Joe Frazier vs. Sonny Liston

Prime Frazier would give Liston hell for 6 rounds before being TKO'd.

 

Liston inside 6 rds

 

I'd favor Joe, I think.

 

very hard one, a great matchup

im struggling to pick a winner, i will post later

 

Liston had two handed power and a better chin imo,physically stronger and with more tools .Frazier could only fight one way ,charging Sonny is a recipe for disaster and he can't out box him,if Joe stays off he gets smashed with that pole of a jab ,if he comes in he gets manhandled and clubbed down.imo.

 

If Frazier is still standing by the 6th, i see Liston crumbling one way or another.

However, i don't think Frazier will make it out of the early rounds.

 

I always take Liston here, great fight but i think Sonny's got the weapons for this one.

 

Funny, how overrated Liston is. Not only his legacy, now even head-to-head. He never beat a fighter of the calibre like a Frazier. Looking great against solid contenders doesn´t mean that he´s now the ATG- killer. Joe was much faster, he would put Sonny to sleep with his left hook. IMO it would be a pretty even fight, Liston scores points with his best weapon, his jab, and Frazier scores his points on the inside with his combination boxing. But in the midrounds, I see Sonny on the floor...

 

Combination boxing? Lefthook, left hook, left hook.Liston took Williams bombs why shouldnt he take Fraziers? Plus if Bonavena could drop Joe twice without going down ,couldnt Liston?.Joe has superiority in speed,all other advantages go to Sonny imo,power chin ,two handed punching ,better boxing.Frazier was very good at what he did,but he was basically a one trick pony.But a good row while it lasts Luigi.

 

Liston had a long power jab that would be a great weapon against a charging Joe Frazier. Frazier was, I feel, the better inside fighter. But here too, Liston had that hurtful uppercut that would be 'great weapon No. 2' against a crouching, head down inside fighter like Frazier. Frazier did not have a great chin which would add to his woes. Plus, Liston had superior strength, size, overall power and very importantly, adaptability.

Frazier did have the better mindset and stamina. But to psyche out Sonny Liston, you would have to really outclass him. Frazier had nowhere near this capability. Sonny's ability to hit and hurt Joe from the beginning of the fight would only serve to bring out the killer in Liston. And the fight would not last long enough for Frazier's superior stamina to count.

This would be intense and thrilling for the short duration that it would last. Anything between 3 to 6 rounds. KO for Sonny Liston.

 

Liston was a great inside fighter despite having such long physical tools, which made him even more deadly. His uppercuts on the inside and the way he could make his long hooks into short compact ones were lethal. Liston was also one of the strongest champions ever, far stronger than frazier. Liston would pick apart joe from the outside mechanically with his jab and when frazier got in, he would damage joe with uppercuts and hooks. I like Liston by mid-late round Kayo right here. Fraziers habit of doing nothing but charging in, would spell his doom here.

Why is that Chris? when did liston show the inability to fight in the late rounds?

 

Liston probably knocks him out early, but if he doesn't, Joe breaks him down.

 

Body attacks are an additional issue. Very few opponents went to the body against either fighters...though I think George hurt Frazier once to the body, and I believe Williams hurt Liston to the body and backed Liston off him during a big exchange in the first fight.