Sonny Liston or Wladimir Klitschko who rates higher as a all time heavyweight?

I think it's important to put fighters like Marciano in their proper context. While their achievements are impressive, it's also fair to acknowledge that they wouldn't fare as well in today's modern heavyweight division.

 

Marciano made title defenses and never embarrassed himself. I don’t rank Marciano based on winning the “undisputed” title.

 

No worries mate .

 

Ok man, look I also happen to be a huge Wlad fan as well as a Sonny Liston fan.In defending Liston I certainly don't want to disparage Wlad.
However I just cannot accept,will never accept, that the 60s version of Ali would lose to Wlad.Ali had the fastest feet and hands in heavyweight history.Plus,as we all found out later,he also happened to have a great chin.
Ernie Terrell was not a great heavyweight, but he had an excellent jab.At 6' 6'' he matched Wlads stats.Ali didn't only destroy Terrell he actually toyed with him.
Of course Wlad might offer stiffer resistance to Ali than Terrell did,but honestly there would be only one winner,and it wouldn't be Wlad.

 

Terrell is nowhere near Wlad's level

 

Not saying he is,but he was very tall and had an excellent jab.A very fine fighter who Ali absolutely humiliated
and destroyed.The 1960s Ali not only defeats Wlad,but beats him fairly comfortably.

 

Cool my only real big difference is no Foreman. But Foreman getting a belt at 45 is seriously impressive.

 

Hmmm.....hate to be picky but Patterson was the same natural size as Evander Holyfield.

 

Hmm....sorry to bring up the subject of Lamon Brewster again,but he was roughly the same size as Liston.Only
Brewster was not as skilled as Liston,nor did he punch as hard as Liston.
Look,I'm not suggesting that taking on Wlad would be a walk in the park for Sonny but I would make Liston a favourite to beat Wlad,albeit a slight one.
Ok if you think the opposite that's ok,but to be so dismissive of Sonny's chances against Klitschko is unwise.

 

Holyfield was 2.5 inches taller and far from natural. Patterson was also in the low 160s when he started his pro career.

 

Now that would have been a terrific fight.

 

Funny that,Holyfield's height was given as 6' 1 '' when he started his career,a whole 1'' taller than Patterson.
Patterson in the low 160s when he turned pro ? Well he was only 17 years old !

 

You’re erasing the 20 pounds that Brewster had on Liston and narrowing down Wlad’s career to a performance that happened before he was even the champion.

Why don’t you use the Brewster fight that actually happened during Wlad’s reign? Or why don’t you match Wlad from the first Brewster fight against Liston from the Marty Marshall fight?

 

Wait until you find out how old Patterson was when won the title.

And Holyfield isn’t 6’1.

 

Brewster was an inch taller and around 10-20 lbs heavier and only won by taking Wlad's best shots and exhausting him (which was also a bit weird but lets ignore that for now) Not something that someone like Liston could emulate considering his chin was not nearly as good. Brewster also has experience and has shown he can fight and beat SHWs Liston has not mostly beating cruiserweights and small heavyweights. Don't think the two are in anyway comparable