Sonny Liston vs Joe Frazier

Wow, now thats the hardcore version of my view on Sonny Liston!

 

I do
Sonny had 39 KO's in 50 fights.
Foreman had 68 in 76 but were including comback George here and he could have finished more guys but in some fights he wanted the rounds which he stated and I believe him.
Frazier had 27 in 32 wins. Joe's power is being a bit overlooked here.
Not saying Frazier is the hardest puncher here but he is the only one to repeatedly hurt the iron jawed Ali.
Forman landed flush on Ali numerous times and Ali didn't show anything for what thats worth.
Frazier repeatedly hammered the still elusive Ali.
Liston for all his physical advantages couldn't land too many clean shots.
So many people on here have Marciano who is much slower more predictable and easier to hit beating Liston but again Joe gets the short end of the stick most likely based on the Foreman fight. Does Rocky do better against George? Me thinks not.

 

I'm skeptical 70s Foreman is stronger than Liston. The 90s version might well be but in the 70s Foreman weighed about the same as Liston and had less impressive physical stats

 

I think Liston beats Frazier up and stops him inside 8rds. Foreman has more" filler" on his record than Sonny,did George stop anyone Liston wasn't capable of stopping? Ko stats are interesting but often misleading. I don't rate Frazier in the top rank for power, his great asset was the ability to fire and reload all night.Grinder.

 

I agree with everything except the outcome. I still see Frazier winning IMO

 

I’m a big Sonny fan so I’ll chime in.



Listons power was very evident on film. His left hook was extremely heavy, accurate, and like a bomb. It exploded and drove people back when it connected. His right hand was more of a club, but when it landed it bounced people on the canvas.

Listons power was on full display in his record

Top Men like Folley, Dejohn, Harris, Valdes, Williams 2x were blown out early and effectively. Liston flattened a top 25 heavyweight of all time not once but twice in a solo round. I don’t think this feat as been duplicated in heavyweight history.
He also is the only man to stop the iron chinned Wayne Bethea doing so in just 58 seconds.

Many of listons opponents said he was the strongest and hardest hitter of all time


“Ali”

They fought him at different stages of their careers

Frazier was at his peak here while Ali was coming off a long layoff..Liston fought ali at age 33 while ali was in his physical prime. Liston had only fought 2 rounds in 3 years and his timing combined with his old age put him in deep trouble against the physically peak Ali. Frazier’s win over ali was one of the best of all time, but that wasn’t the best version of ali in there.
And more importantly, ali was a completely different style that Liston. Liston was a lot more like Foreman, who bounced Frazier up and down like a yo yo.
Liston called out Frazier repeatedly in the late 60s and it seemed to go on deaf ears by manager yank durham. Frazier never defeated a top tier puncher of the era.


“Marciano”

No one here picks Marciano over Liston. You seem to have thought you saw something you didn’t see. Marciano May be Frazier, but nowhere near as predictable. Frazier’s Head movement could be timed, while Marciano always moves differently in his crouch. And on an important note, Marciano was a two fisted knockout banger, while Frazier only relied on his left hook.

Speed has become so overrated on this forum.

 

Liston was similar to foreman in a lot of areas. The most important one is swarmer Who walked into him didn’t last long. It wouldn’t be any different with Frazier. Frazier doesn’t have the strength, durabliltty to handle listons powerful hooks and uppercuts which are made to destroy a fighter like joe.

 

LOl, 16 pages.....

Frazier aint got the chin to prevail against skilled heavy hitters......even in victory against so so opposition his face looked like a moon crater because he is so easy to hit.

His records stands as 1-4 in his signature fights, I repeat, 1-4, let that sink in for a minute......and he was blown out twice in un competitive fashion by the only legitimate elite puncher he met.

End Thread.

 

Foreman by ko no question about

 

End of your garbage

 

I know you’re foreman’s biggest fan but Liston has a serious chance here.

Who do you pick Liston or Frazier?

 

Frazier by late tko or even ko . frazier did hurt much more durable guys than liston like Ali,chuvalo or bugner. Sonny did not fight like foreman at all,frazier could work the body against sonny however foreman pushed him back and frustrated the job of joe.

 

While Frazier is trying to get in Liston will be hitting him back hard, what punchers did he beat remotely of Liston's calibre?

 

Sonny didn’t need to push him back..he was immensely strong, much more so than Frazier..and he had two fisted clubbing type power, the type that Frazier couldn’t handle...and Liston was devastating on the inside against swarmer with brutal hooks and uppercuts...Frazier could not handle an elite uppercut or hook as we saw vs foreman...Liston had a much better jab than foreman. Frazier will be so concerned trying to make his way inside with slips and when he does a brutal hook or uppercut will he met behind the jab and Frazier will not recover.

Liston was an absolute beast and ATG at his best who matches up great with joe

It’s a matter of styles? Frazier did not match up well vs ATG punchers and his management knew it. They avoided an aging Liston in the late 60s

 

None