Rocky Marciano vs. Sonny Liston

Oh, so you disregard me RATHER than the facts I used. You agree with all 9 points then?

 

I agree with your assessment of Marciano as a defensive fighter. Most people imagine Marciano as an unskilled brawler who could be easily hit. So they imagine Listion having easy access. That couldn't be further from the truth. He would have Liston missing shot after shot and uselessly expending energy while getting hit.

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Marciano was champ when I was born.....you're point being?.....

 

Yes Rocky wants to maul with a guy heavier than he is because he can neutralise the leverage that makes the weight an advantage against him. It's exactly what he did when ever he beat that sized opponent.

Watch his fight with Joe Louis. He smothered under Louis's power line. It took away the room and time the bigger man needed to pull the trigger. At the same time he was clubbing and clawing away with all his own surprising strength using lower gravity.

1951 Joe Louis (8-0 in 12 months, rated #1 in the world) was still a very good fighter and just as big as Sonny Liston of the Patterson fights.

 

Well....,,I would not go THAT far. Marciano was a swarmer and with that style you are going to get hit. It's a rough and tough battling fighting style. It's just that Rocky did have some cute moves that made him much less a target than most fighting a similar style.

 

Now...I know this will **** off the Liston people....I remember a conversation with Lou Duva..(Listen to the groans).
He mentioned that Marciano was doing some TV and radio leading up to the Ali-Liston fight in Miami in Feb.1964.
Rock went to the gym where Liston was training to do an interview. Liston kept saying to Marciano,"You wouldn't last 2 rounds with me!!" People who were there said that Marciano remained calm...but after Liston kept talking,
Marciano said,,"Get me some gloves....shoes...and some trunks...and let's see what happens!!" Duva said that Liston's people and Sonny left the gym after the exchange....

 

I got Liston. He has all the advantages

 

But...alas...we'll never know...

 

Except maybe heart???

 

Nat Fleischer, Founder of Ring Magazine, 1958 and 1971


Jack Johnson
Jim Jeffries
Bob Fitzsimmons
Jack Dempsey
Jim Corbett
Joe Louis
Sam Langford
Gene Tunney
Max Schemling
Rocky Marciano

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Charley Rose, 1968


Sam Langford
Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis
Jim Jeffries
Gene Tunney
Sam McVey
Rocky Marciano
Jim Corbett
Max Baer
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World Boxing 1974 Readers Poll


1.Joe Louis
2.Jack Dempsey
3.Rocky Marciano
4.Jack Johnson
5.Muhammad Ali
6.Joe Frazier
7.Gene Tunney
8.Jim Jeffries
9.Sonny Liston
10. Ezzard Charles

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Nat Loubet, 1975


Joe Louis
Jack Dempsey
Jim Jeffries
Jack Johnson
Rocky Marciano
Gene Tunney
Bob Fitzsimmons
James J. Corbett
Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier

----------------------------

Bill Brennan 1978 (Former President of the WBA)


Muhammad Ali
Joe Louis
Jack Dempsey
Jack Johnson
Gene Tunney
Jim Jeffries
Max Schemeling
Rocky Marciano
James J. Corebett
Bob Fitzsimmons

------------------------

Big Book of Boxing Reader Poll, 1978


Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Rocky Marciano
Jack Dempsey
Jack Johnson
Gene Tunney
Joe Frazier
Jim Jeffries
Ezzard Charles
Sonny Liston

 

I'm talking about not consistently being jabbed to bits. Being kept on the end of the jab. It wouldn't be easy or even possible. Marciano could be hit by a jab sure, and it would be an important tool in this fight for Sonny but I don't think it would be easy to find him consistently. Marciano was unorthodox and awkward. He did that leaning crouch that reduced him to a small and unpredictable target.

But I think Liston would probably batter him anyway.

 

I'd expect Liston to KO all the short, aggressive, reach-deficient guys : Marciano, Frazier, Tyson.
Of all of them I'd give Marciano the best chance of springing an upset precisely because of his awkward unorthodox rhythm-breaking style.
But it's really not much of a chance at all.

 

Really dont c that as an issue in this fight

 

Some of the worst lists I ever saw

 

That's how it was before the internet.

We had to rely on the opinions of the actual experts who lived through those times. Sonny never got to be rated above Rocky until the 1990s. Unlike The better champions Sonny never made a top ten I can find from the decade he was active in. I don't know what extra Sonny did after his death to improve his standing I just think the guys who knew him best had to die off.