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

Well I would say that Wills and McVea are closer to Liston than anybody Liston beat is to Langford in ability.

Indeed what punchers did Liston face who would compare to Langford, wills or McVea.

 

McVea was a poor man's Tyson, if you ask me. He's nothing similar to Liston in class or style.

 

He probably has an equaly hard left hook if nothing else.

Bottom line is that Langfords chin is about as tested vs punchers as you can get.

 

I have to agree with Senya here, McVea was similiar to Tyson in terms of power and built but lacked his speed

 

How many times was this tested vs punchers man knocked down before he turned 35 (the age Jones was KO'd at)?

 

What are you saying exactly.

 

Those ratings are far, far too kind. Wills looks sloppy in the tapes I've seen, and not near as impressive as his size might suggest. Granted those were later in his career.

The LHW who could give Liston problems over 12?

Maxie Rosenblum, Roy Jones, Jr., Jack O'Brien, Conn, Mike Spinks come to mind. I would never bet on these guys over Liston, but I would believe there would be a chance they could pull it off.

 

I have heard Cat Williams had a little power.

 

against guys with lousy records.

a very, very over-rated fighter, god bless his soul.

 

That he is going to go down when Liston finds his chin. And prime Liston's not letting Langford off the hook there. Sonny was very good at mid-range, and he was too strong in general to let Langford tie him up and thus recover.

 

There is no logical reason to asume that anybody could knock a prime Langford out. No fighter in history is more tested against big heavyweight punchers. Liston while an awsome hitter is honestly not much faster or less predictable than McVea.

Since you are suggesting that Langford might not be able to take Listons power I will reverse the logic with more damaging results for Liston.

What makes you think that Liston could take Langfords power?

When did Liston prove his ability to take punches from sombody like Langford?

When did Liston face anybody like Wills or McVea?

 

He was still faster than Liston.

 

Langford is tested in what way? That he could survive against not very good finishers, when he was hurt. But he could be hurt and knocked down hard, happened many times. His chin wasn't anywhere near granite, only his surviving abilities were great. Liston was very good at finishing hurt opponents. See Patterson's fight or Williams fights, asn an example.

Aged Liston sparred with Foreman, who had by far more power than Wills or McVea. He took anything George had without so much as blinking an eye.

 

How exactly have you established that McVea or Wills were good finishers? Their fights with Langford serve as a proof of the opposite.

You better not even mention McCall when discussing Langford's chin.
I doubt any other fighter in history could have gone 300 rounds of sparring with not too old Tyson, and fights with Lewis, Bruno, Cooper, Seldon, Tucker, Gomez, without so much as even showing any signs of being hurt. Langford is very far behind of McCall in chin department.

Langford fought them many times, but he was also hurt and dropped many times as well. His chin wasn't granite. Good, but not great.

Langford wasn't a runner, he'd stay there or try to clinch you to survive. Liston will finish that kind of fighter without much problem.

McVea has less than 50% KO ratio. Who has told you he was that huge of a puncher? Wills has less than 50% as well.

The Ring magazine, 2003. 100 Greatest Punchers.
2. Sam Langford
9. George Foreman
15. Sonny Liston
63. Harry Wills
no McVea on the list.

Now you may try to argue that this rating proves Langford was a harder hitter than anyone Liston faced. But that'll receive a counter-argument from me that Langford didn't do so well in knocking out big heavyweights. He scored some good stoppages, but overall, his KO record against such opponents is not impressive at all.