Chuck Wepner Says That Sonny Liston Hit Harder Than George Foreman

And Sonny was an old man by then.

 

Ali said Earnie Shavers hot harder than Liston or Foreman although Ali never really sampled Sonny's power not did he feel Foreman's like he did Shavers three years later in his career ...

 

janitor... liston faced smaller rivals and worse rivals and still the %ko of foreman was much better and george fought in his 40s, and it is obvious, every person with eyes can see that foreman was harder puncher with both hands. i respect liston, because he was the idol of george(joe louis was too), i do not want to talk bad about liston. liston was the only sparring partner who took every shot from ( a green kid 18-19 years old) foreman, george said that it were wars!!! in the sparring sessions.. george was green(his fight number 3 or 4) and liston was past his prime when they faced wepner, but he had experience, he was heavier than this george. foreman was not even in his prime and wepner was stopped in 3 against george , he fought 10 rounds against liston. with all my respect for sonny liston he a ****ing animal and he was a very hard punche(he would make marciano and tyson his bitches), but foreman was stronger and harder puncher.

 

the hitting power of shavers is absolutely overrated. foreman never did hit ali with his best shot in the face. foreman also faced a much better version of ali, shavers did hit ali with a clean shot in the face and still he could not put him down, ali 77 was weak pathetic... ron lyle was ko by foreman but he took the shots from shavers...

 

I don't think we can always take Chuck Wepner on the 'exactitude' of absorbing punches.

Alot has to do with there coherence at the time of the fight, both fighters.

 

I think a better evaluater would be George Johnson, the tough journey-man.

Who fought;
Sonny Liston
George Foreman
Joe Frazier
Jerry Quarry
Ron Lyle

 

I have always thought the same thing


I think if prime Ali fought the same Shavers, Earnie would probably have been knocked out before he could even land a big one.


I read Ali saying that he got hit with only one of Sonny's really big punches, and it was a jab, coming at the end of a round, and it stunned him. He said that he was extremely thankful for the bell, because he was shaken up.

That was from one of Sonny's jabs.


It's why I rate him #4 HW of all time. A thread about who has more power between him and Foreman can be debatable. But a thread asking whose more technical would be way more one sided.

 

And for what its worth I have also read of another account of a cornerman who has worked with Liston and Foreman, who said Liston hit harder

 

it's all subjective IMO they both hit so hard it was crazy

 

well, in 1974 jack dempsey and joe louis both said that " george foreman is the most powerful fighter and the hardest hitter that we ever saw" and they saw liston,baer,carnera, marciano,shavers..


liston had better skill, better jab, better stamina ,longer reach and faster hands.
foreman was stronger,harder puncher he did cut better the ring, he had more heart, he had better chin.

anyway they both might well extract your head,simple

 

I remember reading this. From a column in RING called "Head to Head", I believe. Always loved reading these fantasy match-ups. Someone posted before that the power between Liston and Foreman is debatable, but the better boxer is truly one sided.

 

Liston obviously had a harder 'ram-rod' left jab that would bust you up.
And his left hook, from the cotton-fields of Arkansas was the real-deal.

But George Foreman had the better all-around right hand, and it was quicker too.

 

I dunno Duce. You may be right. But watch that rocket of a right Sonny knocks out Albert Westphal with. It's faster than any right I've seen Foreman throw.

 

Well, liston would exchange blows with foreman early and liston did not have the chin to take the bombs from foreman early. And foreman had the chin to take the shots from liston early, great difference. This fight would not go more of 5 rounds. Foreman by ko . It would be similar to the fight with ron lyle.liston would knock down foreman and vice versa( but lyle was bigger,heavier and as strong as liston, prime liston was 6´0 and 212 pounds, lyle was 6´3 and 220 of pure muscle,(EVEN JOE FRAZIER WAS 5´11 AND 214 WHEN HE FACED FOREMAN, HE WAS MORE COMPACT AND HEAVIER THAN A PRIME LISTON, FOREMAN IN HIS 20s WEIGHED 217-232, george would have no problem to handle liston and to push him back ). And foreman was not in his prime mentally when he faced lyle. I simply can´t see ANY puncher in the history who beat foreman exchanging blows. This fight would be a war of beasts

 

No. I think that whoever you fight last is the hardest hitter. How can you remeber which pain was more painful. Of the times you fell down as a child,can you really say which one felt worse? NO.
George busted Wepner's **** in 3 rounds. Sonny Liston's KO percentage is no where near Foreman.