Prime sonny liston vs

Foreman cutting the ring would be a moot point imo because between Listons crazy hard jab and power Foreman would not be moving forward as freely as he usually did. He'd learn very quickly he had to use a more measured approach. Liston is certainly no Norton, totally different fighters.

Liston could fight off the back foot or the front. George is no-where near as effective off the back foot. Liston would be one of the few fighters that could arrest Foreman's forward momentum just like Foreman would to Tyson. It's a potential game changer.

Any perceived lack of speed matters not because Liston's punches are much tighter than George's.

The Lyle fight showed a prime George being dropped early before he was fatigued despite his superb chin. This augurs well for the big hitting higher class Sonny.

 

Holmes would have a really good shot at beating Sonny...and IMO, Jimmy Young beats Liston.

 

Agree with Liston winning all these fights but I see Liston-Frazier being a war and can't see Frazier staying down for the count. Ref would have to step in imo

 

Liston had the tools and the physicality to beat all of them, but the fragility of mindset to lose to all of them as well. My take is that he beats Norton by mid rounds KO in a similar fight to the Cleveland Williams one, with Norton having some early success with his speed and general skillset, but gradually getting broken down and then bombed out against the ropes somewhere around the sixth or seventh.

The rest are a bit tricker to predict. The Frazier fight depends on Liston's ability to control Joe with his jab; if he can't get that going then I see Frazier's chances upping massively. I see him being able to do so however, and the come forward Frazier getting broken down by the physically larger and stronger Liston, and the ref waving it off mid to late rounds after a brutal and gruelling fight.

Holmes has the potential to beat him if he keeps on his toes. Liston I feel starts to get frustrated at his inability to pin Holmes down and begins to lunge with his shots, allowing the faster and more mobile Holmes to pick him off with countershots and quick combos. Can see a similar fight to the Ali one emerging here, though I think it goes to the cards.

Foreman is a bigger, stronger version of Liston with better ring command (despite tendencies to portray it the other way round). I think he beats Liston at his own game.

 

Foreman was not a "bigger stronger version of Liston." Liston was much more well rounded and disciplined and for my money more powerful.

 

KOs Frazier and Norton cant match his power and technique. Loses by decision or late stoppage to Holmes and Mid round KO to Foreman in a war. He has a chance against both. Possible his technique helps him out slug Foreman and reach and power help him get to Holmes.

 

You would give Norton a solid chance to win.... but not Holmes? What?

 

Liston:
KO2 over Norton

TKO3 over all but the FOTC Frazier, the latter of whom suffers a kd but ultimately takes a tough UD over Sonny.

Gets stopped in 11 after knocking Holmes down and nearly out in the 7th with a freaky great right, not very far from Shavers' level. He never gets over his shock that Larry got back up. Ends up getting beaten all over the ring after the 10th, Holmes asks the ref to stop it.

Wins a UD over a badly beat up-looking Foreman. Foreman gets outboxed early and floored in the 3rd round but rallies back in the middle rounds with some excellent punches (though not many land flush). Alas, Liston's adaptability gets the better of George and the last few rounds are lopsided for Sonny, who keeps beating him to the punch with the jab and pot-shotting him with both hands.

 

Interesting post. I’d bet on Liston in all of them. But that’s not to say Larry or George couldn’t pull put a W…I’d just edge it to Liston if I had to pick. Liston is all kinds of wrong for Frazier and Norton id think. Frazier would be Interestkng for sure

 

Liston KO's all of them. Holmes would bother him the most cause he moves well.