Sonny Liston vs Evander Holyfield

Hardly, we are talking about an inch to an inch and a half of difference.

The similarities between their height and weight are far more striking than the differences.

The one size parameter that might have a significant bearing is Liston's substantial reach advantage.

 

This one's been done a good bit, but I can't stay away whenever I see it, Liston was good, I'll even call him great but his resume is lacking compared to Holyfield's.

Liston went 50-4 (39) overall and was stopped 3 times. He went 2-2 (2) in HW world title fights. He beat Patterson KO1 x2, Machen W10, and Folley KO3 among other.

He also beat guys like Cleveland Williams KO3 and KO2, DeJohn KO6, and Roy Harris KO1.

He went 2-1 (1) vs. Marty Marshall and won two close decisions over Johnny Summerlin early in his career.

He beat the likes of Bert Whitehurst W10 x2, Wayne Bethea KO1, Frankie Daniels KO1, Ernie Cab KO8, Nino Valdes KO3, Willi Besmanoff KO7, Howard King KO8 and KO3, Albert Westphal KO1, Henry Clark KO7, and Chuck Wepner KO10 who combined for 120 losses at the time Liston fought them... that's right, 120!

He beat 1 lineal HW champ, Floyd Patterson x2. The only other lineal HW champ he fought was Ali, LKOby6 and LKOby1. He was also stopped by Leotis Martin LKOby9, late in his career.


Holyfield's resume has little filler, he started fighting good fighters very early in his career. He beat Hall of Famer Dwight Qawi in just his 12th pro fight to win his first world title.

At age 30 Holyfield was 28-0 (22) overall, 10-0 (7) in world title fights, 5-0 (2) vs. Hall of Famers, and 3-0(2) vs. Lineal HW champs.

He fought past age 30 and had mixed results but he did some great things past age 30. He fought on to build a world title fight record of 16-7-2 (9), 8-3-1 (3) vs. Hall of Famers, and he beat more Lineal HW champs than anyone in the history of the sport... 7, Douglas, Foreman, Holmes, Bowe, Tyson x2, Moorer, and Rahman. He also drew with and lost to Lineal HW champ Lennox Lewis.

Some of the better fighters he beat are-

Qawi x2, Deleon, Ocasio, Parkey, Booze, Tillman, Tillis, Thomas, Dokes, Rodrigues, Stewart x2, Douglas, Foreman, Cooper, Holmes, Bowe, Mercer, Czyz, Tyson x2, Moorer, Bean, Ruiz, Rahman, Oquendo, Savarese, Botha, and Nielsen. Keep in mind that he was robbed vs. reigning WBA HW champ Valuev at the age of 46.

I'll take Holyfield.

 

I do.I could see liston battering and then koing Holyfield pretty easily.
Liston may have lost to Ali twice although the second was at best questionably but I can't forget Holyfield folding against toner.
Must have had a bad injection or 2 eh??

 

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I don't think anyone is beating a prime Holyfield easily, and frankly there are probably only a select few who would even do it period

 

Holyfield in his prime was faster, a better combination puncher and had the chin to withstand Liston's power. Holyfield isn't going to be intimidated, he isn't going to ever quit and he has the skills to win a tough decision.

Liston of course won't be an easy proposition, especially with Evander's tendency to trade and get into wars. But Holyfield has the heart and chin to ride out anything Liston can dish out. Liston for all his power and strength doesn't bring anything Holyfield hasn't seen before. Holyfield fought some of the hardest punchers ever in Lewis, Foreman, Bowe, Tyson etc.

 

Folding against Toney? Holyfield was 40 years old and fighting with a torn rotator. We re talking about Holyfield at his best... vs. Dokes in '89, vs. Foreman in '91, vs. Bowe in '93, even when he fought Tyson in '96 would get the job done.

 

We can’t watch this fight, but we can always imagine.

Fighting Liston if you had a shorter reach was a bit like fighting the Battle of the Some. He was an expert at drawing an opponent on to a carefully prepared killing field. He could pump the pile driver jab into you at long range, smash you with combinations at mid-range, and throw hellacious uppercuts on the inside; all the while backing up to keep you walking through this killing zone.

Much would depend on what strategy Holyfield decided to employ.

If he falls into his occasional habit of mixing it up, then the cold calculating Liston, is just going to break him down. He might not stop him, but he will keep him on the wrong end of things enough to walk away the winner.

If Holyfield fights a smarter fight, then he has a much better chance. His most profitable advantage is his speed, and if he fights in a disciplined manner, there are ways for him to utilize this to beat Liston to the punch. If he doesn’t fight a smart fight, then Liston’s ring generalship and power will offset it. His best bet is to try to keep the fight at mid-range, and try to outbox Liston. He should start safety first, and take it from there.

Anyhow, I have thrown my lot in with Liston, but don’t worry, I didn’t bet any money!

 

I don't know only one case when Liston beat an outstanding 200+ lbs fighter.

 

This is relevant why?

 

The 260 pounds Foreman was a fat slob with 30-40% bodyfat.
The fat doesn't mean more power (Just some frustrated fat guys
can't accept this.)
Big chance the young 217-225 lbs Foreman was stronger than
the old (42 years) one. (The age destroys the muscle quality.)

 

Holyfield is one of the best counter punches of all time,that lunging liston jab would be of lttle effect,if anything Liston catches him with that inner short right hand that he shooted out in his prime,however holyfield isn't going to just stand if he eats a jab,he had footwork and head movement along with much better defense than anyone liston fought unlike the old schooled flat footed opponents of his day. I see no angle for liston other than a Holyfield mistake and off night for Liston to remotely win this. Even if liston fought the cruiserweight Holyfield who was still bigger than most of Listons opponents he would have his hands full.

 

This has been an on going debate on another boxing site ,I typed this in and this is what came up..... I also watched the Holyfield/foreman fight preview where everyone who ever trained foreman said he was much improved in 91 because of the little things he changed...i would say you couldn't be more wrong anyway ,young foreman was a terrible accurate puncher with moving targets who wasted punches with absolute no game plan,Foreman of the 90's had the best chin I ever saw....24 year old Foreman? :-(

"Actually, the old George Foreman would’ve given Ali a tougher fight. But the young George, with his wild swings, my guy would’ve beaten him all night. George, as an old guy, he was relaxed, steady and he would grind you down – A,Dundee

 

Foreman was quicker and more ferocious in the 70's. The older Foreman was most likely stronger but slower with the added weight. He also fought more relaxed. Also, his muscles weren't destroyed by age. That's not even old. Was Foreman 120 years old?