Liston is about as big as Frazier; doesn't have the size advantage that Foreman enjoyed. I think Liston will quit on his stool in the 8th after he saw Frazier rise from an early knockdown and now keeps hitting him more and more often with that left hook.
Liston wins this one he destroyed crouch fighter Paterson but i think Joe would last until the 2nd or 3rd
I agree that Frazier most likely survives early and prevails, but I don't think Sonny Liston goes the distance with Frazier. Not enough heart for Sonny. By the time the tide turned around the 5th round and those body shots started kicking in, the bully would start melting. Prime Joe in 10.
Liston would proably knock out the same Frazier who showed up weighing 214 lbs against Foreman in Jamaica. Frazier at or near his prime weight of 205 - 208 lbs would KO liston, probably inside 8 rounds IMO.
All the negativity towards Frazier is just madness here. Frazier in his prime coming at you rolling with everything coming at him is a nitemare. If Frazier could pin Liston on the ropes the fight is over, Liston would not want any part of that scenario and cant fight on the inside anywhere near as good as Joe. But I do think that the one punch that spells troublw for Frazier is the jab and Liston had one of the best in HW history and he could box (he was a box puncher). I pick Liston to win, I think his jab would bother Frazier and it could lead to a big right hand or an uppercut as Frazier comes in . Its a hard pick though because if Frazier can slip the jab and rush Liston the fight could be over fast. But I will pick the first scenario. Also , someone said before that Liston would use his jab to box his way in , box his way into what? A left hook ? You dont box your way into Joe Frazier trying to make an opening , because if you do, you are boxing you way into the hospitall
This is a good debate. My heart tells me Frazier would win it, but my mind says Liston would knock him out. I'll explain. Sonny made quick work of Patterson, sure, but Patterson's bobbing and weaving made things difficult for a second. Frazier had better inside movement than Patterson, and would hurt Liston with crushing left hook counters. He'd cut off the ring, slip the jab, and pressure Sonny constantly. I don't think Liston ever dealt with a pressure fighter like Frazier, and knowing his reputation for quitting when he was losing, I see a KO from Smokin Joe. On the other hand, if Sonny fought smart and struck the crouching Frazier with uppercuts, I see him getting a victory. I think Frazier would avoid the heavy Sonny Liston jab by bobbing and weaving, but all Sonny needs are powerful uppercuts to turn the tide in his favor, and then he'd destroy Frazier the same way he did Patterson. I'm on the fence with this one. I see either one of the above outcomes occuring for this fight.
I've commented on this fight so many times before so I'll save my breath. Frazier stops Liston late but is dropped early in an all out war.
