Sonny Liston vs. Jack Johnson, London Prize Ring Rules

Dropping without being hit was rendered a foul with the 1838 change of rules.

Liston could definitely do damage, but as you say he may end up doing himself more damage in a battle of attrition like this. Punching vertically would feel unnatural, and once your primary weapons are compromised defeat isn't far off.

 

Did Johnson ever participate in any bare knuckle fights?

 

I wasn't implying that Johnson was a coward because he clearly wasn't. But I think Sonny was more open to duking it out in the street than Johnson was. He seemed to have more of the street fighter mentality than Johnson did. Plus Sonny was very strong...just like Johnson was. I can't envision Johnson wrapping Sonny in his arms and smiling at the crowd like he did with many of his opponents. If he can avoid some heavy punishment and drag Sonny into the latter stages of the fight he has a good chance. This is a tough one to pick for me but I still lean toward Liston.

 

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Battle Royales consist of what exactly.. sorry I'm not familiar with how those worked or what they looked like.

 

I tend to go with johnson here but liston may have been to much with his power and huge bare fists . but if he gassess watch out. pretty good quirky thread

 

We all know Sonny could fight, was a great champion. But I don't get how any reputation on the street as a street fighter and a leg breaker means anything going into prize ring rules. Sonnys boxing credentials are excelent and that what counts in equal combat. street fighting won't mean ANYTHING here.

I mean what is street fighting? Two guys argue in a bar until one dude makes his move. Mostly it's a game of bluff and the first man who takes the plunge and lands usually wins because he's the only one who knows what's going to happen. what is leg breaking? The bigger man jumps the little guy that he was paid to rough up. Big deal!

All codes of evenly matched physical combat are strategic to the core. Requiring gamesmanship, experience as well as all the obvious physical and technical qualities.

Both Sonny and Jack were no nonsense guys who had been around. Survivor's who could walk the walk and talk the talk. That won't even come into it.

It's about experience. Johnson had more of it. Jack was cafty and patient enough to find way to get the upper hand. Sonny, powerful though he was, would be too one dimentional in any code for a dirty old fox like Jack Johnson.

 

A hard question to answer, since they were so disgusting that none were ever filmed.

Coalitions were formed i.e. "we work together to beat the rest, then it is every man for himself".

The participants were desperate men, usualy fighting for food.

You couldn't pay me enough to go in there.

Jack Johnson used to knock one key man down, then say that he would kill him if he got up.

 

It doesn’t.

People assume that LPR fights were like street fights, and they were basically the opposite.

They fought without gloves, but everything was stacked ten feet high against a knockout.

 

Exactly my point.:good

Fighters could take a break when it suited them so long a they could come up to scratch. A fight to the finish means until a man "gives best" or injury prevents continuation of the contest. Basicly speaking, any amount of stalling can go on until their hands give out.

One man can keep taking a knee after each good shot, come up to scratch, take a knee again over and over until the other fellows hands fail. The loser wins because though he has not landed one punch he will continue and the one with broken hands cannot.

 

above interesting posts. this is what posting on a boxing forum should be about- two guys posting well thought out ideas