Did anyone pick Patterson over Liston in the press?

Among former fighters, I believe Marciano,Braddock and (looking at the photo) Gus Lesvenich picked Patterson in the first fight.

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It doesn't look like Louis was too optimistic about Floyd's chances,though....

 

A lot of people did.




"before the fight"!!!!!!!

 

Yes,but it would be interesting to know the reasons they gave.

 

Sports Illustrated picked Patterson. Lester Bromberg of the Ring picked Patterson. Patterson had some support prior to the fight. Many doubted Liston was as good as advertised.

 

Ingemar Johansson felt Liston was too slow:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1074052/index.htm

 

Marciano looks well fed!

 

great pic

 

As I remember the reason that most people who picked Patterson gave was that Patterson was too fast for Liston.

You can kind of see how they might have thought that.

 

I give Liston major props. He knocked out Patterson in one round, then duplicated the feat some months later. I dont think there are many HW champs out there who could pull off the same result as the first match they have with their opponent.

 

I'd forgot about Johansson! :roll:

Very interesting. There is the obvious speed issue,as Janitor mentioned.
Maybe Liston's physical peak was around 58/59.

Particularly interesting was his critique of Liston's punching technique.
How he slung his left-hook with poor balance and did not get his body behind it . How he telegraphed his right hand....

 

Liston swung his hook perfectly on Patterson's jaw though.

I have noticed that often times the boxers themselves are terrible at picking fights.

I do think that Johansson had the right to criticize the way Liston threw his right hand. Johansson's right was better but Liston had the advantage in just about everything else.

 

If my memory serves me right (and sometimes it doesn't) I seem to remember seeing on the cover of a boxing magazine of that time: "Why Floyd Patterson Will Knockout Sonny Liston In The First Round") or something close to that. Anyone else remember that?

 

Out of 34 pressmen, something like 20 picked Patterson. Although 'letters pages' were full of the general public telling them Sonny was going to mash him.

 

actually quite alot of people picked spinks.. it was almost 50/50
that little fact gets lost when people try and play down tysons accomplishments..