Sonny v Jeff's challengers?

Perhaps the question we should be asking, is how he would have done against them at the equivalent stage of his career to Jeffries when he fought them, like when he was loosing to Marty Marshal.

Now suddenly it dosn't look so certain.

 

If you're referring to the number of fights they fought I don't see why we should use that criteria because that penalizes Liston. Liston was an active fighter and Jeffries was not. Jeff preferred that once-a-year bout rather than learn the trade like Sonny. If you want an even matchup go by age. At 29 puts Jeff in 1904 just before he retired and Liston in 1959 when he was beating up on DeJohn and Cleve Williams and such. I see Liston going through all of Jeff's challengers without much bother except for Corbett, who might posess a problem with movement and ring generalship. However, I see the Liston jab keeping an offensive fight from Corbett almost at nil and eventually being stopped regardless. It might be interesting to think how Jeff would have fared against Sonny's opponents of '59.

 

Liston by KO...perhaps he kills a few as well.

 

Very distasteful and probably off the mark.

I do see the best Liston going undefeated against the fighters McVey is referring to though.

 

Just ****ing around although I believe Liston beats them all and most likely by KO as well.

The greatest fighters Jeff beat were two old, much smaller men in Corbett and Fitz and then Sharkey who was knocked out cold in two by Fitz. I think Liston goes through them all.

 

It's impossible to figure out how Liston would fare against guys like Fitzsimmons, Sharkey and Ruhlin without having seen them. Obviously they were very tough fighters.
Maybe Fitz knocks him the fk out ...

 

Liston batters them all imo.

The way they go one about Corbett though he must have been a fantastic out fighter but I can't bring myself to give him a favourable chance of out pointing liston.

If I was gonna pick anyone though it would be him.

 

Sharkey takes the measure of him. His speed, pluck and ferocity whilst in his short prime is something Lison never faced. I'd stake my wig on Sharkey!

 

Since Jeffries defenses occured 1899-1904, how about we '58 Liston in at 1899? then well be using '58-'63 Liston.

Anyways, Finnegan and Munroe get destroyed.

Ruhlin was too easy to hit and would have been destroyed, probably a bit quicker than Jeff forced a corner retirement.

vs. Sharkey, if Liston is whole he very likely demolished brave Tom. But if Liston's left is messed up, there you have a fight. I really think Jeffries, with a good left, stops Sharkey in 1899, though maybe not so quick as Liston would have.

Fitzsimmons (1902) would have had a harder time, stylistically, against Liston, going punch and move, because of Liston's reach and jab, and because Jeffries had to get out of the crouch to move quick enough to reach Fitzsimmons, and Jeffries wasn't too used to that at that point of his career, where as Liston was more used to being a stand-up fighter. I'd call Fitzsimmons the underdog, though he has a shot if he can drag Liston into later rounds.

Corbett 1903 was superannuated.

Corbett 1900 vs Liston is interesting. Jeffries left wasn't in bad shape, yet it wasn't fully right, either -- he could not extend it fully, and his elbow had to be reset and casted after the fight. Whether or not we give Liston a similar impediment would jostle the odds a little (not greatly). This is the hardest fight to call. Liston was probably a slicker puncher than Jeffries at that point, and a more opportunistic KO puncher. Maybe he stops Corbett early; if not, the question is would Liston have the Jeffries strong finish in the later rounds of a 25 round fight.

In summary:

1899 Sharkey: Close odds if Liston's left is bad; otherwise a Liston win.
1900 Finnegan: Liston
1900 Corbett: Close odds
1901 Ruhlin: Liston
1902 Fitzsimmons: Liston favored, Fitzsimmons live underdog.
1903 Corbett: Liston, maybe Corbett delays it for a while.
1904 Munroe: Liston

 

I've actually found a video of Liston vs. Finnegan.

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So if we were to put that version of Liston in with Joe Choynski or Gus Ruhlin, we could sleep soundly in our beds knowing that he had the fight in hand?