Sonny Liston ...

Holmes' Jab · 08-22-2007, 08:59 AM

... talking at his very best here. How would you envisage him doing had he turned pro around '85, say, and spent the best part of the next decade plus fighting the ATG's of this era, as well as the other top contenders.

Just how good do you think his record would look? A win against which fighter would look most impressive on his resume?

McGrain · 08-22-2007, 09:06 AM

It depends entirely upon how Liston is recieved and if his motivation holds. He'll be champ when Tyson comes along and possibly unbeaten and if he fails to perform at his absolute best Tyson will get him, even a green Tyson.

Imagine being ringside for that one.

Liston is capable of a comeback if he lost that one, even against Tyson. However, it's quite possible that the man would be in serious trouble by that time.

Fonenda Cox: Liston was the nicest man - I mean the nicest - that you would ever meet. Until he started to drink. Then you had a problem. And he liked to drink.

Marnoff · 08-22-2007, 09:37 AM

Tyson would obviously be the biggest test. It would be between those two for supremacy, and maybe we'd get a great trilogy out of it.

Muchmoore · 08-22-2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McGrain

Fonenda Cox: Liston was the nicest man - I mean the nicest - that you would ever meet. Until he started to drink. Then you had a problem. And he liked to drink.

Nice men don't have their pictures in police cars with the instructions not the mess with them. Nice men don't break legs for the mafia either

Sonny Liston was a bad man and always was.

Muchmoore · 08-22-2007, 05:55 PM

Tyson would beat Liston, he had far greater handspeed and was faster of foot. Liston would definently give him a war though.

Other than Tyson, he beats everyone. When Tyson starts to decline around 89-90 Liston could take over.

Bad_Intentions · 08-22-2007, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muchmoore

Tyson would beat Liston, he had far greater handspeed and was faster of foot. Liston would definently give him a war though.

Other than Tyson, he beats everyone. When Tyson starts to decline around 89-90 Liston could take over.

liston's jab would give tyson lots of trouble in the early rounds of the fight, but i see tyson winning the fight in later rounds.

McGrain · 08-22-2007, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muchmoore

Nice men don't have their pictures in police cars with the instructions not the mess with them. Nice men don't break legs for the mafia either

Sonny Liston was a bad man and always was.

Liston's tenure as a leg-breaker is sparse in terms of proof; personally I don't beleive it. He was used as "presence" muscle more than once, for sure, and he rolled with Barney Baker for a while - who certainly was a leg-breaker - as a matter of record, so it's possible.

I didn't say he was a nice man; Cox (who knew him as well as anyone) said he was. But you don't have to do much more than scratch the surface to find dozens of these type of stories rolling out. Everyone close to him says the same thing; a great guy until he hit the liquor.

Bummy Davis · 08-22-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muchmoore

Nice men don't have their pictures in police cars with the instructions not the mess with them. Nice men don't break legs for the mafia either

Sonny Liston was a bad man and always was.

Its just a job,don't make him a bad guy

ChrisPontius · 08-22-2007, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muchmoore

Tyson would beat Liston, he had far greater handspeed and was faster of foot. Liston would definently give him a war though.

Other than Tyson, he beats everyone. When Tyson starts to decline around 89-90 Liston could take over.

Agreed with Tyson beating him.

I do think he'll meet trouble along the road. Liston competition was pretty poor outside of Patterson and Ali (who beat him twice with little effort).

If he peaks at say, 89/90 and beats an unfocused Tyson, what happens after that?
When he was at his peak and destroyed Patterson, he fought only once a year and lost shape & motivation. So by '92 he'd be slipping badly at which time i can see a Holyfield or a Bowe taking over.

Liston would no longer have his physical advantages; in fact he'd be the smaller man on most occasions, which would make him being very slow speed more of a factor. And which is why i think Tyson would beat him.

08-22-2007, 08:59 AM	#1
Holmes' Jab Master Jabber ESB Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,517 vCash: 1000	Sonny Liston ... ... talking at his very best here. How would you envisage him doing had he turned pro around '85, say, and spent the best part of the next decade plus fighting the ATG's of this era, as well as the other top contenders. Just how good do you think his record would look? A win against which fighter would look most impressive on his resume?
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08-22-2007, 09:06 AM	#2
McGrain Diamond Dog East Side VIP Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 34,759 vCash: 1000	Re: Sonny Liston ... It depends entirely upon how Liston is recieved and if his motivation holds. He'll be champ when Tyson comes along and possibly unbeaten and if he fails to perform at his absolute best Tyson will get him, even a green Tyson. Imagine being ringside for that one. Liston is capable of a comeback if he lost that one, even against Tyson. However, it's quite possible that the man would be in serious trouble by that time. Fonenda Cox: Liston was the nicest man - I mean the nicest - that you would ever meet. Until he started to drink. Then you had a problem. And he liked to drink.
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08-22-2007, 09:37 AM	#3
Marnoff Undisputed Champion East Side VIP Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 12,586 vCash: 1000	Re: Sonny Liston ... Tyson would obviously be the biggest test. It would be between those two for supremacy, and maybe we'd get a great trilogy out of it.
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08-22-2007, 05:55 PM	#5
Muchmoore Belt holder ESB Addict Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 4,594 vCash: 1000	Re: Sonny Liston ... Tyson would beat Liston, he had far greater handspeed and was faster of foot. Liston would definently give him a war though. Other than Tyson, he beats everyone. When Tyson starts to decline around 89-90 Liston could take over.
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