Jack Dempsey vs Sonny Liston

Dempsey because that's who I always pick in these type of matches thus far.

 

Nearly always agree with you regarding the older heavies. But I think Liston stops him mid-rounds. Then again, I think Liston stops most, mid-rounds. He seems freakishly strong. But do you know what I mean when I say farmer-strong? A lot of people think that's silly.

 

Liston decisively twice beat a fighter who was relatively close in style and physical assets to Dempsey. Dempsey never faced anything like Liston, not even remotely.

 

Foreman said Liston was the only fighter to back him up. Since Foreman was from Houston, he might have thought Liston was "refinery strong".

 

I wouldn't say that Dempsey's opposition was better. Williams, Machen, Folley, Patterson, Bethea were AT LEAST as good as Dempsey's opposition. Willard, Sharkey and Tunney were as far as I know, the only comparable guys to the above named.

 

Fred Fulton was a top contender seen as a very worthy candidate to rip the title from Willard. Morris was top level too. Gibbons is an atg in his own right. Brennan and Miske were talented fighters as well. So it's Sharkey, Tunney, Fulton, Willard, Morris, Gibbons, Levinsky, Brennan, and Miske for Dempsey.

Bethea wasn't a very strong fighter. He failed to win 36% of his fights. Liston held a major stylistic advantage over Patterson. Big strong puncher vs Weak chinned 190 lb heavy, 25 lbs less than Liston. Dempsey never had a 25 lbs advantage over any of his notable opponents. Folley wasn't a knockover but I don't think he stacks up nearly as good as Dempsey's top 5 opponents. Rather padded record with not a lot of wins over notable fighters. Williams and Machen were pretty good contenders.

 

Go on, Gud. I'm curious.

 

I am not sure that I would describe Patterson as being "relatively close in style and physical assets to Dempsey".

Style perhaps, but nowhere close in terms of fire power, or ability to take a punch.

Even so, we have to hand the stylistic edge to Liston.

 

Someone who is deceptively strong. Not through a bodybuilding program, but through a tough life. An 'Old MacDonald had a jab, ee-yi-ee-yi-o' badass. 'And on that jab, he had some pop, ee-yi-ee-yi-o.'

 

very close but demps after a brutal encounter and double figures knockdowns

 

Liston in 5.

 

In his last 10 years as a professional he was only down what 3 times? Dempsey either finished the fight on his feet or put his opponent down for the 10 count in both of those affairs. Liston was down twice in the last 10 years of his career and he took the 10 count both times.

 

Dempsey fought his last 10 years ages 22-32.

Liston fought his last 10 years at the very least 30-40.

Do you see the difference?

Also, Dempsey never fought Clay/Ali or anything close.

 

Not bad for your 13th post. Silly, but interesting.

 

I have always felt Dempsey's foot/hand speed and power would overwhelm Liston's more methodical style....Dempsey was a few levels better than Patterson....If Liston comes out and tries to bomb with Dempsey like Firpo he ends up biting off more than he can chew with the natural born killer in Dempsey like Firpo....sure Liston was better than Firpo but it was the speed and ferocity in which Dempsey attacked in that fight is something I don't think Liston saw except for maybe in the Williams fight but folding is something Dempsey did not do.

Now the flip side is if the better schooled Liston landed a right that sends Dempsey out of the ring will it do more damage than Firpos and if so does Dempsey in his haze come back the same way??