I see you avoided both my questions. I assume that was in fear of making yourself out to be deluded. How very brave. End of the day, when you are in the extreme minority as far as opinions go it is time to take stock and just accept that maybe you haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about.
The physical and style advantage favors Liston. Because of that I favor him. I would like a rocky supporter to sway me and tell me how Marciano defeats Liston. Does he knock him out? Does he outwork him? I mean it's not impossible. But again IMO Sonny has the edge. Rocky has the intangibles.
Rocky could win because he hit like a mule kick, and threw them from unexpected angles. I've seen Liston hit with right hands over the top by lesser fighters than Marciano, and ones who weren't much bigger than Rocky either. It's not impossible to imagine Rocky getting through with a few big right hands to knock some of the life out of Liston, and swarming him for a KO or TKO or wearing Liston down in a fight where both men are bloody and battered. But it's more likely that Sonny stays out of the way of Rocky's bombs more than Rocky can manage to stay away from Sonny's. And if Liston can figure out the awkwardness of Rocky quickly to find his mark, it could be an early finish.
Marciano mostly on LHWs and even smaller guys, Liston on CWs and LHWs... And Marciano was himself a LHW at best in the ring, Liston a cruiser/small heavy, he would have the advantage of course...
I think this is a fine assessment. Wouldn't be absolutely stunned if Marciano pulled it off but more likely than not, he takes a beating and gets pounded out, possibly early.
As the great sportswriter Red Smith said:"Marciano was the toughest...strongest..and most dedicated fighter who ever wore gloves. Fear wasn't in his vocabulary...and pain had no meaning!!!"
Coulda....woulda...shoulda. When as champion...when it got tough...Marciano rose to the challenge...Sonny quit as champion!!! You can talk all you want about fights before he beat Patterson in 1962....his 2 biggest fights against Clay in '64 and '65 ...he "**** the bed".
As champ...he did nothing!!! Quit on his stool against the light hitting Clay in Miami in Feb'64...and then get...(ahem)...KO'd by Clay in the 1st round up in Maine in May 1965. Great resume'!!!
Out of interest why do you still refer to Ali as " Clay " for the fight in Maine by which time he had changed his name?
The majority of Germans supported Nazism in the 30's, and indeed during the war. Didn't do the Nazi party much good in the end though did it? The Brits who defied the ever marching tide of Nazism were definitely the minority at the time. Look who turned out to be right.:good