Marciano’s record will ALWAYS KO Floyd

IT is 48 years and two days since the death of Rocky Marciano, killed prematurely in a plane crash.

I was thinking about that when Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor to parade a record that reads 50 and 0. It shouldn’t. The bout with McGregor was a glorified exhibition, not a boxing contest. The result should be expunged from Mayweather’s record or come with an asterisk. Interestingly the British Boxing Board Of Control would not have sanctioned the fight over here. They would not have given McGregor a licence to box.

For me Marciano (right) is still tops, undefeated on 49 and 0, just like Mayweather. That statistic echoes through boxing history.

The Las Vegas show was some spectacle but that does not legitimise it as world championship boxing.

Mayweather (right) was 40 years old and did something I have never seen before – he put his hands up and walked an opponent down.

That gives you an indication of how little power McGregor was able to generate. McGregor was the naturally bigger man but couldn’t make it count because he can’t throw a punch properly. You can’t learn in six months what it takes 10 years to master.

The irony is McGregor’s wins in UFC have come largely via punches. But you saw how little impact his blows had in a boxing ring.

The boxer knows how to negate power with timing. These are the marginal details, made expert with practised defence.

Had McGregor spent 10 years in the game I have no doubt he would have made a career of it. He is courageous, and a great athlete. But as a boxing pro McGregor is a novice and, though brave as you like, not a legitimate opponent.

We have to protect the integrity of the sport as well as the legacy of Marciano – 49 and 0 is still the mark.