Actualy he fought and beat 234lb Carl Morris and a number of his other opponents were well into the 200s. I think that a guy who gave up 60lbs to the previous champion when beating him has to be credited with being better p4p than sombody who was prety much on a par with his largest opponent. The fact that you would even make a statment like that when comparing two fighters with such different styles shows that you are talking nonsense. Prime MErcer is known for an ATG chin, has more weight to absorb the punches and keeps a higher guard and doesn't rush forward with low hands like a certain Mr Dempsey. Lewis probably wasn't at his best for Mercer. It's easy enough saying 'How could Mercer take them' when Rudduck, Tyson, Golota, Grant, Bruno amongst others couldn't[/quote] The point is that Mercer's chin waqs dentable, and he took Lewis's punches. I was not the person who brought the example up, but I don't think it does Lewis any favours.
I think a great disconnect here is comparing giant, flabby farmhands to pedigreed superheavies of the past 30 years. They are simply not the same animal.
I know it's false but he was KO'd with one punch, the same as Lewis. So you can't call one durable and not the other. Either they both are or they both aren't.
The difference is that Liston was coming towards the end of his career and drinking himself into oblivion when he lost to Martin. If I was sure that the knockout in the second Ali fight was above booard, then I would indeed re-evaluate his chin.