Rocky Marciano picked Patterson to beat Liston

And JFK, also!

 

I think Rocky just did it out of spite he and Liston did not get along. Style wise it was just a bad match up for Patterson I doubt he would beat Liston if they fought 100 times.

 

Yeah, Tyson was a different animal from Floyd entirely but I wouldn't be surprised if D'amato would have been overly protective had he been around.

 

Yeah, Cus made a stupid mistake with Johansson, considering he'd ducked Folley and Machen.

Actually, re-reading a lot of old newspapers and magazines from as early as 1987, Holyfield was given a decent chance against Tyson, and fancied as the main up-and-coming threat. But like all such things, opinions differed and estimations ossillated from one fight to the next. In the wake of the Tyson-Spinks fight especially NO ONE seemed to be giving ANYONE any sort of chance against Iron Mike.

 

Well, it's all "maybes" and possibilities, and to different degrees. I do kind of doubt Cus would have been as quick to accept that everyone out there was fair game. He'd alsways have at least one fighter who he'd want to avoid, perhaps. He just had that paranoid wiseguy kind of persona. He'd see a jinx or an omen in someone.
Or maybe not.

 

Of all the legitimate (undisputed/linear etc.) world heavyweight champions I think he was one of the weakest.
But it's a fairly prestigious club of fighters, so even the weakest have a good amount going for them.
To be the champion you basically have to be pretty good. And Patterson was damned good fighter. But among the group of champions I'd have him as one of the weakest.
If he'd fought as a light-heavy maybe he would have been one of the greatest champions there, but as a heavyweight champion I dont rate him anywhere near the top.

 

Here are the following heavyweight champions I think Patterson would beat

John L Sullivan
James Corbett
Bob Fitzsimmons
James Jeffries
Marvin Hart
Tommy Burns
Jess Willard
Gene Tunney
Max Schmeling
Jack Sharkey
Primo Carnera
James Braddock
Ezzard Charles
Ingemar Johannson
Leon Spinks
Michael Spinks
Michael Moorer
James Buster Douglas
Shannon Briggs
Hasim Rahman

 

McGrain I went to school with Holyfields nephews Henry and Reiko and Evander used to come and speak to us all the time at school and give motivational speeches. He told my 8th grade class back in 1993 that if he ever fought Mike Tyson he would knock him out. I don't think anyone in the room believed him besides his nephew. He told us that he had known Tyson since his amateur days and that he was a bully and mentally weak and that if you stood up to him he would fold. Well fast forward 3 years or so and damn if Holyfield was not telling the truth.

 

It's possible. He was after LaStarza said he was punchy and had brain damage. That gave Marciano a wrath of rage that had him brutalizing and punishing LaStarza in their rematch. Rocky didn't want to KO him but punish him. And he ruined his career and broke blood vessels on his arms. It's the only time he had malice when in the ring.

 

Rocky spoke well of Liston.

Here is what Marciano said about liston after he knocked out Dejohn


"His left jab is the best of any fighter i've seen since Louis. This fellow gets real force into his jabs like Joe used to do. He's great, just great. The left jab set up DeJohn. Then Liston cut him down with a body attack. To me, he appeared a more effective body puncher than Charles. I would have to say Ez is a better boxer. I thought Liston looped his punches more than he should. He should shorten 'em up more. He can move faster than Jersey Joe."

Mcgrain posted this a while back

 

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Marciano was betting Sonny but talking up Floyd.