I always feel Liston was given an unfair shake in the Ali rematch. Whether or not the phantom punch really did any damage or if Liston tried to take a dive is still a mystery. I'm not arguing this in my thread but what you guys think of this. Liston was a former world champ and a legend at the time. He could atleast be given a ref who was competent "Less than two minutes into the fight, while he was pulling away from Liston, Ali hit Liston with an extremely quick punch which didn't seem to have much weight behind it. However, Liston awkwardly went down, first lurching forward to the canvas then sprawling out onto his back, spread-eagled. In the total shambles that followed, referee This content is protected never counted over Liston and never made Ali go to a neutral corner, while Ali yelled hysterically at Liston, running around the ring, arms aloft. During this time Liston made an attempt to get back to his feet, before again rolling onto his back. After Liston finally got up, ringside boxing writer This content is protected , who had no authority, informed Walcott that Liston had been on the canvas for over 10 seconds (during which time the fight briefly resumed), and that the fight should be over. Walcott then waved the fight off. The photograph of the knockdown of this fight and is one of the most heavily promoted photos in the history of the media, and was even chosen as the cover of the This content is protected special issue, "The Century's Greatest Sports Photos" which was taken by renowned sports photographer Neil Leifer." What leaps out at me is that he could have gotten up but Ali never went to his corner. Instead he stayed there taunting and threatening. Now Why in the world would Liston get up if the guy is crowding him like that. Ref did not do his job. Second count does not start until fighter who scored the knock down goes to the neutral corner. If this rule was not in effect no big deal but the same thing happened in Dempsey Tunney 2 and that is why Tunney was not counted out. Finally a magazine editor not a comissioner not a judge not a corner man a magazine editor told Walcot the ref that the count was ten and Walcot ended the fight. Now first off it goes by the refs count. He let them keep fighting. In boxing there are no do overs exception being Cintron but if Walcot did not get to ten it aint over. Liston an HOF ATG deserves alot more respect than that
It doesn't matter because Liston was not mentally prepared to fight that night. You can say he took a dive or didn't, but he was not going to win either way. I agree that Ali received way too much slack especially with all the holding in Ali/Frazier II but this isn't the fight to make that case.
