Rocky Marciano vs Sonny Liston

Marciano and liston actually got along and marciano spoke VERY HIGHLY of liston. Said he had the best left hand hed ever seen. also spoke extremley well of listons boxing skills.


I have gone over this fight in my head a billion times peak for peak and I am 100% sure this fight WOULD go the distance. These two had MUCH different styles than foreman and frazier. We have two very durable fighters here who both were very maticulous and calculative on the way they moved in..rocky loves to slowly make his way in while liston loved to sit back and jab. this would not be a bulls charging collision like foreman-frazier. Liston by close unanimous decision.



Liston rates # 3 and marciano rates # 5 all time

 

you often get results like that

i fancy Marciano in this one dont know why just a feeling

 

Believe it or not, this battle would be a lot more technically proficient than you believe. both fighters will slip alot of punches in this fight. Listons goal was not to pounce and take his man out...his goal was to relax in the ring staying on the outside and casually jab his mans face into pieces, only if the man pursued him would liston engage. Now Marciano was not a non stop moving forward motion like frazier was...Marciano would slowly and surely make his way in sometimes getting low in his crouch and even leaning back putting alot of weight on that right foot. Marciano did not just swarm in, he would sometimes wait for the other mans mistakes. I can see marciano not moving in in this fight until he times listons jab and gets underneath then the two boys will exchange some big blows. Ultimatley both of these fighters are VERY durable, I see them taking some HUGE punches and staying on there feet, both welts all over. I see liston winning because he cuts up marciano more, lands alot of jabs, and outboxes marciano most of the fight. Liston had the inside fighting skills to neuatralize rockys leverage in close. Early on Listons jab scores cutting rocky below the ey lid. However by round 3 the action picks up, rocky slips listons jab and Rockys hurts liston a couple times with big looping overhand rights and hammers liston to the head and body on the inside but listons gets his own good licks in with very hard short uppercuts that mash marcianos nose in. this is a continues pattern in the middle rounds as liston makes rocky pay dearly to get inside with long straight blows from long range, but at times rocky equalizes the exchance by getting inside and making liston miss and countering with leaping left hooks and volumes of hard punches. Both very strong fighters, they both try to manhandle eachother in the clinch as both fire rabbit punches. By round 12 liston is well ahead on points....but Marciano comes on strong in the end. Liston doesnt seem tired but mentally seems unfocused and marcianos relentless pressure finally seems to be taking its toll on liston. both fighters go toe to toe in the 15th round taking huge leather as the crowd is on there feet cheering them on, HUGE PUNCHES LAND. the bell rings, both give eachother huge gugs. "Your the best man I have ever fought your a great champion" rocky says to sonny. Sonny huffing and puffing says "Rocky they told me you were easy to hit, them reporters are liars! you hit me harder than cleveland williams". Scorecards are announced....


Liston 144-141 on all 3 judges cards in a war.

 

smash his face in Sonny!!!

destroy him in the 9th round

break him, knock him into the corner

 

Here is what Rocky Marciano said of Sonny Liston after liston knocked out Mike Dejohn in 1959

"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. I don't know [if he can take a punch]. He really didn't have to fighting DeJohn. A couple of uppercuts shoock. He leggs wobbled but he came right back again."

 

Believe it or not, this battle would be a lot more technically proficient than you believe. both fighters will slip alot of punches in this fight. Listons goal was not to pounce and take his man out...his goal was to relax in the ring staying on the outside and casually jab his mans face into pieces, only if the man pursued him would liston engage. Now Marciano was not a non stop moving forward motion like frazier was...Marciano would slowly and surely make his way in sometimes getting low in his crouch and even leaning back putting alot of weight on that right foot. Marciano did not just swarm in, he would sometimes wait for the other mans mistakes. I can see marciano not moving in in this fight until he times listons jab and gets underneath then the two boys will exchange some big blows. Ultimatley both of these fighters are VERY durable, I see them taking some HUGE punches and staying on there feet, both welts all over. I see liston winning because he cuts up marciano more, lands alot of jabs, and outboxes marciano most of the fight. Liston had the inside fighting skills to neuatralize rockys leverage in close. Early on Listons jab scores cutting rocky below the ey lid. However by round 3 the action picks up, rocky slips listons jab and Rockys hurts liston a couple times with big looping overhand rights and hammers liston to the head and body on the inside but listons gets his own good licks in with very hard short uppercuts that mash marcianos nose in. this is a continues pattern in the middle rounds as liston makes rocky pay dearly to get inside with long straight blows from long range, but at times rocky equalizes the exchance by getting inside and making liston miss and countering with leaping left hooks and volumes of hard punches. Both very strong fighters, they both try to manhandle eachother in the clinch as both fire rabbit punches. By round 12 liston is well ahead on points....but Marciano comes on strong in the end. Liston doesnt seem tired but mentally seems unfocused and marcianos relentless pressure finally seems to be taking its toll on liston. both fighters go toe to toe in the 15th round taking huge leather as the crowd is on there feet cheering them on, HUGE PUNCHES LAND. the bell rings, both give eachother huge gugs. "Your the best man I have ever fought your a great champion" rocky says to sonny. Sonny huffing and puffing says "Rocky they told me you were easy to hit, them reporters are liars! you hit me harder than cleveland williams". Scorecards are announced....


Liston 144-141 on all 3 judges cards in a war.

 

Yes but rocky was very good at slipping and parrying jabs, and proved he could take a powerful 215lb mans jab against joe louis. I dont think Jab will be a major factor, though it will be a factor. Liston will score with it.

 

Marciano destroys any post 1965 version of Sonny, maybe makes him quit on his stool. Look what leotis martin did to that sonny with one Suzy Q. That liston was fat, overweight, very old and couldnt keep up with rockys workrate. However, 1958-1960 Liston now that is a ATG fighter who I pick over pretty much every fighter in history outside of Ali and Louis. I dont see marciano beating that version of sonny unless by knockout, but Marciano was very durable and had the power strength and chin not to get manhandled early on by sonny...and with his leverage crouch and inside fighting and workrate could be rough for sonny. I see based on styles a competitive fight going the distance with Liston winning. I am specificully talking about a 1951 slugger version rocky marciano here, not the 1954-55 swarmer version of the rock.

 

hit him in the guts Sonny!!!!!