I back Liston to win, but he did tend to have trouble with mobile fighters. Bert Whitehurst, hardly a world beater, lasted the distance and so did Eddie Machen. I would think that Tunney was better than Whitehurst and at the very least, equal to Machen. Tunney could last the distance if he's careful, but I expect Liston to win by UD. Wins by KO if Tunney gets too big for his britches and tries to slug with Liston.
Patterson had a different style. Patterson was better than Whitehurst and Machen, but they both did better against Liston than he did. By far.
Have to disagree. Tunney had a very mobile style and Liston had trouble with knocking out mobile fighters. Tunney was better than Whitehurst and at least equal to Eddie Machen. Both lasted the distance with prime Liston. I expect Liston to win a UD if Tunney stays on his bicycle but Liston could win by KO if Tunney plants his feet and tries to go for a punch out with Liston.
The if has implications that I wanted to question. So the whole sentence is "If Tunney uncharacteristically gave up on moving and boxing and decided to pull his favorite Max Baer impression then Liston would have a very good chance of winning" Yeah, under those circumstances, I think he might lose this one.
Weird. I recall Tunney getting KO'd by a shot Dempsey. I shudder to think what a prime Liston would have done to the guy. But let's be real, Tunney wouldn't have come within two zip codes of a ring Liston was in. Wasn't his flavor of opponent.
The "but Tunney not fight black people doe" line? Really? LOL, at least you gave it your best in two replies before busting it out.
Some guys avoid punchers, some guys avoid slickster... and some guys, well... It is what it is. He feared deep in his soul that he could not take a black man in the ring.
It is a glaring, indefensible artifact of his career. At least Dempsey dipped his toes in those waters only to have John Lester Johnson change his mind permanently.