Could Jack Dempsey Knock Out Sonny Liston?

Dempsey was very badly off financially intil he made it big. It's quite feasible. Hard times to live in back then.

 

The Fireman Jim Flynn fight, I think Dempsey was just up against a good rough veteran who caught him cold.
The only excuse Dempsey ever made to my knowledge is that he injured his hand working in a bowling alley before the fight and he couldn't train.

The reports of the time and the years close afterwards just seem to think it was a learning process fight and it happened in the days before Dempsey resembled the controlled refined attacker he became later, when he teamed up with Doc Kearns.

Dempsey was very raw back then, not even a contender, and probably ill-prepared, up against a fearless old veteran who'd been in with Tommy Burns, Jack Johnson and Sam Langford. Got rushed and caught cold, no mystery, no fix.

 

Yes he could.
Someone will get stopped in this fight, prime for prime I'd give (188lb) Dempsey a 40% chance against (212lb) Liston, however with a theoretical modern Dempsey at 210lbs it's a 50/50 bout imo.

 

Could Manassa Jack knock out Sonny? Sure he can, the real question is would he? My bet is no, he wouldn`t. Jack was the quicker more mobile of the two, but Sonny has the edge in power, size, strenght and reach and combined with his own skillset it doesn`t bode well for Jack imo.

He would have to bob and weave his way inside and under Liston`s jab to get his own offense going in close as he wouldn`t get much done from the outside. But this is dangerous for Dempsey as Sonny has a clear edge in physical strenght and he could have easily manhandled the Manassa Mauler in close quarters.

I don`t see Jack outboxing Sonny from a distance and I don`t see him getting inside and doing any significant work in close either, I don`t give Jack much of a chance in this matchup to be honest. He may well go the distance, but I doubt he takes it on points let alone flattens his man, Sonny by decision would be my guess.

 

You know I've read about the prime 1919 version of Dempsey being a young Duran or Manny Paq but I really have never sen it other than round one against Willard who at 37 and coming off huge inactivity was not the best barametor ... Liston was more than size he was exceptional talent ... Dempsey definately has a shot but I'd bet Liston ..

 

I actually see this one playing out with Liston trying to walk Dempsey down and and getting somewhat bamboozled by Dempsey's constant quick motion - and being shocked and shaken by Dempsey's brand of punching - Dempsey would be constantly moving - shifting direction to throw Liston and i think would make Liston look quite slow and ponderous darting in and out when ever Jack cut loose at full pelt with his blazing shots Liston would be blinking and backing up - Jack was as cruel a finisher as there ever has been and I think he would do whatever it took to finish him - because the longer Liston is marching in on Dempsey behind his heavy punishing jabs the more the danger increases for Dempsey - Liston wasn't invincible and did feel pain and shock and fear like every other fighter and he would feel it all against Dempsey because when Dempsey was worried about whether he could cope with someone the longer a fight went on that was when he would be at his most venomous every chance he got - Dempsey I think would be looking for the KO from the get-go but wouldn't stop moving for a second - he would probably have to weather some very shakey moments himself when the bear did close in but I think Dempsey would eventually stop Liston about the 5th or 6th rounds .

 

Today some fans are unaware of Dempsey's deceptive vweight of 188-193 lbs...He was described by boxing scribes of his day as " amazingly strong ".Dempsey had tremendous deltoids, powerful shoulders and biceps, atop a small waist. and slender legs..Accounting for his 190 lbs...Dempsey had what was described as having " fast twitching " muscles too.At his peak his greatest assets were his speed and killer instinct, along with a strong chin...For a heavyweight at his prime I feel he was along with Joe Louis, the two best and hardest hitting heavyweights of alltime...Weight be damned...

 

Yes

But he wouldnt

 

Was thinking about this fight earlier



Too tough to call for me


If I had to pick, I would say Dempsey

 

Sure. But Rocky hit slightly harder, had a better chin, and was physically stronger than Dempsey. He also fought out of a crouch while dempsey was more accustomed to bob and weave with fancy footwork. I don't think Dempsey matches up better. I think Dempsey's superior aggresion would be his downfall here. His Bobbing and Weaving was nice, until Liston sticks his long left jab in his face.

 

This one would be a thriller,Hydraulix ! I lean towards Liston because of his jab,primarily. It would keep Jack on the backfoot during lengthy intervals,before Sonny takes him out. Dempsey would also inflict pain on Liston before he gets taken out.

 

I think Dempsey has the potential to ko any man he can hit , then again the same goes for Liston.

His results against big sparring partners bear testimony to his ferocity.

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/cbzforum/showthread.php?1376-DEMPSEY-BREAKS-GODFREYS-RIBS-IN-192

 

The question should be restated to "could sonny Liston knock out Jack Dempsey " ?
And the logical answer should be "of course'. But would that have happened, I say NO !
Most posters visualize Jack Dempsey from film of him against Gene Tunney, when Jack
did not fight for over THREE YEARS,without a tune-up bout. And he no longer had mgr
Jack Kearns,his close brother JUST committed suicide,and Dempsey was 32 years old,
and a shell of his former self,who possessed panther-like speed.
Just watch with open eyes, his two punch kayo of Firpo in the second round, so fast that
the camera shows a BLURR, and Firpo drops like a fallen log. That was the Dempsey of his
prime,who was considered the greatest fighter from 1900-50 in a poll taken in 1950.
One other thing Dempsey though about 190-93,was from the waist up as big as a 210-15
pound heavyweight, with inordinate strength for his size. Dempsey with his great two handed power,combined with middleweight speed and reflexis,along with a toughness
moulded from his hobo days,made him a scary opponent for any heavyweight who ever lived,of that I'm convinced...