douglas in shape and ready to go hows he fare with liston? im talking about the douglas the beat up tyson.
Douglas wins by domination, a better quicker jab, bigger and stronger, much faster, better combinations, better defence, better footwork/movement and a great inside uppercut
You out ur mind. Douglas did look great, albeit against a Tyson who had been attempting suicide, off his face on cocaine, and having domestic meltdowns all around him, but against a prime monster like Liston, with that ATG ram rod jab, I pick Liston by KO/TKO within 8 rounds
Excuses, excuses, excuses. Douglas beat the same Tyson who destroyed Bruno and that Tyson is better than Liston, much quicker and more explosive and harder to hit Liston's jab isn't landing because Douglas gets there first, far quicker, far better jab, he also has more range/height so Liston isn't getting off first. Douglas also is the second best mover Liston faced after Ali, he's controlling the distance and range here
Admittedly, Douglas was in great shape in Tokyo and put up a great effort. This version of Douglas would be difficult beat. But one of the reasons Tyson lost to Douglas was that Iron Mike did not know how to cope with Buster's style. One of Sonny Liston's greatest strength was that he could adapt to almost every style, except the ultra fast Muhammad Ali. I am sure that Liston would have been able to cope with Douglas' style. It would be a good fight though, with Sonny winning by late stoppage.
Against the Douglas that looked stellar against Tyson? Don't forget, regardless of what was going on in Tyson's world, Douglas was still facing "Mike Tyson" who was the most feared man in boxing and a 42-1 underdog. Douglas was going through his own personal problems at the time and he looked stellar from round 1 to round 10. Don't leave out the fact that Douglas had superb boxing skills - he was a very very good fighter. It was his lack of training and out of the ring eating habits that impacted his career. Take a focused Buster Douglas that can control himself and stay in shape and you have a better version of Riddick Bowe. I think he could very well beat Sonny Liston.
Liston knocks him out, but perhaps after a few rounds of Douglas giving him a little bit of boxing trouble. Thinking that Buster is outta there by about round 7, but maybe does well for a brief period early.
For me Tysons problem, due to the smart boxing of Douglas, was that he could not inflict anything of any consistency on Douglas, Douglas evaporated after having Tucker in trouble because Tucker gritted his teeth and came back at him, he had the Talent to beat Tucker, he showed that, but give him a "consistent" examination and he could evaporate, against Tyson, the Early rounds were expected to be frought with pain and Danger for Buster, and they wasnt, he was allowed, or Tyson couldnt stop, Douglas from establishing his confidence and reinforceing it round by round, by the 6th any questions asked of him were only breif in nature, sporadic, not consistant, and for me, thats the hub of it, Liston has that Thumping Jab that will be a Constant painful "Nag" on James, where Tyson had to get close to acheive anything, but Liston has the ability to keep James occupied at distence, Liston can come in behind his Jab, if James slides off to the side, Liston can Follow, wherre the Streight-Line Ïntermittent" Bullrush Tyson was left to flounder and be countered, I think Listons ability to keep James Occupied at range and "Nervous" would see his determination melt sometime in the last third, where someone like Frank Bruno can burn Nervous Energy and become fatiqued, i think James burns Nervous energy and suffers a depletion of fortitude, but to turn on that "Tap in the Barrell" he has to be keeping him under pressure, hit hard and often and kept Nervy ! James had the Talent, but as his weight could often attest, not the spartan dedication to the enb degree
Liston would out-box and out-fight him, but it's interesting in the sense that Tyson is supposed to have lost interest and so did Liston - you got to believe that Douglas would mean trouble for the less interested version of Liston.
Douglas was so fired up and driven in tokyo that a man his size with all those tools and most of all effort and heart... he would be a hard fight for ANY ATG and too much for a lot of them. I would favour Douglas. Liston was the better fighter though.