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

I personally think Ali would be too slick at his greatest. I don't see Liston cutting him off enough. As it was Ali shipped a couple of real bombs with aplomb. It would be tougher as Liston would be better but Ali also improved after fighting Liston. The best we ever saw of him was 3 years after Liston.

 

Thanks for the reply mate, yeah i already was aware of that. Its the solid basis for my argument against sonny being 94yr old when he fought Clay. It was just that a few posts in this thread mentioned pre 1930 and i didnt see them being picked up on it and thought 'have i missed something?' . Thats why i asked the question

 

Reminds me a bit about Arcel on Dempsey (who was his teenage idol), even if this is more measured.

Of those that actually picked Clay at the time, did any of them cite the reasons Steward does?

I know only of Galento's comments: https://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=171750

 

No idea who picked Clay at the time. Probably not many as plenty thought he was a joke.

 

I think it was something like 3 out of 50 that was termed experts. But as far as I know, Galento's is the only one that has survived in print. It was well reasoned as well.

 

Galento was sure Liston was about 40 years old.
And that was before Liston lost.

So, that part of his "well reasoned" prediction is the kind of thing that was being mocked and dismissed earlier on this thread.

 

I personally haven't really discussed his age except for jokingly referring to "the Liston was 67 claim" or something along those lines. Those that have dismissed claims of him being older than 34 have done so on basis of census records, a kind of research Galento hadn't done nor that I'd expect him to have done.

 

this theme of Liston being so broken hearted that he didn’t get a parade in his hometown that he “lost something” never really gets challenged like it should. It has went down in boxing folklore as a genuine pivotal moment...just because it gets a line in every tv documentary about Sonny. This one event ruined what he might have become.

have you seen the way Sonny got mobbed in Newcastle Upon Tyne as a champion? He was paraded through the city on a white horse. it was incredible. It was like Beatlemania! No other champion goy that. Google it for photos. Sonny is smiling in every scene. A true king on horseback. Sourounded by crowds.

Whatever fleeting disappointment Liston might have had from his hometown was more than made up in his tour of the United Kingdom and later on in Sweden.

 

Galento was right... Liston was overrated... Stepped up in class, got beat