Let’s imagine that after Sonny Liston stops Henry Clark in July 1968, some promoter is able to put together a fight between Liston and exiled Muhammad Ali in the autumn of 1968. Sonny has regained a top ten ranking, while Ali has been inactive since March 1967. What happens? I’m imagining a classically sloppy third fight scenario, a la Patterson-Johansson, Ali-Frazier, Bowe-Holyfield, and Fury-Wilder where a rusty Ali prevails via late round TKO over a well-prepared active Liston, but not before experiencing some scary moments and a knockdown or two. Whatcha think?
Depends how rusty Ali had become within a year. If he showes up in Terell mode, Liston wouldn´t end the fight standing upright. Martin was the only 12 round bout Sonny fought at the time, the rest was 10-rounders. I doubt he´d make 12 or 15 against a more Rusty also, maybe 10. From a pure perspective of boxing, Liston wouldn´t be darf enough to take the fight. From the perspective of beeing broke, he´d take the fight for sure.
It would be a pretty rough sell seeing how Liston is 0-2 against Ali already and a really really bad taste has been left in everyone's mouth after the possible shenanigans of the 2nd fight. But if all those roadblocks are clear I just cant see an even older Liston beating a more experienced Ali. His best shot was the first fight and he didn't do it.
