Liston vs Marciano

Marciano had his nose split open down to the bone against Ezzard Charles in their 2nd fight in Sept.1954...Rocky stormed back and kept the title with a KO...Liston...as champion...
..QUIT ON HIS STOOL against the light punching Cassius Clay in Miami in 1964...and took a dive in Maine in their second..."fight"...in 1965...heart could decide this one....Marciano had a ton of it...

 

What must be remembered, though,is that Liston could punish Marciano enough in the early going to convince the referee to stop the fight. Only if the bout actually gets to the latter phase,would Marciano's superior assets such as stamina come into play.

 

Don't forget that Ali frustrated and demoralised Liston before stopping him. Sonny would n't encounter these problems in a fight with Rocky.

 

A quicker, more elusive Patterson got bombed out trying to close the gap against Liston. As much as I do not want to discount Marciano's chances, I see the potential for an early stoppage here.

 

Many feel that Liston was at his best perhaps a year or so before he beat patterson, Clay had the worst style for the creaking knees of the overconfident old Bear, the younger Liston was another matter, and given an opponent he does not have to go looking for...a smaller opponent at that...i think the advantages are a little too slanted towards the Stoney-faced one, even before Rocky gets up close and Personal with Sonny, he has to get past that Jab...and that Jab was a rather sickening weapon in its own right...and thats before the Sledge-hammers are employed...if they were of comapable size i would go for Rocky...he almost certainly has the bigger heart...but this Sonny has a grit of his own at this stage....all other things being considered, size and Style - there is no guile...Its Sonny for me...Probably the Ref saving a floored but unbowed Rocky from himself..And if he is in a Cleve Williams Fight (1st or 2nd) type mood...it could be quick..(ish)

 

bang on:good

 

I think skin tissue would decide it ,Liston by tko.

 

Liston would most likely chop Marciano up, sorry to say.

 

Liston has a better chance of winning probably, but Marciano loved the fight...

I was always impressed with Liston's composure under heavy fire from Williams (both times), and he ducked and blocked, waiting for his turn, and then when Williams backed off from his barrage, Liston attacked and made his punches count and floored Williams...

Marciano could be encouraged by a beating- He'd get knocked down and get up knowing it was his turn...

I think this is an interesting fight.

 

why tko?

 

Marciano was during his time the most underestimated fighter around. He wasn't avoided everyone from Louis to Layne thought he was a stepping stone. Marciano was known as one of the strongest heavyweight champions as well as the fittest. He was known for 15 mile runs when training hell I remember when Alexis Arguello blamed running 10 miles for his losses to Pryor because he thought he was overtrained. Rocky also fought in the high 180's low 190's the Rock probably gave up 15 lbs of bulk training like and average fighter for his extreme fitness. So any comparisons to Floyd Patterson fights with Liston should not be compared due to the fact Floyd was a 156 pound Olympian that bulked up and Marciano was a natural 200+ pounder who trimmed down to that weight with a brutal training regiment. I think the Rock may fair better than many give him credit for. Yeah Liston had an 84 inch reach but when a powerhouse with a 67 inch reach crowds you and you run out of energy before he does........could be interesting

 

Liston beat rock the same reason he beats tyson

His jab is maybe the best of all time, if not the hardest of all time

And he can box, tough as old boots and stylistically matchesu well

They are just too small

 

Liston was a wonderful fighter with great attributes but ultimately has thread bare credentials in tough fights at world ATG level compared with the genuine top five ATG heavyweights.

Liston was excellent at making good fighters freeze.

Unfortunately the bare truth is that frozen fighters brought the best out of Liston and great fighters brought the worst out of him.

All fighters look fantastic when they have nothing coming back at them. However, it is how they fare in the trenches against insane defiance and world class power that they should be measured.

It is too simplistic to assume Liston blows Marciano away. Rocky won't freeze. Without room to jab it would be the most awkward, frustrating, punishing nights work Liston could ever imagine.