Suppose Muhammad Ali had never been born, Sonny Liston's opponents in title defenses.

MARCH 1979 BIG BOOK OF BOXING HAS PART 1.

 

Thanks. I will definitely look into this.

 

I think he'd lose before it got to a fight with Joe Frazier.
Mad as it sounds, the easier his next few defences are, the more chance of Liston losing to a big underdog along the way. Imo.
It would be the Mike Tyson syndrome I belive.
Sonny starts to lose concentration in his work, his head gets turned by temptation.
After all, Sonny was only human.
So, down the line, someone comes along and gets Liston in a big upset.
In the mean time, a young Smoke is burning thru the ranks.
Liston is never the same and if he does meet Joe, then Frazier rips in to him, for a brutal ending.

 

Perhaps you are right Fergy. Would you care to say who you think beats Liston?

 

It could be anyone that' can take a good shot will and give it back.
Maybe Terrell. He s as awkward as they come. If Liston starts to under train and grow lazy, then he's in with a chance, taking Sonny in deep. He'd be out of practice in a long distance ft.

 

I think you are right. Terrell is the man to do it, although Machen also fits the bill of a guy who takes a wicked shot. Terrell's jab would be the first to be a problem for Liston's. Really, a mid-60s Liston-Terrell fight would be a first-class jabbing war.

 

Agreed mate.

 

I think liston’s age was really starting to show against Muhammad and therefore I can’t see him reigning too much longer than perhaps 1966. Maybe someone like Terrell could have taken advantage of his decline

 

That would definitely be taking place, but I still think this would be a good fight.