Liston versus Holmes

Exactly the same scenario I see happening.

Larry is/was a pitchers mound fighter. If an opponent lets them set up out there and play pitch and catch, they get dominated and reach/defense/punching power/endurance/strength/etc are all negated and turned into non-factors.

Liston is not going to play that game and do what Larry wants him to do. That means things like you said--eating a jab from Holmes but firing back his own in a millisecond. Larry holds that right hand low when he did jab and an opponent has to grit his teeth and fire back just like Witherspoon.

That reduces the effectiveness of Larry's jab and he relied so much on dominating opponents with that punch. But now you have lefthooks coming into play--and Sonny maybe had the best or 2nd best to Louis, the division has ever seen. Larry had more of a poor man's Ali windshield swipe. huge advantage for Sonny and he threw great hooks off that landed jab. That jabbed didn't flick but moved opponents and then Sonny fired off that nasty left hook. And Larry better not throw his right uppercut from the outside against this guy or he gets beat to the punch by that lefthook.

I also think Liston has much the better right hand of the 2. Holmes was a 1-2 fighter and I just think he has to have a better lefthook to add to that for this particular opponent. And finishing skills come into play and if a guy is not a top notch finisher, Holmes is too savvy and too good of an escape artist. Nobody that is not a top notch finisher is stopping Larry Holmes.

It sure would be a great fight though and Larry Holmes is going to dig deep and is going to hang tough.

 

Holmes brings just the right tools to the fight I think to beat Liston. He's taller than Sonny, faster in both hands and feet and he's a technically sound boxer with a good chin and good recuperative abilities. Sonny was a bit too methodical and slow for a prime Holmes. Sure he would get in his share of shots but Larry could survive them en route to a decision victory, As always in Boxing it's styles that make fights and Larry has the right style for someone like Liston. Give Liston equal hand and foot speed and he wins when combined with his power. He doesn't have it though and that's why Holmes would win. Holmes was also mentally stronger which can often be the big difference in a fight between two equally matched opponents. Homes by decision or late round stoppage.