Sonny Liston v.s Rocky Marciano

Interesting fight. This fight would not be fought on the outside very long so reach won't be much of a factor on the outside. Both men would take a beating but I see Marciano pressuring him nonstop and testing his heart and stamina, with Marciano raising his hand in victory at the end with either a decision win or stoppage late.

 

I have always thought Liston would win a close decision, but after thinking about it several times I've changed my pick.

Liston would dominate the early rounds with his wicked left jab, and stunning Rocky a few times with big right hands and left hooks but by the later stages of the fight Rocky would come on strong, rally late to take a razor thin decision.

 

Marciano KO 8 Liston



Liston simply didn´t have the legacy that we could really believe he could beat a legend like Marciano. Beside a mental ill and for a puncher tailor-made Patterson his resume is totally thin, Liston is the typical type of "Could have, should, he would, etc.", IMO Marciano´s power, heart and chin would be too much for the one-dimensional Liston...

 

Opinions from idiots like you don´t interest me, you should know it yet.

 

I'm with you on this one, actually.

Well, i would favor Liston a bit, but i think Marciano has more chance than most imply. Williams, who had a glass chin, made it to round 2 & 3 in a slugfest, so Marciano may just last longer and if he's still there by the 6th, i think Liston will start getting some "shoulder injuries". Marciano's determination, stamina and akwardness would come in.

Marciano fought better opposition (with the exception of Clay, but Liston lost to him twice) and he never quit as blatantly as Liston did.


I think a fight with Foreman far worse for Marciano.

 

Yeah, agreed!

 

Marciano was tough as a piece of iron.

I think Liston was bigger, stronger, a better boxer, and I know he was VERY TOUGH but I dont know if he was tough enough to beat Marciano.

I just dont know.

 

Fair statement from a Liston-fan! Good to see that someone can be objective even to his favourite fighters! :thumbsup

 

Exactly!

 

I can live with such a scenario, but I can´t see that it´s happens. Liston wasn´t the murderous puncher like many of you make him. Some Marciano bombs and he would be knocked out. He´s IMO one, if not the most overrated HW outthere...

 

He simply didn´t impress me against elite fighters that much that I favour him against proven fighters like Marciano, Frazier, etc., he could have been more, but he didn´t, so I can´t pick him over fighters of the calibre like Rocky...

 

Yeah, even though Marciano was teeing off on LHW Ezzard Charles round after round for 15 rounds and couldn't put him away, had to keep putting down ancient Archie Moore five times in nine rounds before he stayed down, struggled to finish off lightheavy Don Cockell, but he's gonna ice Liston with a couple of punches? This is biasedness at it's finest.:good

 

Those fights occured when Marciano was utilizing a centrally volume-punching style, having shifted the focus of his punching since his early big fights. If you want a Marciano who could take out a serious elite opponent with a "couple of punches," look at his fights with Layne, Louis, Matthews and Walcott.
That said, I'm doubtful that any version of Marciano could take out Liston without dishing out a fair amount of punishment first.