Sonny Liston Circa 1964 V Rocky Marciano Circa 1955

Two big punchers slug it out. The bigger, harder hitting, more skilled one is liable to win it.
It's not impossible for Rockys heart to prevail here but I'd lean more towards Liston.

 

1964 wasn’t the best version of Sonny Liston, therefore I’d give rocky a chance. But stylistically I think is typically a bad match for Marciano

 

I'll say this, if Liston doesn't get him out within the first 6 rounds, I see Rocky taking his heart and stopping him late. No one ever made Rocky back up or quit, and Rocky would get to the inside, crowd him, and work over Liston's body. But could Rocky handle Liston's long left jab and heavy blows? Could Liston handle Rocky's very close-in infighting and relentless nonstop pace for 15 rounds? We'll never know.

 

Sonny Liston couldn't be more wrong for Marciano. Liston by KO inside 3.

 

This again?

Liston hammers away with his jab, mauls, frames, and hammers Rocky with everything but the kitchen sink. Terrible matchup. Rocky's advantages in heart, stamina, and work rate would be irrelevant because the fight wouldn't last more than 3-4 rounds at most. Rocky can only fight coming forward against a taller, bigger, stronger opponent who never stops stalking and hammering away. A black bear vs a grizzly bear.

 

Liston early but if he's still there by the middle rounds then there's every chance Rocky gets it.

 

There is no worse head-to-head matchup for Rocco Francis Marchegiano that could be conceived by a human brain than Charles Liston. Rocky would not back down and would come at him unafraid with everything in his arsenal, but there is no version of him that ever beats any version of Liston that's anywhere close to prime. And I say that even though I have Rocky higher on my ATG than Liston, because again my greatness list is not based on who'd win head to head.

 

Liston by early KO, I don’t think it would have been close. Marciano was a very good fighter but he struggled with past their prime fighters throughout his career. Liston would have absolute mauled him.

 

Liston's tremendous reach advantage, pulverizing jab, and crushing power in both hands would dispatch the Rock within 6 rounds. (This matchup is like feeding raw meat to a hungry lion!!)

 

Liston poleaxes Marciano within 6 rounds.

 

Rocky was 184 lbs. I know one thing is for sure, Rocky would never quit, Liston I cannot say the same about. If this fight were to turn into a long haul, Liston would quit on his stool and say "that's it, I'm done".

 

Foreman almost certainly couldn’t handle Frazier’s close-infighting and relentless nonstop pressure. To bad it never became a factor.

 

I'm going to look at this fight through the lens of Jersey Joe Walcott vs Rocky Marciano 1. When Marciano was knocked down Walcott didn't finish him; Liston would finish him off.

 

Yeah, I think Liston prevails in brutal fashion BUT if Rocky makes it to the mid rounds, it is possible he could stop Liston late or win a convincing decision based on punch output