Sonny Liston vs Rocky Marciano

Marciano by way of Liston quitting.

 

liston tko

 

marciano tko.
If liston cant get him out of there with the heavy artillery early i see it ending up in a corner around the tenth with marciano hitting liston till the ref steps in.
Sonny just wouldnt go the hard yards with a guy as gruelling as the rock..

 

We don't know enough about either fighter to know the answer. We don't know how Rocky would handle an elite HW as big and powerful as Liston, and we don't know if Liston was good enough beat a genuinely great HW of any kind.

 

Liston quits on stool due to a full body injury.

 

Tough fight but I would favor Sonny Liston winning by UD or even a KO.

According to Marciano, "Ezzard Charles was the toughest Man I ever fought. I learned what pain was all about when I fought him."
That's up on the HBO sports section right now actually.

Now if a LH who wasn't exactly "fresh" at the time, Ezzard Charles, although a Great LH, could trouble Rocky in that first fight, imagine a big HW who was a very good "boxer" himself in Sonny Liston could do to trouble Rocky. Rocky of course beat Charles but Ezzard Charles isn't "Charles Sonny Liston."

Jab: A Shot version of Joe Louis troubled Rocky with his Jab. And that Jab of Louis's at that point in time wasn't close to what it used to be. The speed wasn't there, the pop wasn't there, and the accuracy wasn't all there. Now put Sonny Liston in there, who had a freakishly long reach, with a bawling ball size fist, that could throw it with precision, timing, and power...whose Jab was known as "The Cannon" just to put that out there for anybody that starts to bring up nicknames like "Suzie-Q" ends it....I smell trouble for Rocky with that one punch alone. Even Strength wise, for all the talk of Rocky being so strong, an Old Shot Louis wasn't exactly being pushed around like one would expect (before he got tired). I would favor Sonny being stronger than Rocky as well.

Walcott vs. Marciano: Don't forget that a 38 year old worn torn Walcott gave Rocky all he could handle and was out-boxing Rocky for 12+ rounds before being taken out. Walcott of course was taking some big shots in that fight prior to that final punch and Rocky set that up perfectly catching Walcott as he was starting to throw as well so it was no lucky punch...but Liston is bigger, stronger, and a better boxer than Walcott...who since this is a fantasy fight, would be "prime vs. prime.'

The Sonny Liston that fought his way up the ranks and on to the fight with Floyd Patterson, was a dedicated fighter and a beast in the ring. Of course his outside life wasn't so clean and that eventually caught up with him fast. Who knows how old Sonny really was but you factor in how he treated his body outside of the gym, he was no Rocky Marciano in that sense. Shame.


Rocky never fought any great, let along "good," 200+ pound HWs so I'm not sure how he does even with a list of fighters of that next caliber of size. It's not to knock smaller guys because smaller guys can actually be very troubling because they tend to be faster and can throw more punches...but those smaller guys seem to also be out-classed a lot of times when facing higher/bigger opposition that are good themselves. It depends on the fighter(s) really.

Walcott and Moore both also floored Rocky so I think Sonny could do the same. And since this is a prime version of Sonny, you would have a younger fighter in there, bigger fighter in there, and a better finisher in there in Liston.


Rocky isn't particular fast which is something I would say you need against Liston if you are going to be aggressive... and his balance can be thrown off because he sometimes reaches to land a punch which is due to his small reach. Get off balance against Liston, try to reach against Liston, and your chances of surviving aren't that good. Rocky would have to get by Liston's long reach first.

 

I'd give it to Liston. I don't know how Rocky would handle a true brutal heavyweight like Liston who's strength would give Rocky's chin the ultimate test.

 

Hold up My2Sense, some posters think the Patterson victory might be as impressive as Foreman's win over Frazier. Sounds to some like a genuinely great HW of any kind.

 

I completely disagree. Louis' jab was excellent, even in 1951. Louis destroyed a prime ezzard charles' face with his jab alone in 1950. Louis jab was heavy, it was fast, and it was very well timed. Louis had by far the best jab in the division in 1951. His jab was his best asset by that point.

"Good"?? Is Joe Louis 6'2 214lb rated # 2 in the world, and Heavyweight Champion of the world recognized by BBBC "good" enough for you?



I like Liston by unanimous decision over Marciano. Believe it or not folks, this fight WILL go the distance. Liston and Marciano loved to patiently stalk there prey before moving in for the kill. With respect to eachothers abilities, I see a lot of circling and feinting and clinching early on, with the fireworks beginning around round 4 or 5..and by that point both will be nice and warm and committed to going the distance. Liston scores a lot of points with his jab, utilizing his long arms on the outside, and short powerful uppercuts on the inside. Rocky comes on strong in the end with spirit breaking punches all over listons body, setting a frantic work pace, but liston in great shape keeps up with him enough to weather part of the storm. Rocky will find himself unable to outmuscle liston in the clinches, and unable to back liston into the ropes. Rocky will also find himself being outpunched in toe to toe exchanges, and at times, dominated on the outside.


Liston 15 close unanimous

 

I would say that was one of the worst posts I have read in a long time, and I think Liston wins this fight. :bart. He used some horrible logic and false information in his posts to justify his position. Caelum is a good guy, but he has it out for Marciano a little bit. He thinks Floyd Patterson would beat Marciano prime for prime.

 

His jab was not as good as it used to be.

NO. The fact that a Shot Joe Louis was rated so highly tells me two things:
(1) Shot Joe Louis is that good to be considered #2 although I think it was just because of that era.
(2) Shot Joe Louis was rated high out of respect and needed those rankings to get the title fight which brings in publicity and MONEY...something Joe needed badly at the time to pay back
Uncle "I can care less what you did for our country" Sam.

Joe Louis was seriously sad to watch during that time. Joe did retire the first time around for a reason. And he only came back because of dirty Sam wanted his money. I'm all for taxes and paying them but that was messed up if the facts I here are correct.
His last fight he said he even felt close to what he used to be was his fight with I think Tami Mauriello. And even in that fight it was noted by Tami that "Joe had slowed down considerably."