How "Past It '' Was Sonny Liston Defending Against Ali?

He was old regardless, possibly very old.
Factor in that he had barely fought in years before Ali 1, I'll chime in that he was very far from prime Liston, whichever way you'd like to look at it.

 

He wasn't "possibly very old." He was 32 or 34. (LOL)

Saying he 'looked 40 or 50" means as much as saying Nathan Gorman looks 40, so he's older than he says he is. Possibly VERY old. It's nonsense.

He was born in 1930, 31 or 32. That's the timeline where there is confusion. There is absolutely nothing at all to suggest he was born in the early 1920s or the early 1910s.

There's no "possibly." (LOL) It's just perpetuating false stories.

 

Six easy rounds in about three years, this does not brood well with me.
He may have very well assumed it would remain so, or perhaps he no longer cared a wolf on the hill situation.
The whole world and Sonny knew he was a bad man and it would take someone great to take his throne, but I think lesser men that Ali could’ve done it in the first fight against the allegedly injured Sonny.

 

Getting beat doesn’t stop somebody being great. It just means they look less great losing.

 

He was at best in his mid 30s, most likely much older, had fought 3 rounds in 3 years, had a recorder shoulder injury going INTO the bout, and was suffering from bursitis. He was definitely NOT in his prime.

 

I feel Liston was a good three plus years older than claimed in Miami .. He was very inactive coming in having fought two rounds in twenty six months prior to the fight ... lastly but not to be overlooked is who he fought ...

 

It would be fascinating to see Ali against the Liston and Cleveland Williams who fought each other. It's unfortunate we were denied those fights by circumstances.

I did some reading in the Sports Illustrated archives, and one of their writers raised questions about his training. They said he was doing brief public heavy bag exercises and spending most of the rest of his time enjoying himself with a lot of implication he was drinking.

No one rated Ali as the one to expose these problems but they didn't go totally unnoticed. Training for a three round fight sounds right.

 

I think that Sonny Liston's last great fight was against Floyd Patterson, in July 1963 in Las Vegas. Nevada. There were many rumors circulating that he did not train, and was carousing with other woman following the Patterson rematch, leading to the first fight against Muhammad Ali in 1964.

 

HE would have still be champ today if wasn't for Ali , know why ? everyone was **** scared of stepping in a ring with him period, like I have said previous Ali slayed 2 monsters ( Foreman the other ) in his career, that's why he is and fore ever will be The Greatest.

 

He was on the decline for mine, partly due to the wine and dine.

 

Agreed. Aging, and injuries also played a part imo.

 

in a nutshell.Ya cant look dynamite in your previous 2 fights then be considered past prime just because you lost your next fight.

 

The only reason he looked "dynamite" is because Patterson was a stylistic dream for him and never made it out of the first.

 

If Liston was older than he is listed against Ali, it means that he peaked as an old fighter - not that he was past his prime.

I think that he was a bit down from his peak, but he was still the best fighter in the world until better one came in and beat him. There is no reason to believe that he was washed up or something - he fougth well against Ali after all even if he lost.

 

On the money, not much gets by this guy. keep well.