Why did Joe Frazier not fight Sonny Liston?

Liston at that time was the very defintion of someone you want to keep a young prospect away from.

 

Yeah. Futch knew better.

 

Better yet, Yank Durham knew better not to fool with the aging but powerful Liston in 1967 or '68........ Plus, Frazier's shyster team of "Cloverlay" was still trying to make Frazier into a star while banking big bucks on Joe...... Cloverlay was paying Frazier's bills in hopes that Frazier would pan out as a fighter...... Frazier would eventually go solo after winning the title...... Also, Yank Durham checked-out somewhere around 1972.....

MR.BILL

 

If he had, how do you guy's think it would have went?

 

It depends on how well fit Liston was in '67 or '68....... Liston for sure was good enough and powerful enough to stop Frazier...... BUT! If Liston comes in bored and disinterested, Frazier out-works Liston over 10 rds pretty handidly.....

MR.BILL:deal

 

Interesting.

 

It would have been a high risk low reward fight.

Fraziers team were not fools so they steered him clear of it.

You might have questioned their judgment if they had taken the fight.

 

Hard to say, liston was still a force, and would've been able to fight Frazier. Considering how green and fresh Frazier was, I think Liston may be able to outpoint him...Maybe with a knockdown on the way, considering Bonavana knocked Frazier down TWICE. Liston wasn't a great finisher by this time, but could still brawl, and slug like the old liston... Minus the speed. He still had the punch.
I think Liston would beat Frazier at this time, if he comes in fit, and prepared. 220 seems good for an OLD Liston.

 

In '63/64, how hard did he think a fight with Clay would be though?

 

Ali is much more of a styleistic problem then Frazier would've been. Frazier-Liston would've been a brawl.

 

I really can't wrap my mind around why Sonny is so highly thought of post Ali II.

Who did he beat? Is it being assumed he was %75, even %50 of the fighter he was in his prime?

He certainly never proved it against any world class fighters from losing the Ali rematch to his death. Knocking out the likes of 15-16 Dave Bailey and 20-28 Sonny Moore and 20-30 Sonny Moore just doesn't do it for me.

Seems like he went the route of many ex-world champions and simply fought cans, trying to build himself back up into a marketable name after a shameful loss.

Honest question, what did he prove in 67-70?