Tunney vs. Liston

Idk what Tunney has ever done but Liston easily destroys. Wouldn't even call it a fight, more like a slaughter. Extremely easy, probably too easy. Another win for Liston.

 

Intriguing fight. Probably the type of matching Tunney would get the better of in a five & possibly even three-fight series. Higher ring IQ & more adaptable.

Certainly very plausible he’s unable to deal with Liston’s reach & power at the first time of asking though. I would cautiously pick Liston.

 

Very good fight. Listons got the measurables but that did him no good against Ali. Tunney beat Dempsey but Dempsey didn't have the 85 reach and Dempsey caught him once. Tunney is really the limit of what a sub 200 without HW power can do IMO. Liston is a human pocket battleship. Theres nothing predictable about this matchup.

 

I have always thought that Tunney was one of the few 20th century heavyweight champs who stood a chance against Liston. He had the technique, ring intelligence, toughness, footwork, punching accuracy and endurance to take Sonny on. If Liston took him lightly he'd have a surprise waiting. I think the world of Gene Tunney as a fighter. I give him a pass on charges of racism. It was a different world back then.

 

Gene is way too fast, way too smart and hits hard enough to damage anyone over 15 rounds.
Does a runner during the first third of the fight and then starts pouring in more and more as the fight goes on. Stops Sonny on cuts, or knocks him out in between the 11th and the 15th while being way ahead on points.

 

He wasn't as fast as or hit as hard as Patterson.

Sonny KO3

 

On the hitting part, neither did Ali.
He was faster than Sonny and that's all he'd need to be to stay away from him until he wore him down. The guy who can't finish Whitehurst in two tries, Machen and Marshall twice in three tries isn't taking Gene in three, five, or ten. There's a higher statistical chance Gene takes him out in the first five btw.

 

Liston early KO

 

Sonny might have trouble with Tunney for awhile-but I think once he landed a big shot it would be the beginning of the end. Liston KO in 8-9 rounds.

 

"They're always telling me how fast this guy is or that guy. They said Folley was too fast, too cute, for me. They said the same thing about Patterson. It seems like I'm always just a little faster than the other guy." Sonny Liston

Remind me again of the even decent heavyweights that Tunney beat. And no, I don't include a disinterested, stale Dempsey to be decent.

 

So static Folley and come-forward Floyd stand in for the most fleet footed heavyweight not named Ali...
In the parallel universe where Liston holds a ko win over quick or defensively adept boxers in the class of Tunney, I will defend the Dempsey wins. In this one though, Liston hasn't knocked out Whitehurst in two tries, Machen, Marshall only once in three efforts and got blown out twice by the closest thing to Tunney.

 

Tunney by 15th round decision in very boring fight.

Liston would be angry while Tunney would dance but would not fight.

It would be similar to Liston against Machen, but with Tunney a winner.

I like Liston style over Tunneys, but Tunney style would do the job right enough to win.

 

Yeah Tunney wouldn't be as intimidated as Patterson and might be able to hold him off for a bit but he wouldn't hold him off for long.

 

If we’re throwing out the Dempsey of the second fight (whom Tunney routed easily) as not even qualifying for a decent win, then we’re gonna have a very thin résumé for Liston too.