The Liston Of The Patterson Fights...

if you do noT know the the date of the bIrthday of tyson, NOBODY WOULD SAY THAT HE WAS 20 WHEN HE FACED BERBICK, NOBODY IN THIS WORLD WAS LIKE TYSON WHEN HE WAS 20.

 

I personally take no stock in those grossly exaggerated estimates of Sonny's age...like he was a California Redwood tree, or a giant, old crocodile or something...I agree..it's ridiculous. i believe that his birthdate was in May 1932 as he maintained it was..or as it is generally maintained that he was.

 

I think what many people do, is add years to Sonny Liston, per fight in later years.

Supposedly born in 1932.
Takes a bus in 1944, by himself, from Forest City, Arkansas, to St. Louis, Missouri.
And most people guess, thats where his second life started.

What most people forget, was that Sonny Liston was living a hard-life.
Which, in most cases a will prematurely age you.

I always take a look at the amateur day photo's in 1952/1953.
He doesn't look 20,,,,,,,,,,,he looks closer to 24/25,,,,,,,,but he's not 30.

If he was 50 when he fought Chuck Wepner, as some believe, than he was
32 in the Chicago Golden Gloves,,,,,,,,'that I can't believe'.

I always thought, that you can add a good 4+ years to Sonny's listed age.

 

Yeah, it's concievable that he could have been born in '28 or '29 maybe..like I said, he was a man shrouded in mystery. Along with Carlos Monzon, maybe the most mysterious guy in boxing lore.

 

In late 1968, Sonny Liston was on 'Love American Style', the TV Show.
The guy looked pretty good,,,,,and could pass for 40.

 

i agree 100% great posts

 

Nice..

 

So you never saw him getting knocked out by Leotis Martin?


What about when he was getting pummeled by Williams, yet fought back and knocked him out?


Hmmm thanks for your input but im gonna skip your opinion on this one

 

Someone posted a Galento interview in here not long ago. A reporter in a diner asked him who he thought would win Ali Liston 1. When he answered Ali, I think I remember reading that people in the restaurant and the reporter himself were shocked. Galento predicted Ali would win for all the correct reasons. He then went on to say "I never been wrong about a fighters age in my entire career. Liston is 40 years old." He said something very similar than that.

 

Yeah, I read it too. Very cool.

 

In November 1968, my father saw him training at the Kenisico Copper Tubing factory,
in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, just a couple of days before his bout with Roger Rischer.

They set up a make-shift boxing ring for him and Don 'Toro Smith' Smith, a big
Pittsburg Heavyweight, for a 1-hour sparring sesion.
I have several photo's,,,,,
Sonny looks about 40.

They hit up all the copper-workers for 'bucks' to get them their.

 

I disagree, Tyson never folded at all, unless u count the Mcbride fight

To beat Tyson you had to beat the **** out of him and tire him out like Douglas, Holyfield and Lewis.

Liston on the other hand was much much weaker mentally, he quit in both Ali fights. If anyone was the bully it was Liston.

I like Sonny btw

H2H i believe he would beat anyone except Clay/Ali, Tyson and MAYBE....Lewis

 

Azzer,

The appearance of quitting doesn't tell the whole story.
Lets give Liston a break, he was 37 years old, getting yanked all over the place
to try to make fights.
Money issues, contract problems, and been in the boxing scene for 14 years.

Mentally, he was 'fried'.
Remember what Ali was at 37, he wasn't fighting for himself, he was fighting for others.
Same as Liston back then.

 

I'm as big a Liston fan as any but there's honestly no performance of his that equals Tyson dropping Douglas late in the fight.

And Tyson's wars against Ruddock show more heart than Liston against Williams the first go round.

Liston was certainly no ***** and I rate him top fiveish, but he is given too much slack for heart generally. The Ali fights really do suck.

 

Okay then.

he was still wayy past his best against these men. and probably older then his birthdate indicates.