Dempsey & Liston who is greater?

dempsey is greater. but h2h liston kills him. coming in against liston ain't the smartest thing

 

dempsey would be too fast H2H and he was also greater than Liston by some distance. Liston was the best heavyweight of his own era, he beat who had to be beat to be considered great in the early 1960s but both clay fights leave a black mark. Patterson, machen and folley are sonny listons elite wins ....it is not a deep resume how ever you look at it.

Dempsey might not have fought wills but a generation still went to their graves thinking "Jack the giant killer" was the GOAT.

 

Dempsey was is, one of, if not THE greatest idol in heavyweight history and was the biggest box office attraction in heavyweight history to boot - he is one of the great legendary figures in the sports history and was considered amongst his peers as going away the greatest heavyweight fighter upto the 50's inclusive of Joe Louis and for me Liston though certainly a beast in his own right for me was a poor mans (tho bigger) version of Joe Louis - Dempsey all the way - IMO it Liston who would be a little spooked BY DEMPSEY and his speed and viciousness

 

of course Dempsey is greater career wise.

H2H? Liston would probably beat him in a bruising encounter for them both.

Real answer - Dempsey would comfortably duck Liston, live the rich life, defending the white HW title a few times as he did, and a 1910-20s raised Liston would get hated even more and he'd probably end up hanging from a tree by the time he was 25.

 

"Does either or both merit a top 10 seed and again why?"

Questionable in both cases.

"Who do you rate greater"

I have to go with Liston because he fought in an era in which he fought the best out there, although he didn't fight Johansson. But that just seems to have been a fight which fell through the cracks with Ingo retiring. I think he would have been champion for a number of years were it not for the rise of Ali.

h2h

I like Dempsey. A question of styles. I think he has the quickness of foot and the bob and weave to avoid Liston's rushes, and the power to explode on Sonny. I don't make this pick with any confidence, but Dempsey seems to have been the type who won the tough ones, while Sonny was more the front runner. Dempsey did well with Sonny-type fighters, but, of course, none were nearly as good as Sonny.

 

then again, perhaps not - Dempsey only really held part of the world title, the white part He was in reality a part title holder.

Liston was undisputed wasnt he?

 

LOL, undisputed fighting middle/ltht/cruisers ?

The only time he stepped up to a true modern day Heavyweight in the form of a green Clay he packed it in TWICE after very little punishment. Undisputeable fact.

Cleveland Williams woud be some stepping stone trial horse fighting in some backwoods casino aired at midnite by some obscure network.

If he could not handle the speed and relative little punching power from a blinded Clay from range he ain't handling Dempsey speed and unquestionable power from up close.

IMO this is a pick 'em fight at best and next to Clay would be his toughest opponent ever but the same goes for Dempsey in regards to opponent.

BTW , here are the top five Sonny excuses

He was 60 when he met Clay

The mob told him to loose

Nobody loved him

Evil men forced him to booze

His H dealer stood him up too many times.

 

Charles 'Sonny' Liston is my all-time favorite fighter,,,,,,,,,,,but

I will go with Jack Dempsey

Even in 1965, when on ABC-Television discussing the Ali vs. Liston II bout,
he looked like he could kick both Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston's ass if he wanted too.

Even at Age 69 in 1965,,,,,,,,,I would still put him in the Top 20 of the 1965 Heavyweight Ratings.

 

Two excitng fighters. Two colorful figures in boxing history. Both of these guys knocked people out in exciting fashion.

Sonny Liston had a short reign as champion but he cleaned out the division and fought a # of heavyweight Patterson or {Cus} didnt want to fight. Cleveland Williams being one of the them but also Zora Folley and Eddie Machen. Beating Floyd Patteson was a good win but it was the way he blew him out that was impressive.

Floyd went on to face some other good and great heavies in the 60s and he didnt get blown away like that. Sonny Liston was one of a kind. Sonny could knock your brains loose.

Dempsey was in my view a fighter ahead of his time. His attacking style and the fast pace he set in the ring was not before seen for a heavyweight. He fought with a speed and a hunger that was uncommon.

It could be the best of Dempsey and Liston for that matter were as contenders. The difference being that much of Dempsey`s fights during his period are not filmed.

I will say this. Anybody Dempsey hit he hurt regardless of weight.

I gotta favor Liston head to head. Just charging into Sonny isnt a good idea. I dont think Mike Tyson could get away with it nor Joe Frazier and not even George Foreman.

The jab was too sharp and it rocked people then the uppercuts and his lefthook put guys out.

This one doenst end well for Jack Dempsey.:bbb

 

Liston is greater. Neither are top ten material imo.

H2h, jack has a huge speed advantage but it isn't unreasonable to expect liston to time him coming in and flatten him.

Hell i'll pick liston. He's slow but not too slow. He's also a much better boxer than jack imo.

 

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:smoke

Foreman Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook!:rasta

 

I think Dempsey roughs Sonny up early and although Sonny gives his licks Jack's savage attack and speed makes Sonny take a count