Patterson Vs Liston

Apparently when Patterson made a late resurgence in his career, he was amazingly try to fight Liston in a rubber match. Could Patterson have beaten a shot Liston ?

 

If he’d gotten past the first three minutes and actually had been able to pop Liston a time or two, make Sonny respect him … maybe.

 

Liston was only like an inch taller than Patterson but had a 13 inch reach advantage, so Liston wasn't even having to punch down at him and Patterson's style relied on getting in pretty close midrange which spelled big trouble for him, even if he was able to get in closer he didn't have a killer uppercut like Tyson

 

Finding a winning strategy for Patterson against Liston is a very tough assignment. I don’t think fighting on the outside is an option because Sonny had an 84 inch reach and one of the best jabs of all time. Can’t see Floyd doing much good from that range. Oddly enough, in the first fight he seemed to have a tiny bit of success getting in close to Sonny and working on the inside but was soon bombarded by big shots. About the only thing I can think of would be to have someone like Eddie Futch work with him on perfecting a similar strategy while also perhaps bulking him up a little bit. In the end his chances are still very slim but it might prove to be a better approach.

 

He could have been more confident and moved better. Just like he did against Chuvalo. He stood in front of Liston

 

In all seriousness, I think if Patterson moved like he did in the Chuvalo fight and used more lateral movement, he MIGHT have survived (not win). And if he would have been more confident in his abilities. Machen and Whitehurst survived slightly younger and more prime versions of Liston with movement. Guys like Folley and Williams stood in front of Liston.

 

I think a Walcott or Michael Spinks would have done better than Patterson due to styles.

 

It’s a possibility. I don’t know how long Spinks could have really hung in there though. He had the tendency to be a slow starter. His awkward style might have flustered Liston and then again it might have played right into his hands. Not sure what to make of that matchup

 

Possibly if Patterson changed his name to Mustafa, Ali, Farakhan , or some other N.O.I moniker , ( Most average Black Americans feared the N.O.I almost as much as the Klan)
Have the fight in Harlem, Liston may not have even shown up.

 

I watched the Liston vs Whitehurst 2 fight a few hours ago and I saw how Whitehurst used a lot of movement and circling and lasted the distance. And Whitehurst was all of 6'0 190 lbs, definitely not a modern sized heavyweight. Had Whitehurst and Liston never fought, the thinking would be that he's too small and Liston would have quickly pulverized him into the canvas. Which didn't happen in reality.

I don't think the Tyson fight tells a lot about what happens if Liston fought Spinks as Tyson had a more seek and destroy type of style and was a lot faster on his feet than Liston. Tyson would have cut off the ring on Whitehurst and swarmed him with hooks and uppercuts. Liston boxes more patiently behind his stiff jab.

I would not expect Spinks to beat Liston, but his superior movement and skills (compared to Whitehurst) could let him see the last bell. If he tries to meet Liston in the center of the ring like Zora Folley did, Spinks meets the same fate as Folley

 

Like i said. It’s a possibility. I sure as hell wouldn’t favor Spinks or Walcott to beat Liston nor last very long against him though. Could one of them make it to the end of round one where Patterson could not ? Maybe

 

I think so. ESPECIALLY Walcott. I'd be willing to bet a nice sum of money on Walcott making it out of round 1. Walcott fought and arguably beat a still very formidable version of Joe Louis. Walcott could do everything Machen and Whitehurst could do, except with a harder punch. Obviously, Liston is the favorite. Plus, Liston wasn't typically a seek and destroy type of fighter. Liston seemed to be satisfied with winning a decision if need be. He took the KO if it came, but he was also a boxer type as well.

 

Floyd jumping into his bike as soon as the bell rang. Maybe he manages to last a few more rounds.
Seriously.

 

Floyd didn't have the strength or the frame to fend off Sonny. He couldn't tie him up in the clinches and he visibly sagged when Liston hit him in the body. Floyd wasn't a runner or a dancer. He was more of a slugger. He didn't have much foot speed. That wasn't his style. He couldn't have defeated Sonny on the best day of his life.

 

Why didn't he have footspeed? Given that most quick fighters have both fast hands and fast feet. It is very unusual to have one but not the other.