If Patterson had faced Cleveland Williams instead of Liston?

Liston being easy to hit is somewhat laughable. Experts rank his defense over that of Tyson's, Foreman's, and Marciano's!

 

I can understand rating him over Foreman but Tyson and Marciano is just nonsense.

 

Williams didnt amount to a pimple on Listons ass as Liston and several others proved. Just because Liston beat Floyd doesnt mean Williams would, not even remotely. And if you think that fight lasts five rounds then your pick has big problems ahead of him because what HW even remotely in Pattersons class did Williams stop, much less stop after 5? None.

 

Patterson KO's the very overrated Williams no problem...

 

Interesting comment. That is what is so great about the Classic Forum....just scratch out Williams' name and insert Patterson's name. (Tommy Hurricane Jackson, Pete "I be an Amateur" Rademacher, Brian London, Roy Harris, Tom McNeely, et al). Down in Texas, you always look at the weather vane on top of the barn, before stepping outside....to see which way the wind is blowing from.

 

Williams was a huge man with heavy hands, Patterson's weakness, I'd imagine williams would k.o. Patterson

 

Honestly I think it's the fact that Liston maintained his defense all round every round, and Tyson did not.

 

I would favor Patterson but Williams would be one very live underdog imo.

 

Patterson

 

We are the minority, but I expected that.

 

Liston had good defence. He had his jaw broken early in his career ,what does that mean, he was a catcher?
Ali ,Shavers,Abraham,Finnegan,off the top of my head, had their jaws broken.
He had his nose broken by a big puncher who came out throwing.

 

People have a weird perception of Patterson. As if being big and having a punch is enough to beat him. Patterson is just a class above Williams. Cleveland would be dangerous in the beginning, maybe even score a knockdown but it would be all downhill from then on. Pattor late TKO 9 times out of 10.

 

Ali was out of shape. Shavers didn't have good defense. Are you referring to Arthur Abraham? Which Finnegan?

If he had good defense then he would have been able to avoid getting his nose broken by a big puncher. That's the difference between someone with good defense and someone without.

 

Just what effect did Ali not being in top condition have to do with the sturdiness of his jaw?lol.
Liston had decent defence not great but he wasn't easy to hit ,which is what you stated.
Jimmy Ellis had his nose broken by Floyd Patterson, these things happen,its boxing. Arthur Abraham, Kevin Finnegan did they have poor defence?
You are talking nonsense!

 

Sans Liston, the three fighters in the late 50's 'troweled out' that Floyd didn't fight are always Machen, Folley, & Williams.
Floyd, eventually, beat Machen in 64 in a totally one-sided fight. Granted Eddie was on the downside but does anyone truly think Machen Stops Floyd in the late fifties? IMO Floyd was always wrong for Eddie in any scenario.
Folley? A bit more 'pop' than Eddie but he could come into fights, at that time, less than 'ready'. Cooper UD'd Zora in 58, no their fight was not a 'robbery'. Cooper fought back, after the early knockdown, and was in 'aggressive attack mode' in the final round, IMO perhaps his best performance, tho he turned the tables on 'enry in the rematch.
Big Cat 62 (or 50's)? Simply not a foregone conclusion IMO.
In closing, NONE of those three would have laid Floyd in a puddle and he may well have prevailed in all three!