The size difference wasn't much here, despite certain detractor's claims. Marciano had a work ethic and physical talent that was way out of Liston's league.
It's almost pick'em. Neither faced a guy as good as the other. I went 60/40 Marciano earlier and I'll stick by that.
I just can't see a way for Marciano to get around Liston's jab, and then Liston's strength. Liston bust Rocky up, and stops him in 6. I'm sure worse fighters have gone longer with Liston, but they didn't have Rocky's heart. That heart would cause Marciano to try harder and harder, and cause Liston to hit him more and more.
Marciano was marked up plenty by each of those fighters. Those fighters were not as physically strong as Liston either, and incapable of pushing Marciano around and away.
i dont see liston stopping marciano. marciano had an amazing chin and he refused to quit. i see liston outpointing marciano. if u watch the films marciano and liston were very patient, passive, cool. they did not wildly bull in, they calculated there opponents out of range and slowly made there way in, marciano liked to sit back and feed off his crouch bending at all angles, and liston liked to sit back and jab his opponents head off. marciano and liston are two of the strongest heavyweights we have ever seen I like sonny by close unanimous decision
I see that outcome as being very possible. I just feel that Liston's strength would cause Marciano to feel an urgency like he'd never felt before. That urgency would turn to effort, and then my predicted outcome. However, if Rocky remains patient, he is easily capable of going the distance.
Yes, Marciano had the strength, determination, conditioning and work ethic. But unfortunately, he had the wrong style and physical tools for Liston. Liston patiently busts up Rocky, who occasionally tries to work in, and stops him around the eighth round. Rather, the ref. stops it. Sorry.
u make liston-dempsey 50-50 but marciano-liston 70-30 listons favor? how does that work? marciano matches up much better vs liston than dempsey does, because marciano was far more mechanical and patient than jack allowing him more likely to make it into the later rounds. when dempsey rushes wildly into liston he is going to get murdered. firpo knocked dempsey down 3 times, once out of the ring and a typewriter had to save jack. liston was a different animal than firpo. marciano showed me alot in his ability to deal with a good jab by 215lb man like he did vs joe louis.
I like both arguments in favor of one or the other by posters here. While I think Marciano may have beaten him, I am now convinced that Liston could have taken it as well.
