Why does everyone say Liston couldn't cut off the ring?

It's stupid. He's done it plenty of times and he was very skilled at it in his prime. They always say that's one thing he couldn't do that Foreman could, when in reality He was actually better than Foreman at it. He was arguably the best. Some people have even said nobody was better than a prime Liston at it. I think this stems from the fact he wasn't able to do it against the fastest heavyweight of all time. Nobody could do that to a 1964 Ali. That was arguably when he was at his fastest.

 

I've never seen anyone say that.

 

"No boxer cut off a ring better than Liston in his prime."

Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=G...M#v=onepage&q=liston cut off the ring&f=false

 

I do agree that Liston could cut the ring off, but to be fair, it's not as though a young Ali was the only one in history capable of outmaneuvering a 1964 Liston.

The combination of age, lax training, and Sonny never having great movement in the first place was just a bad recipe.

 

McVey said it on here recently, I think?

 

Liston moved really good at rope yet he was a boring flat footed in the ring.

 

Frazier was best at cutting off the ring.

 

Because he never did it in the fight where he most needed to? Ali being fast didn't prevent Liston cutting the ring. All he had to do was step to the side to cut off his escape. But he didn't and instead just ineffectually followed him around the ring for six rounds. Contrast the way Frazier put on pressure to Liston.

 

Because he didn't.

 

Yes I said it, and I'm stand by it!

 

He couldn't.

I rate Sonny highly but this was probably his biggest technical flaw. Look at how comfortably Foreman bullied Ali into the ropes whenever he tried to use the ring...and then look at Liston following Ali around cluelessly missing everything...

 

Not sure how you want me to reply.

 

He didn't cut the ring off well. He overpowered smaller guys like Patterson but when faced with guys that could move he often just walked around after them.

 

Yeah, I agree. Comparing the two performances, Liston made Ali look about 10 years younger !

 

No no. It was Ali's mobility. He had such good legs and his mobility then liston couldn't do anything. If you watch Ali's first fight against fraizer and listen to what the commentator said. He said this is not the Ali that would be up on his toes and dancing. He mentioned it a few times.