Prime Sonny Liston vs Prime Mike Weaver

Weaver was a big puncher who was a modern sized heavy and would have had a slight size advantage over Liston. So Liston circa 1960 vs the best version of Weaver, who takes it and how difficult is the fight for Liston?

 

I trained briefly under Bill Sharky who fought both Weaver and Frank Bruno. He said Weaver wasn't near as strong as Bruno. Liston is more like a Bruno puncher with better skills than Weaver. I would assume Liston knocks him out.

Weaver puts up a fight until mid rounds, Liston get a late round K.O.

 

Good analysis. Concur. (Interesting Weaver as a young fighter, lost bouts to Rodney & Duane Bobick, within a year)

 

Liston puts him out like a light! It might go a few, depending, but...the Bear locates and Destroys fairly quickly.

 

I can see this

 

Weaver suffered early ko losses in his career but this came from lack of
inexperience and once Weaver became a contender and champion he
showed a decent chin and recuperative powers.
Both Liston and Weaver were similar in physical stats but few would beat
a Liston from 58 - 60. Add Weaver to list of Liston victim's .
Liston ko in 9.

 

What was sharkey like as a trainer? He was a bit crazy even for a pro boxer. Did they ever figure out who killed him?

 

I can see it like the Liston/Williams fights, but just spread out over more rounds with Liston halting Weaver via KO

 

Very pleasant hard nosed...easy to listen too , he trained in Pennsylvania around the mid 90's. He actually entered a toughman contest in 1997 .Making it to the finals against what he claimed was one of the best right hands he was ever hit with....I beat that guy a few years before in a street fight...and he does have a right hand...lol

Don't know if they ever found whoever did that? I know when you find a body with multiple bullets and burnt in a trunk you did something to someone. I moved to N.Y shortly after.

 

I

As u say, probably not a case of mistaken identity.

 

Liston KO 1

Weaver was an incredibly slow starter and paid for it a couple times. Sometimes he was able to hold on and pull it out late but Liston is a completely different kind of beast than the punchers that Weaver fought.

 

So back then you could compete in toughman contests if you were over the age of 39?

 

I was 24 with the one I was in, that tough man contest that Sharky was in wasnt run by Art Davie they played by their own rules...he would never be allowed to enter a legit one BC he was a pro.

 

KO 1 sounds pretty spectacular, even for Liston if we're talking about Weaver.

 

Ahhh, I see.