Charles "Sonny" Liston vs. The Big HWs

Williams is hyped because he's the only notable fighter Liston buried during his prime that he didnt hold a comfortable size advantage over. It's rather astonishing to me people get on their tough man high horse and proclaim he'd have Tyson quaking in his ankle boots. Please B. :rofl

 

liston also burried zora folley whom was a mediocre journeyman / contender whom liston wasn't much bigger than also , but then folley was quite buryable regardless of liston .
liston and all of his opponents r extremely overhyped and overrated and this i claim 4 at least 2 yrs by now .

 

but very powerfull Bob can stop everbody
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za2qFeWxjek[/ame]

 

XPert post m8cool::hat

 

You talking to me?

 

Prime for primes?

All of these men would give Liston trouble because he would be the shorter man in these fights and the fact that Liston is a more traditional stand-up boxer that uses his jab to create his distances. Liston did slip punches and sometimes used his shoulders but he doesn't move his head like a swarmer to set up his shots. Neither for defense.

On the other hand, he could knock them all out at any time if he gets on top of them, traps them in the corner and lets his hands go. Sonny was a good combination puncher and he was a BAMF in the ring.

Foreman said he couldn't back an older Liston up when they sparred in 72.
He and Bowe would be the easiest for Sonny. Holmes gives him the most trouble because Sonny wouldn't win the jab war against Larry. It's a big part of his offense. A focused, disciplined Lewis would give him big trouble too. As the taller man, he'd lean on Sonny like he did to Michael Grant only with more ease and throw those underneath uppercuts.

I think the Klitschko's athleticism would carry them for quite a few rounds but Sonny eventually lands big shot in the late rounds to stop them both.

 

Liston was also a highly skilled fighter, in many ways a boxer/puncher ... against every man mentioned he would be on par or greater in reach and punching power .... Sonny would be able for the most part to fight very effectively from the outside opposed to smaller men who would have to bull their way inside and absorb frightening punishment along the way ...Height aside these men pose different match ups from a style perspective ...

Liston was highly skilled and I feel he would have been way to sharp for the pre-retirement Foreman

Larry Holmes was an exceptional boxer with terrific height, reach, strength and chin and would likely decision Liston but Sonny's own jab could trouble him ...

Bowe was a great fighter on the night he fought Holyfield the first time but he was always hittable and I believe Liston was simply too good.

Vitali is a very tough guy as well as crafty and a master at maximizing his size .. he may outpoint Liston or he may be busted up by the jab and stopped ... a very interesting fight ..

I think Liston destroy's Wlad ... his jab troubles him terribly and he breaks Wlad down and stops him ..

Lennox at his best was a very dangerous man ... this could go either way as Bruno gave Lennox all he could handle with a similar style fighting behind a tough jab till he was caught and faded as he often did ... It could go either way in my book ...

 

I agree. This post reflects my thoughts on the matter almost perfectly.

 

Sonny didn't like to fight 'Big Heavyweights', as by his own admission, he liked to
bully his fighters all over the ring.

Sonny did not fight these mediocre 'big boys', as he had an excuse in both scheduled bouts with these guys.
* Young Jack Johnson....6' 3" - 235 lbs.
* Ted 'Kayo' Donald.......6' 3" - 210 lbs.

 

Thank you.

 

I don't think the size would be a problem for Sonny because he did have power, Cleveland Williams was about 6"3, I think it was the smaller guys that troubled Sonny and the guys who hung in there and were not afraid. I dont know if size was an issue Sonny was 6 ft. with a wide wingspan

 

Oh pa-lease (roll on the floor laughing!)
Many 'old-timers' overrate Sonny; virtually all of you newbies underrate him. atsch
An ancient Holmes had the style until he caved in. And I don't think Mike really feared an old Holmes right at that point. Sonny banged, big-time, and Tyson would have respected that. And would have respected that hammer-jab of Liston's.
Not to mention Mike had some 'punk' in him when a big banger planted some shots on him. (and don't give me the before his conviction he would have destroyed every heavyweight in history crapola!)
As I've said, very difficult to compare boxers from different eras but I'm not seeing a prime Tyson walking thru a prime Liston on any night.

 

Stylistically he doesn't do that unwell against most fighters. But Liston was a little more ponderous than most acknowledge. How well does a Bully fare against bigger opposition?