Sonny Liston vs Jack Dempsey? Both in their prime

Hypothetically speaking. Who takes it?

 

Liston crushes Dempsey.

 

A relatively one-sided shootout ends early with Liston getting his hand raised.

Ranks up there with Ali and Holmes as the worst matchup for Dempsey: A better, more competent puncher with an ATG jab and a terrific jaw.

 

Liston too big and too strong ... twenty five pounds of muscle and half a foot in reach ... NG for Jack.

 

Dempsey proved at his best that he could tear through much bigger heavier and taller guys than Liston (check Willard, Firpo, Morris, Fulton and see sparring big bill Tate and George Godfrey etc etc) plus Liston wasn't always the all out destroyer - he generally took a measured approach and could also fight in a very one-paced way a lot of the time sometimes even pedestrian - see Liston-Besmanoff just as an example - still he was a bludgeoning executioner with an almost unfair strength advantage in his fights. Dempsey would be really fearful of Liston and for me that was the key with Dempsey - when he was scared that made him fight absolutely out of his skin - when he was scared he was deadly - it was literally kill or be killed and his lightning left hook I think would have Liston a bit at sixes and sevenses as soon as it started landing - Dempsey would be fighting a little in retaliation and his margin for error would be tiny but he'd put everything into every chance he got at Liston's chin - and for me great punchers still tend to prevail not matter what against great chins - Dempsey is vicious when Liston freezes or shows signs of something registering - Dempsey fighting on the edge but at his ferocious best wouldn't stop and Liston would topple

 

liston ko

 

Dempsey...Liston QUIT while sitting on his stool as champ...with Dempsey...it was kill or be killed...no QUIT in prime Jack Dempsey...

 

Here i go again. Were they to have ever fought ,Jack Kearns would have devised a plan for Dempsey,based on being aware of two things. Liston can HIT, and Dempsey must use his QUICKNESS of movement,and tremendous handspeed..{look at the old Dempsey
throwing 6-7 fast combos on Tunney in the "long count]. SHORT blazing punches on target they were. Dempsey in close needed 6 inches for his powerful punches to ko an opponent, and when he was in his prime was a devastating puncher with cat-like speed.
I believe Dempsey gets to Liston first and hurts Sonny and likely kos him in the 4th round, Forget about size or weight difference for speed kills,and the prime Dempsey was a killer. Of course Liston was a great puncher, but Dempsey had the great equalizer called speed and toughness. No one outslugs the Manassa Mauler pre Hollywood...Joe Louis with his great combination of handspeed and trip-hammer combos pose a greater threat for Dempsey...A bigger an earlier edition of Roberto Duran, was Dempsey...

 

Liston? No way.

Dempsey takes it.

Better skills, a bigger heart and weight be damned.

 

:hat ah yes!! Jack was truly a very funny man..why, if he was alive today and able to talk, Jess Willard would heartily agree..why, Jack kept Jess in stitches!! Really ticled the Giant of Pottawattomie's funny bone..perhaps the only bone he didn't break of Jess's..:think

 

I think if one guy was gonna punish Liston for being a little sluggish it would be Dempsey.

Thinking of Dempsey's sweeping head and Liston's huge, barrel-like torso, I think one guy is gonna be shipping a lot more punishment, and in a short amount of time.

 

Liston, easily and quickly.dempsey's crude attacks wouldn't get by listons jab.two rounds tops.

 

burt i agree that dempsey is a bit underrated (for example i favor him against marciano unlike most) but no way he takes out liston.
but what i truely wanna know is ??? i know you are a big dempsey fan but one has to be realistic.
is there any fighter you would favour over a prime dempsey ?????????

 

Just as you say.