Sonny Liston wins the title from Patterson Defends it against him KO 1 Then defends it against Terrell He wins a tougher than thought unanimous decision. He fights Patterson for a third time, this time Floyd last a little longer, he survives till the third round. Liston begins to age and struggles against Chuvalo, finally stopping him in the 12 th, but is cut and bruised. He is out of action for at least a year, due to injuries, he then fights young Joe Frazier. Joe is rocked in the first round but gradually wears the older man down, stopping Liston in the 8th round. Afterwards Joe praises Liston's power, saying " whooo, I'm glad I didn't meet that guy five years ago"! Sonny says " Time got me tonight '
I'm going to carry it on tomorrow, when I get time,up to the late 70 s . Crazy to think of a time without the Greatest.
It would make an enormous difference to the lineage. Expect there to be three or four additional lineal champions.
Liston would've aged and been out the picture by the 70s. Frazier would've dethroned him at that stage i agree. Would Foreman go undefeated in the 70s if Ali didn't beat him ?
No, maybe we get Holmes Foreman late 70s or Foreman loses to Jimmy Young. It would be so wildly different without Ali I'm not sure
I’m thinking yeah that’s about right, if he runs into Ellis and Quarry afterwards he gets gutted like a fish IMO.
Sonny Liston probably holds on to the title a while longer, but how much longer, I don’t know. I doubt we’d see a third fight with him and Patterson. I don’t Floyd would have wanted that and neither would fans. Joe Frazier eventually takes over the heavyweight division for a few years and then I imagine the title changes hands a few times until Larry Holmes comes along
Joe Frazier defends the title successfully 9 times before taking on George Foreman. Joe is stopped in two rounds. George defends the title 5 time's (including a rematch with Joe Frazier, and a fight with Quarry. He defends against Lyle and ends up looking vulnerable for the first time, getting dropped several times before stopping Ron. His next fight is a close one, against Jimmy Young. Despite dropping Young early, it's Jimmy that seems to win the second half. With most thinking the title Will change hand's there is shock when Foreman wins by split decision. In his very next fight he defend against unbeaten contender, Larry Holmes. With no blueprint from Ali how to beat George, the fight is brutal and Holmes is dropped heavily twice. But Larry recovers to win by 12 rounds ko. Larry defends against ken Norton, who was Kod by George in two rounds. In another upset, Norton wins by split decision. An immediate rematch sees Larry win the title for a second time.
We MAY have never experienced the pleasure of seeing Canelo Alvarez, Roy Jones, Jr., or Mike Tyson fight. And we may have, among others, seen a different Joe Calzaghe.
We go Liston, Frazier, Foreman, one of the top 90s HWs who isn't Tyson. While Liston didn't fight the best guys of the late 60s theres little reason to pick any to beat him in particular before Frazier. Before Foreman shows up theres no one you'd pick to beat Frazier. Before the 90s theres no one you'd pick to beat Foreman except maybe Jimmy Young. That doesn't mean no one will beat them but its not very predictable. Even Leotis Martin beating Liston in 69 was a fluke outcome, Liston was going to win before the fight. Jimmy Young might beat Foreman again at his best Young would be very hard to beat over 15 rounds. If Foreman was champ that'd the distance though Foreman might not let it get to that point. But if Jimmy wins he declined very quick In our timeline. After beating Foreman Young lost his first would be NABF defense(think he got stripped) to Norton. Now that was a super close fight and Norton someone who won a trilogy with Ali but if Young wins there he didn't have much time left. Foreman should be back in the drivers seat by 1980 if he keeps his mind together. It is probably more likely a Foreman whose been ruling over 10 years calls it quits in the late 80s then lasts to the 90s. And whoever the top 2 contenders are at that time fight for the belt. Which should be some combination of Tyson, Holmes, Tucker, Witherspoon, Buster Douglas, Pinklon Thomas, Bruno or perhaps Cooney. It really depends on when Foreman retires and how things unfold. Holyfield will be the first of the 90s guard(except Tyson) to get a title shot because he'll be coming from CW. The question is who will be champ when that happens and if they are more capable in mind and spirit then out of shape Buster Douglas.
