons.
For all his problems, Tyson was/is an astute student of ring history, which explains why he turned down a $50-million offer to fight comebacking George Foreman in 1989. Iron Mike's style was very similar to Joe Frazier's, and he knew what Foreman had done to Smokin' Joe (twice). The same fate would have awaited him.
The ultimate measure of any fighter is the quality of his opposition over an extended period of time. That's why Ali truly was/is The Greatest. The reality is that Dempsey, Marciano, Tyson and Joe Louis COMBINED didn't beat three champions as great as Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman — all of whom Ali stopped.
Considering he was robbed of the three years that would've been the peak of his physical prowess, it's nothing short of astounding that Ali was able to come back and notch decisive wins over the likes of Frazier (twice), Foreman, Jerry Quarry (twice), Ken Norton (twice), Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers. The fact he was a shadow of his former self by the time he lost to Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick in no way diminishes the quality of Ali's NINETEEN successful title defences.
For the record, here is my personal ranking of the all-time Top 10 heavies: 1. Muhammad Ali
2. Jack Johnson
3. George Foreman
4. Joe Louis
5. Sonny Liston
6. Larry Holmes
7. Lennox Lewis
8. Joe Frazier
9. Jack Dempsey
10. Rocky Marciano
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