Sonny Liston vs Evander Holyfield

I like Holyfield here. I think he’s still underrated.

 

Liston at his best beats Holyfield at his best. Sonny's tremendous reach advantage and battering ram left jab would take it's toll eventually, and I think Holyfield, game a fighter as he was, would eventually crumble. TKO for Liston in 6-7 rounds.

 

I got Holyfield, after some potential danger early on.

 

I think Holy, too. He's so much quicker on his feet, busier and counters well over long punchers. And the man hasn't been born who could intimidate him.

 

I think Liston has the right combination of skills, power, boxing IQ and reach advantage to beat Evander.

Of course I see Liston’s left jab and all else he did with the left playing a big part in the fight.

Speculative, but Liston might’ve had the sufficient extra notches in consistently applied power to really test Evander’s resilience.

Arguments for Evander are of course valid also - a highly skilled fighter and absolute warrior - a boxer who could also push himself into the realms of over achievement due to his unlimited spirit and determination.

We might even see the old 1-2 from Holy, the classic butt/nut punch combo - among some other dodgy stuff.

Evander clearly came in pre med to make it rough for Iron Mike both times around.

I could imagine ‘Vander rationalising the same game plan for a fighter like Liston which might upset Sonny’s apple cart somewhat.

 

Holyfield would be a tough cookie to overcome for any heavyweight at any time. He was a stubborn, pesky, never quit type of fighter who could be hard to deal with.

I think his movement and peskiness would be difficult for Liston. Yes, there might be a moment where Holyfield could get tagged, but he almost always came back.

I question Liston's resolve.

If I had to bet, I would go with Holyfield.

 

I have to disagree here......

Holyfield always blew hot and cold most likely because he could not time his PED cycle right.

On the upper level he lost more than he won, needed two tries vs ham and egger Stewart, the Bert Cooper debacle, laboring 24 rounds with two absolute fossils, lost two, some say three vs Bowe, 0-2 vs Lewis, 1-1 vs glass cannon Moorer, 1-1-1 vs Ruiz who lost not once but TWICE to two former Middleweights............

So that leaves us with a obese Douglas who came for the check only, not Holyfields fault and trial horse Mercer who never ever won a meaningful fight except stopping fringe contender Tommy Chin and a Eurobum with a soft nose.

He beat a washed up post prison Tyson who boxed a half a dozen rounds in four years....................Holyfields entire rep is made out of defusing that version of Tyson, fact.

Liston blew out a glass chinned Light Heavy twice and quit twice vs the first , what I call a modern genuine Heavy, green Clay.

If Liston stays behind his jab it will be a long night for Holyfield who does not have game changing power or speed of hand or foot of Clay so the chances of Liston throwing the towel in is slim, a brawl again favors Liston and Holyfield could easily be pulled into a brawl.

Genuine 50/50 fight, no stoppage , will go to the cards.

 

Power: Liston
Chin: Liston
Hand speed: Holyfield
Foot speed: Holyfield
Stamina: Even
Technique: Holyfield
Ring IQ: Liston
Body punching: Liston
Combinations: Even
Heart: Holyfield

This would be an incredibly close fight so it's hard to say who'd win in just 1 fight, they'd probably need a trilogy. It's a scintillating matchup between a durable boxer-puncher and a well rounded classic boxer, but both guys are more than happy to slug when push comes to shove. And man, this would end up becoming an ugly fight if either guy started being too rough or wild.

As others said, Holyfield can't help himself. He could literally be winning the fight 10 rounds to 1 and then decides to brawl with Liston in the 12th. He brawled with the much stronger Bowe despite being the smaller man with the speed advantage. He decided to try and keep up with Dokes' hand speed to prove how fast he was instead of trying to slow the action down and time Dokes. He tried to engage the smaller Cooper and Toney on the inside. Holyfield's whole career includes multiple examples of him fighting the level/preference of his opponent and that could led to disaster here.

My prediction is that the first few rounds might be relatively tame with Liston landing the heavier jabs and occasional power punches while Holyfield lands more in general with good crisp accurate punches. But at some point, maybe the 4th or 5th, either guy lands something big and sparks fly. Here's the thing: Liston had slower hands and even though he hits harder, Holyfield would probably be landing more shots in a shootout. So the question is if Liston cracks and debilitates Holyfield or if Holyfield shuts down Liston with his high volume. Prime vs prime, I'm going with Liston eventually winning by TKO in 8-10 rounds more often than not unless Holyfield continues to box and fight smart (and I have a hard time seeing that happen).

In a rematch, Holyfield definitely wins. He would make the proper adjustments and pull it off frustrating Liston with his ring generalship and technique.

 

Holyfield at his best is far too multidimensional to lose to Liston. Assuming Holyfield is 100% which is rare, and fought a perfect fight, also not that common, he outboxes him. His feet negate the reach advantage, handspeed accuracy and combinations negate the power advantage.
Mentally i believe Holyfield to be the much tougher man.

HOWEVER if Holyfield comes in physically off or tries to stupidly outmuscle him he gets knocked out.

Holyfield of Foreman, Bowe 2, Tyson fights wins
Holyfield of Cooper, Moorer 1, Bowe 1 and 3 loses

I find it hard to ignore how liston reacted to a quicker, technically/stylistically superior man in Ali in his second title defense. It was pathetic really, almost as bad as Douglas vs Holyfield. He wasnt some beat up old warhorse being used as a gatekeeper, nor a drug addict or mentally ill. He was a reigning defending champ

 

I am a huge fan of both fighters.

If we're talking the Holyfield of Bowe I (which to me is the absolute career height for Evander in terms of his fighting ability and heart imo).

Liston hit too hard, harder than Bowe. I have a hard time seeing even peak Holyfield NOT making bad defensive mistakes.

He admitted Foreman had him out on his feet three times in their battle, Liston would have been young enough to capitalize.

I love Holy, but Liston catches up to him in 10 at the outside.

 

This one is a no brainer to me. Holyfield, particularly roided up as he was as a HW, would kick the **** out of Liston. Hes all wrong for Liston. Its kind of funny seeing all of the traits ascribed to Liston to here by some.

 

Holyfield

 

“This one is a no brainer to me”. Seeing as you go on and on about Williams being overrated but pick ****ing Ruddick of all people to beat Liston, I have to agree that this one is a no brainier to you because you have no ****ing brain.

 

This.

Holyfield would always talk about how he was going to box, move and use angles. Then he would get hit and start a brawl, winging seven or eight punches back at his opponent and failing to stick to his original game plan. Holyfield tended to be less defensively responsible when this occured.

Against Liston that's a path to unconsciousness.

 

If Holyfield didn't stick to his gameplan, like peak Holyfield didn't stick to his gameplan in the Bowe 1 fight; it would be fatal against Liston. Liston wins