Let's put Liston in with some top 175lb fighters

Liston is a stylistic nightmare for any of these guys. He has a large edge in reach which means that they have to stay in the danger zone in order to outbox him.

 

Truthfully, big guys are in the danger zone also. The difference is that many of these smaller guys will be much more agile and mobile and will have more stamina to keep moving about deep into the fight. Liston in fact did far less well with smaller men such as Marshall and Whitehurst, and also had plenty of difficulty with the bigger guys with mobility, such as Machen. A moving target is always harder to hit.

 

I agree to some extent but a fighter who has to play the matador can aford to conceed reach less than most.

When Gene Tunney fought Jack Dempsey he had equal reach so he was able to stay largley outside Dempseys emvelope of operations. Against Liston he would have to spend most of his time inside it.

 

Well, there are not many historical comparisions as Liston was an unusually talented big man. Nino Valdes, though, was a pretty decent boxing big man with an extremely long reach and Harold Johnson dominated him. I think Johnson won every round. Conn was also able to outspeed Louis for 12 rounds. I myself think Liston's hard but slowish jab would have punished bigger, slower, men more than the skillful and quicker little fellows.

 

Liston's jab was not slow.

 

If any of those fighters try to beat Liston and not just survive,he knocks them all out.

 

:yep

 

This is the type of fighter we would need to get the job done.

 

If Eddie Machen could hold him to a close decision on the score cards then it is not out of the question that sombody like Charles or Conn could outpoint him.

 

Not saying that it cant be done but there are certainly stylistic problems.