I don't think Liston lived long enough. Those were two of the biggest blowouts ever between two great fighters. I do wish Liston had gotten an opportunity to put Ingemar Johansson on his resume though. Henry Cooper too. The only guys he missed, and the latter being due to an outright ducking according to quotes from his manager.
floyd never performed against Liston at all. Patterson froze both times, maybe he could never keep his nerve against sonny but the fact is floyd never showed up both times. There is evidence patterson could beat as big and strong fighters quite handedly like bonavena and chuvalo who would have been as big a task for any other contender as a late 60s Liston.
Had they fought in either 1969 or 1970, Patterson may have been preserved enough to take advanage of Liston's vast deterioration, but I say that with no real conviction. Floyd fought Liston twice and failed to hear the bell ending the first round both times. That memory would always haunt him when taping up to get in the ring with Sonny.
Hmm you never know, boxing is very much about speed and stamina as much as anything, if they drop significantly in 1 fighter when another keeps them, their fight becomes, well another fight. I really haven't seen enough late 60s Liston to comment
He was without doubt still a force during this time - at least as hard to beat as bonnavena and chuvalo were around that time whom Patterson did beat. The thing with Liston was much like dempsey he did not get to maintain his prime with real activity as a champion. when sonny met clay in Miami he only had 6 rounds (13 minuets) of action in 4 years. This was a virtual exile. Liston could have been as badly prepared for clay as Dempsey was for Tunney first time. 　 Sonny would have built on the world class rounds he got in (albeit losing ones) against clay first time around had he sought more competitive rounds against machen in a rematch or even doug jones had he started a proper comeback.
That's a very good point, quick blowouts, when you come into a very a tough fight are not a good thing even if they make you a dead cert coming in Angelo Dundee 'Possessing a big punch is a boxers worst enemy' (or words to that effect)
