1) it's a huge feat compared to Sonny Listons feats of strength. Because Grant is WAY bigger than Liston or anybody he fought. And Grant was a strong guy himself. People describe Liston as possessing monstrous strength but he showed this strength against mostly cruisers and/or very small heavyweights. He was strong no doubt but how strong would he be against 225lb-240lb+ guys ? Biggs, Ruddock, Holyfield, Tyson, Briggs, All of these guys Lewis overpowered relatively easily in spots. Liston beat bigger guys like Williams, Wepner, and Zech but he never really overpowered them in the clinches or anything. Lewis outsized most of his opponents but a lot of them weighed significantly more than Liston and almost all of his opponents, even Listons largest opponents. Based on evidence I'd say Lewis was stronger. Liston was probably pfp stronger and had natural strength but Lewis still showed superior strength in an absolute sense. Lewis would probably overpower Liston. 2) those guys are sub 200 pounders though 3) Williams was a big guy for his era, Lewis would make Williams look small
Exactly what I think. McCall is almost like George Chuvalo, except he doesn't cut really, so he doesn't get stopped.
1) You have very good points here. Can't argue with them. As for how Liston does against the guys you mentioned like Biggs, Ruddock, Holyfield, Tyson, and Briggs; while power has a great deal to do with it, chin also has something to do with it. If you ask me, Biggs and Tyson had average chins and Ruddock and Briggs had poor ones. Holyfield had a great chin. This isn't to say Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley, and Floyd Patterson had great chins. None of them had better than decent chins. My point is just that some of the guys Lewis beat had jaws just as fragile as the guys Liston beat, and when you're jaw's as fragile as say Razor Ruddock's, it doesn't take a helluva punch to floor a guy or knock him out. So I would pick Liston to defeat most of Lewis' opponents handily just as Lewis had done. 2) Agreed. I was just clarifying that the height difference is insignificant. 3) True. Terrell was Lewis' height and made Williams look a little small. But I would think Williams would be big in any era really.
Here is what he meant. Lennox overpowered a 6ft7 guy because he was strong- Liston overpowers little guys like Patterson and stopped chinny overrated bums like Williams because he was a powerful guy who would’ve thought? Lennox is superior in every way. In what manner is Liston the greater of the two?
Ruddock didn't have a bad chin imo, he got dropped by big punchers so he didn't have a strong chin but and he had good recovery regardless, Ruddock was ready to fight after he got dropped by Lewis twice but Lewis just layed the work on him the second time and finished him off
Sure I have. None of them very good KD's. One of them most certainly wasn't a KD. It didn't take much to floor Ruddock.
It could be argued that Lewis never beat anyone as great as prime, Patterson-era Liston. Mike and Holy don't count because they were way past it. And I'm not entirely convinced Lewis won that second Holy fight, though it was extremely close (and I certainly can't hold it against someone for believing Lewis won it).
Roy Orbison is the referee singing his signature tune, Crying at the fighters instructions at ring center. Sonny Liston just smirks, then proceeds to hang a terrible beating on poor Oliver McCall. Liston by TKO 6. Sonny afterwards says he preferred his training song, Night Train.
Hmm? Not saying Lewis couldn't win a decision but I'm trying to visualize what happens when a Liston right cross clips Lennox on the jaw. Any ideas?
McCall suffers a freak shoulder injury, followed by Holyfield-esque heart attack, followed by Fan Man collision. Liston by TKO.
