Rocky, Liston and Briggs in a round robin matchup.

"On July 17, 1954, Marciano returned to the ring to fight Ezzard Charles.

Charles was one of the great light-heavyweights of all time. He’d succeeded Joe Louis as heavyweight champion by beating Jersey Joe Walcott for the vacant title in 1949. Two years later, Walcott returned the favor. Ezzard was only thirty-two years old, but his body bore the wear and tear of ninety-four professional fights.

There were 47,000 fans in Yankee Stadium. Marciano was a 7-to-2 favorite. Charles controlled the early stages of the fight, bloodying the champion’s nose in the first round and opening an ugly gash on Marciano’s left eyelid in the fourth stanza. The cut bled throughout the night despite Freddie Brown’s efforts. Afterward, Brown admitted, “With a cut like that, you got to be nervous.”

Louis was past it when he fought Marciano, we are talking a prime Liston here. Go look at Marciano the morning after the Louis fight and tell me he isn't busted up.

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You're wrong about Marciano being in danger of being stopped on cuts too.Keene Simmons had him near being tko'd .Look it up.
Marciano was cut against Louis,Moore Charles in both fights.Walcott the 1st fight,Simmons.

 

I believe he usually cut over scar tissue over his left eye? Besides the one other fight he never was in danger of a fight being stopped against top level talent. Just saying it’s probably an overstated “danger” for him. My biggest question mark is could he take Listons shots? Could Liston take Marciano’s shots? Especially throughout the course of the fight. Liston deserves a top spot in rankings and when I say I think he loses to marciano it’s not an insult I just hold Marciano inbetween top 3-6 HE ever. Marciano became a much better defensive fighter later in his career and actually did well at avoiding the jab (although no one on Listons level as he may have been a top 3 jabber ever)...either way would be an entertaining as hell fight

 

Exactly how I see it, no need to post it twice!

 

Liston took the bombs of Williams,DeJohn and Valdes.The hardest hitters Marciano faced were probably Walcott and Moore ,both had him down.
One was 38 the other 39 .
Marciano was cut on the forehead and the right eye against Walcott.
The left eye against ShKor.
The left eye against Simmons.
The left eye against Charles1.
The nose against Charles 2.
The left eye against Moore.

 

Sums it up perfectly

 

Whoa cowboy, I can't see Rocky coming straight at Charles Sonny Liston for very long. Rock had a 69 inch reach. Sonny's was around 84! and he had one of the greatest jabs in heavyweight history , probably the first or second hardest. I see Rock being hammered from outside and nailed with hooks when he rushes. Liston drops him twice and the ref stops it about round 9

 

Liston gives Rocky a beating so bad it makes you want to turn away. The kind of leverage Liston gets on his shots here is a dream come true for him. Liston beats the fight out of him. Styles make fights. Liston gives Briggs a Klitschko style beatdown. TKO win

 

Liston beats up both.

Briggs goes ape**** and tkos Rocky in a round or two.

 

Prime Layne was a solid hitter as well as Louis...even old. The average Marciano opponent KO percentage was 46 pct...doesn’t seem like a lot but the average greats opponent KO percentage was around 36 so although he didn’t face a Killer like Foreman or Tyson he did face above average punchers. I’d argue the heaviest puncher Liston faced was Cleveland Williams who got knocked out by Bob Satterfield a guy who was knocked out by Layne. So who knows lol also they had him down but never seriously hurt. No wobbly legs or any sign of distress.

 

I think of the two marciano was the superior puncher....great endurance and he would go to work along those lines....he will be utili sing his crouch to get listo n to reach and punch down tor him... I think endurance will be quite the factor here....perhaps

 

A reach advantage doesn’t mean anything once Marciano gets inside on Liston. Marvis Frazier gave up a huge reach advantage to both Broad and Bonecrusher Smith and beat both.

I like Liston as much as the next guy, but I also I haven’t seen him do anything in his career that tells me that he could destroy Marciano. Marciano is twice the fighter Eddie Machen, Bert Whitehurst, and Marty Marshall were yet they weren’t hammered by Liston. Liston often showed his limitations against opponents that aren’t easy to land on and that would crowd him while punching.

 

Liston hammered Marshall 2 out of 3 times and there has been plenty written about the first encounter without even going into it being his 8th fight. So yes Liston once he hit his straps hammered Marshall for sure.

They all have their guys that go the distance against expectation. Marciano had his Mogards and Applegates (11-14-2).

 

I honestly have no idea what would happen between Marciano and Briggs. I'm pretty damn sure Liston stops both.

 

Layne was not anywhere Liston's class as a puncher,Louis was not koing anyone and his right hand was tied to his side.I keep trying to explain Marciano fought a lot of dross, as up and coming fighters do, but he was still fighting them once he developed ,his stats are meaningless when you look at a lot of the patsies he was stopping.
These are just those he ko'd not tko'd.

Lee Epperson had 1 fight,[ with Marciano,] then retired.
Eddie Ross ,usually fought at middleweight weighed 175lbs for Rocky.
Fat Boy Humphrey Jackson ,having his last fight 4-3-0.
Freddie Beshore, had won 2 of his last 9.
Bill Hardeman,1-4-0 had lost his last 3, had 1 more was stopped and retired.
Gil Cardone.0-1-0 Finished with a 0-4-0 record being stopped in all his 4 fights!
Artie Donato, a safe risk he had been kod by Rockys sparring partner,had won 2 of last 6 would have 2 more and be stopped in both!
Jimmy Wells 9-15-1 finished up19-42-2 and was ko'd 23times!
Henry Haft a lhvy having his last fight won 2 of last 8 and was stopped in 3 of them.
John Edwards,1-1-0 having his 2nd to last fight would have 1 more be ko'd and retire1
What a collection of padding!
Who wouldn't stop them?



Wiliams was a kid when Satterfield ko'd him.
Marciano said he," blacked out for a few seconds "against Moore and got up and started for the ropes under the impression he was entitled to a mandatory standing count.I'll take his word I think .