It is July 1963, Floyd Patterson is injured, Sonny Liston defends against 1967 Jimmy Ellis.

Ellis runs around Liston for no more than 7 rounds as they competitively trade jabs, Liston pursues Ellis, who gives Liston fits, taking a few rounds before being stopped, like I say, no later than round 7. But who knows, maybe Ellis opts to slug with Liston. He was the most unpredictable heavy I ever saw.

 

Jimmy could box for sure, but he wasn’t hesitant to mix it up with anybody. He would pick his spots and probably be ahead after 5-6 rounds but eventually Sonny begins to time the jab and start getting it through.

I think Jimmy stays on his feet and loses like 9-6 in rounds but puts up a spirited effort.

Interested to hear from people who think Sonny was 96 years old and way past prime at this point.

 

Ellis would succumb to his horribly-advised tendency to mix it up with punchers and get his head smacked in before round 9.

Even in 68 Liston was too dangerous for someone like Ellis.

 

Yeah, I could see Liston patiently jabbing and getting outboxed and Ellis having some success at exchanges before Liston gets frustrated and knocks Ellis out, still I say by round 7.

 

Not to mention he hit harder than Ali, and would make more of a slugging match out if it than Ali would.

 

Liston wins by KO

 

Liston scores a sudden Ko. After being out boxed and behind on all the card, suddenly Sonny drops Ellis hard with an over hand right.
Ellis is in la la land for several hours after.
Liston Ko 5.

 

Same result IMO. Ellis was game as shown in the Frazier fight but another bridge to far for Ellis. Sonny in 3-5

 

We know... You crawl out of the woodwork to bring it up in literally every ****ing Liston thread on this board. Jesus Christ.

 

IMHO: First off, Jimmy's style is as bad for Liston as Frazier's style was bad for Jimmy, or as bad as Liston's style was for Patterson for that matter. However, I really don't think Jimmy was quite on Sonny's level. This probably negates his stylistic advantages somewhat. I'm going with Jimmy looking decent for about 5 or 6 rounds and I think we're looking at an even fight going into the 7th. But Sonny's been hitting Jimmy harder and, by the 7th, I think it starts to show. By the 8th Sonny's starting to tee off on Jimmy and probably drops him at least once. If there's a 9th round, it probably looks like the 8th. Jimmy was no quitter, but Angelo would pull the plug on this fight. I'm guessing Jimmy probably doesn't come out for round 9 and definitely doesn't see round 10.