Fury probably? Liston didn't fight a lot of guys that big whereas fury has plenty of experience with smaller punchers a granite chin and has no problem just boxing to a boring decision. Fury UD
Fury is too big and too slick for Liston. The vast majority of Liston's opponents were sub 210 pounders and he only fought 2 who weighed more than 220, Wepner being the heaviest at 228. And we know it's literally impossible to beat Fury with power because he's already beaten three of the top 10 most powerful punchers in history in Wlad, Bootleg D and David Price.
Fury, easily. Liston was too lumbering to beat Fury. The more interesting matchups are in the 80s and 90s.
Fury has the movement and size difference.. Liston was around 210 6'1, his jab was damn solid. That's the only way he'd win the fight, with the jab. And Furys height would really negate that.. Despite people thinking Fury schooled wlad, it was a close fight and Klitschko did land very nice jabs, at least in the first 6 rounds. Then again Wlad is 6 5 or 6 6. If Wallin and Cunningham can land on Fury, and if this wasn't Fury fighting to the opponents level, then I think Liston could at least make it competitive. Liston was also VERY underrated defensively, awesome ability to slip jabs... Liston would be the best on Furys resume tbh. (wlad was 39 yo)
This was done a couple of months ago. Look, most of Liston's best wins--Patterson, Machon, Foley, Williams--would fight at cruiser today, with Williams maybe transitioning unsuccessfully to heavy. Even Nino Valdez would be smallish heavy at 6'3". Nor were any of those guys all that impressive, excepting Patterson, who was actually a LHW. To me, it is just an example of two guys from different eras not matching up well. No disrespect to Liston, but a lot of people who call out the fact that Fury is such a big boy are blind to the fact that Liston enjoyed a tremendous size advantage over most of his best wins. Fury in relatively easy fight, then Liston goes down to super-cruiser.
Liston hit nearly as hard and was a far better finisher than Wilder. Sonny knocks him down hard in 11 and batters him all over the ring, exposing him as the goofy Jethro Bodean mutha****a he really is. Ref stops it as he starts looking for a place to fall for the third time.
As you and someone above you posted. Fury cruises to a UD... and if Liston gets even slightly injured or more likely very frustrated, his corner might pull him in the latter rounds. Machen was very small compared to Fury yet he fought a smart fight vs. Sonny. Although Machen lost he wasn't running from Liston and went to the final bell.
Wilder has a huge height and reach advantage over Liston so obviously wilder’s gonna have an easier time landing on fury. I really don’t think there’s anything Liston can do to beat fury
Fury is much bigger than Max Baer's son - and a much better fighter. By the way, you might be close to my age or you watched lots of very old sitcoms as a youngster
You are wrong about the reach difference. They all had similar reaches. But that is just one aspect for landing punches & jabs. Speed, timing, tenacity, willingness to engage & take hits are some of many factors. Tyson sometimes out-jabbed fighters whose reach dwarfed his oswn.
I'm old enough to remember when both the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds had their own Saturday morning cartoons.