Sonny Liston vs. Rocky Marciano, Who wins?

Both can win this. Liston was bigger, had a longer reach, was taller. Logic says if JJW and Moore can floor Marciano early, surely Liston can do so and finish the job? Big if imo, Liston might do it, but I'm not sure, I certainly wouldn't put money on it. Stunning Marciano is one thing, taking him out another entirely. Liston could theoretically bust Marciano up and force a stoppage on cuts. Liston has height, weight and reach advantages. Liston's best chance imo is a cuts stoppage. If it's Liston's night he might be able to win this one.

We all know Marciano's strengths by now. Many think that his perceived weaknesses play right into the hands of Liston. Maybe, but I also think the opposite is true. If it's not Liston's night, and things don't go according to plan, this is where things could unravel for Liston. I contributed to the Liston vs Frazier thread and I expressed surprise there that the respective bravery of the fighters was not mentioned much - I'm doing the same here.

What if Liston doesn't stop Marciano early? What if his best shots don't have the effect that Sonny hoped for/expected? Marciano seemed to revel in adversity - Sonny apparently did not. Then it's a fight - then we're in Marciano territory. As the rounds roll by and Marciano forces Liston to fight at Rocky's pace, what then? We know that Marciano will ask/give no quarter, we know he can do the 15 at a strong pace, we know Marciano demonstrated a level of bravery that Liston didn't always match up to. We know that Liston can mark up to.

My suspicion is that Marciano is rough & tough enough with a big enough heart and will to win to overcome the early scares, sow the seeds of doubt in Sonny's mind and bully the bully over the long haul.

Marciano to win in the championship rounds - either the ref drags The Rock off an exhausted, broken Liston on the ropes, or Liston crumbles to the canvas...or maybe a corner retirement?

 

Liston, left jab alone would bust up and stop Marciano. Liston Tko 5 on cuts.

 

Christ this is a tough one! My heart says Marciano due to his toughness and courage but my mind says Liston due to his physical advantages. I'm having a hard time seeing how Rocky can consistently get inside Sonny's 84" reach to hurt Sonny enough to win. Liston was a good boxer. Certainly no fancy dan but good nonetheless. His jab and uppercut were devestating. 2 punches that could make for a long night (Or short one) against a fighter of Marciano's size. Liston had about 15" in reach over Rocky and plenty of power to boot. Prime Liston would be the hardest puncher Marciano ever fought (Washed up Louis doesn't count) and one of the better boxers he ever met as well. Plus young Liston was deceptively quick for his size.....I don't know....If Rocky wins he has to turn this into a fight. Survive the early rounds and discourage Sonny all the while getting under that freakishly long reach advantage of Liston's and attacking his tree trunk torso en route to his chin. He could do it but would he? I still can't make up my mind. Rocky is Mentally tougher and superbly conditioned but I'm still not sure if that's enough. I'll have to agonize some more over this one.

 

Kind of with Seamus on this - but at the same time fact is ('styles make fights' aside) anyone I rate above Jersey Joe Walcott & Ez Charles gives Marciano life and death period IMO - and Liston was a dreadnought, an executioner - but then everytime I watch Marciano he always still seems to just take everything in his stride and seems to have no concerns at all that his power won't win the day for him eventually

 

Why would he have to move back? You're ridiculous.

 

Ok, would clinching work for Rocky's advantage?

 

he did it against scrap iron johnson and had great success.. also against Besmanoff

 

You know what makes this fight interesting.
Both fighters would have to change-up their styles for this one.

If Sonny just used his pole-like jab for this fight, and abandon every thing else, he would probably win every round.

 

I subscribe to this. Nobody Rocky EVER fought had the kayo ability that Liston did. Louis was too old to be a real, tremendous punching threat. I don't think Rocky would handle a Liston or a Foreman as well as many seem to think. He proved to be tough and iron-jawed, but still saw the canvas and ate the hands of many weaker, smaller, less skilled opponents.

I do really rate Charles, Moore, and Walcott. But they still weren't on Listons calibre as punchers.

 

marciano never fought a real heavy like liston who was at the top so the jury's out. if he starts slugging then the extra weight for liston will tell, if he can change and wait to the later rounds then he's carrying out the correct game plan.

 

liston is a little too big for the rock imo.

 

A prime Liston would just be too much.Too big and maybe too skilled as well.

 

I favour Marciano. Reasons: he had an excellent chin, never seriously hurt in any fight; he had a much higher work rate than Sonny; he had vastly superior stamina; and he was much, much mentally tougher. I don't think Liston brings anything to the table that can offset these advantages - he has KO power but so does Marciano. He was bigger, but Marciano fought bigger guys than Liston and handled them easy.

For those saying Liston in a few rounds - Bert Whitehurst lasted 2 whole fights without getting stopped by Liston, so only someone with almost zero knowledge of boxing could possibly say that the *most likely* outcome is for a guy 49-0 and with an excellent chin to be stopped in the first few rounds of the fight. It is a slim chance at best, and it is JUST AS LIKELY that Rocky stops Liston fast.

 

Why are you only focusing on Liston's strong points? What about Marciano's? How does Liston weather *Marciano's storm* - which by the way will last for the full 15 rounds and be pretty much non-stop, a much higher punch output than Liston's.

Focusing only on one fighter's strengths, and ignoring how he will cope with the opponent's strengths, is a sign of BIAS and lazy analysis. It happens too often on these forums.

Walcott and Charles were more skilled boxers than Liston, Marciano did pretty good against them. This caricature of Marciano as some kind of crude swarmer who gets exposed by anyone who can box a bit was disproven time and time again. The vastly experienced and tricky Archie Moore thought the same - until he actually fought him, then he got one of the worst beatings of his career.