I read that Liston sparred with middleweight George Benton

A Middleweight getting the better of the Heavyweight champion in sparring ?

Get the Greb vs Benton threads ready.

 

It makes sense. If you look back at some footage of Liston, midways into his career he starts utilizing a slow version of the shoulder roll so he could come forward easier, and have it be through other ways than just his pole of a jab.

 

Is this true? That they sparred?

 

I’ve heard this before - I also read Sonny quit during sparring with Bugner too because he could stick and move well enough.
We all know what Benton was about he used his shoulders both of them defensively, on the inside Sonny was all arms up close, pulling, shoving holding and hitting - not overly complicated but it worked because he was big and strong. I just have my doubts it would work on Benton who is a lot more complex and slippery then the likes of Folley and Machen…
For similar reasons as Toney vs guys like Jirov up close which is where they (the big guy) thought they wanted to be they couldn’t crack through, On the inside the way someone like Benton fought he didn’t need to be a heavyweight to hang there in the pocket he was letting them work so he could counter off it GB wielded there momentum against them.
I’ve never understood why a smaller fighter would want to work with a guy 40lbs heavier, they’d be too quick and too skilled for good work (typically) and a mistake would be very damaging, possibly derailing to an up coming bout - I think it’d be more beneficial for the bigger guy but maybe the smaller fighter could use it as a chance to get used to the strength, dip there toes in the water and see how they’d do with that kind of strength and contemplate a weight change.

 

Yes it is, Liston also sparred Bugner and was too old, he quit because Bugner moved too much.
SL also sparred Charles whilst very young and EC said he couldn’t touch him (understandably) Tony Galento said he was curios of Sonny’s age as he’d used him as a sparring partner in the 60s. Harold Johnson sparred Sonny and did very well for himself, I think that might’ve been why HJ wanted to fight Liston. He also sparred Valdez just before he turned professional, which is interesting as they fought, he also sparred Leotis Martin.
I’ll look for this neat list on one of the other forums laying around that had all his sparring partners and stories attached, pretty cool stuff.

 

Amateur days 1952-1953
Thurmond Wilson
Foneda Cox(1953-1955,1962-1965)
Steve Howlett
Nino Valdez(Liston just about to turn pro ,sparred with Valdez when Valdez was in St. Louis to fight Archie Moore)

circa 1959-1965
Ernie Terrel (for Albert Westphal fight 1961)
Lou Bailey-Aurora Downs
Chico Gardener-Aurora Downs
Jim McCarter (Patterson I)
Ben Skelton (Patterson I)
"Slim"Jim Robinson(Patterson I)
Ray Shoeninger
Jesse Smith
Howard King (Patterson II)
Leotis Martin (Patterson II)
Jesse Bowdry-Surfside Miami Beach
Richard Norden
Ollie Wilson
Jim Robertson(?Slim Jim Robinson)

1964-1965
Larry Brown
Billy Joiner
Amos"Big Train" Lincoln(1963-1965)
Leroy Green(1964 for cancelled Boston fight)
Alonzo Johnson
Lee Williams(1964 for cancelled Boston fight)
Art"Tiger"Wright
Floyd Joiner
Chauncey Hudson(170 lbs)
Don Smith(239 lbs)
Curtis"Honey Boy"Bruce(1965)
Willie Richardson

1966-1969
Tommie Simms
Art Swiden
Wayne Heath(for Billy Joiner fight also public exibitions 1968)
Mac Foster
Freddie Little(middleweight)
Charlie Shipes(welterweight)
George Foreman
Clarence Williams
Chester Walton
Cornell Nolen
Johnny Mac

@Ney

 

Its not impossible. Liston had a nasty habit of getting angry during sparring and taking it a bit farther than it needed to be. With someone so slippery I could definitely imaging him getting angry and going a little overboard.