Send in an ATG to beat Prime Liston (mid to late 50's version)

You literally just said this... And I've provided both film and quotes from historians to support my claim

 

'59 '60 Liston beats a '55 '56 Liston and that's about it …. Yes Ali with Holmes, Louis in the mix

 

I never would've suspected that Sonny Liston was overrated until reading this comment section

 

Ali
Holmes
Tyson
Bowe
Vitali (Wlad as well if they fought in Wlad's era, Wlad would just hold Liston for 12 rounds)

If I had to pick one, it'd be Ali. Liston was old when they fought in '64 but Ali was only 22. He was better and more mature when he fought Terrell. I'd pick that version of Ali.

 

1) Muhammad Ali
2) Joe Louis
3) Larry Holmes
4) Mike Tyson

50/50 Riddick Bowe

 

over my head … elaborate if you would be so kind

 

People are saying they'd favor noone over Liston even though he was dismantled by Ali, went life and death with Machen and lost to Marty Marshall

Don't get me wrong there are explanations to those losses but jeez they act like he's a demigod. Liston was very human and would reasonably lose to Ali, Foreman, Louis, Holmes, etc

 

He didn't go life and death with Machen. He only lost the odd round or so He lost to Marshall in his 7th pro fight when he had his jaw broken in the 2nd round and still fought valiantly to a split decision that could've gone either way.

 

Fair enough, but you always hear about the Ali fights to diminish him... I mean when you start picking apart a fighter at 35, especially against the best HW of all time coming into his prime years, it is a joke. he was 11 years older than Ali. Why don't you hear about the short work he made of Williams twice and Patterson twice.. what other HW could do that?

 

Listons career he gave away by giving up the worlds hwt championship sitting on his stool. If he would have gone out on his shield instead of quitting history would have been more kind to him.

 

A lot of boxing historians LOVE Sonny Liston. I do too. And I do rate him Top 5 H2H. I personally think Louis-Liston is the best heavyweight fantasy fight ever made in terms of ability, power and fundamentals.

So these are the guys 50/50 or better:

Louis
Ali
Frazier
Holmes
Tyson
Bowe
Witherspoon
Lewis
Vitali

 

I think Holyfield would wreck any version of Liston, Holyfield is not afraid of anything or anyone, he’d fight Wilder tomorrow, most people were scared to death of Liston so they lost the fight before it started, Holyfield schools Liston imo, and unlike a guy like Marciano ( I love the rock btw) who had that same mentality, Rocky lacked the physical tools and skills to beat Sonny, where as Holyfield had all of those

 

Most learned boxing writers recognize Liston was a great fighter and a very difficult H2H opponent for anyone. Most have him in the top 10 of all time.It's just self appointed ding bats like you that evaluate him differently. His pre title record shows what a tough proposition he was. His past- prime losses to the greatest heavyweight of all time cannot take that away from him.

 

Maybe you should watch some fights unless life and death doesn't remotely mean what the rest of the world thinks it does.

 

As a champion...he is known as a QUITTER!!! As I said...it's easy to pick & choose a specific period to make your case...BUT you can't erase what happened in Miami in 1964...and in Maine in 1965...