Max Schmeling vs. Sonny Liston

If we're talking prime v prime, I'm saying Schmeling.
Liston would be eating those right hands just like Louis was.

Liston could be hit, knocked off balance, with right hands.
He could be backed up. Yes, he usually beat his way back into the fight but I don't think fighters like Zora Folley and certainly not Howard King were in Schmeling's league for cleverness.

 

I don't think that Liston's chin was that much better to be honest.

It also has to be noted that his hands were not as fast as Joe's.

This is definitely going to be a more interesting fight than some people think.

I will go with Liston in the end, but for a different reason to everybody else.

Liston was very good at thinking on his feet, and improving.

This to my mind gives him a chance of solving the Schmeling puzzle.

 

I agree with the general thrust that Liston should win,

and that his best bet is turning it into a brawl which forces Schmeling onto the defensive,

and probably leads to a quick knockout.

I think his worse strategy would be to try to win with jabs as that might give Schmeling the chance to hang around and begin timing that right cross over the jab.

One point of view I would question.

Liston had a better chin than Louis? Louis fought a lot more dangerous punchers over a longer period than Liston, in my judgment. Schmeling hit him all night. Louis was old and fighting a really big puncher in Marciano. At about that age Liston was getting flattened by Martin, an otherwise so-so contender. Louis was knocked down a lot, but Liston was apparently knocked down by Marty Marshall and Willis Earls, not really big league punchers.

I think it certainly possible Liston might have been just as vulnerable, or even more so, to Schmeling's right cross than Louis was.

And another wild card is stamina. Schmeling seemed to really be in the top echelon on this one. Liston certainly wasn't proven in quite the same way, so I think there is a question about what happens if Schmeling can survive past the early rounds.

Louis had more proven stamina than Liston.

I pick Liston to win by KO, but there is certainly a chance for an upset.

 

Liston was the prototype for the modern HW, Schmeling was great and all but Liston DESTROYS him.

 

Joiner floored Liston? That's news to me. Liston's stamina wasn't proven ? Maybe that's because he knocked most guys out early? Schmeling was kod by Gains and Daniels, were either of them big league punchers?

 

Schmeling defeated Joe Louis by finding a flaw in his style. Whenever Louis threw his jab he dropped his right, leaving his head exposed to counter attack. This wouldn't work against Liston for two reasons:

1. Sonny didn't drop his guard when delivering a jab

2. He had a greater wingspan than Louis along with one of the greatest jabs of all time.

 

Joiner floored Liston?

No. My mistake. It was Willis Earls. I'll change it.

 

I've seen lesser men that Schmeling nail Liston with a counter right over the jab.

 

No. Louis failed to bring his left back to the guard position after jabbing, hence he was then open to the right hand.

Jack Johnson spotted the flaw and predicted Max would win.

 

Another mistake I still don't think Liston would make