Two 1st round KOs of Floyd Patterson.

The Holmes who lost to Spinks in September 1985. Holmes looked pretty awful that night. Patterson would have beaten him, possibly Johansson, Ellis, Quarry, Bonavena.It's not really something I want to debate or analyse too much, but my main point would be that Holmes just looked horrendous against Spinks.

 

I'm not sure we EVER saw the best Liston; I often think if he hadn't had his early baggage (I know, a big 'if') this machine would have been ready to rock circa 54-55 and would have perhaps been too much for the Rock at that time. And, to give Floyd credit, he was rising both times against Sonny after taking shots that Liston said "I felt all the way up my back, I've never hit anyone harder". In Patterson's darkest moment(s) he reacted better than Lennox did in his two 'Bombouts'...

 

Liston was not imprison until 56, when Marciano retire. By the time of 54 or 55, Liston only had something like 20 or so fights, and at that time and day, unless your name happens to be Floyd Patterson, you didnt defend the belt against novice fighters.

 

Naw, Liston was barely getting by summerlin and losing to clowns like marty marshall in 54, He was nowhere near ready for a machine like the rock. As much as I like and respect floyd patterson's abilites, Rock was a different nightmare than floyd.

 

Here's my big "if" guys, forget the prison stuff. He got knocked around Ark./St. Louie/Detroit given his upbringing. I did say it was a "big if". It's just that we saw a mature tho declining semi-shell of a man step into the ring against Clay/Ali in Feb./64

 

But Marciano won the title, defended it 6 times and retire all before Liston went to prison. If Liston was going to make the jump for the title against Marciano, He had the shot, but thsos early losses are something that keep him out of the elite of the divsion.

 

I just watched that fight on youtube. We will have to agree to disagree. I don't think Holmes looked that bad, and Patterson never beat even a marginally rated fighter nearly as big as Holmes. Spinks was a distinguished fighter who managed to go undefeated to 32. His movement and awkward defensive skills and quick hands were impressive. He did not seem to have any power against Holmes, though, and his record against heavyweights is obviously truncated.

 

Floyd Patterson was a far more accomplished and proven heavyweight than Michael Spinks

On Spinks-Holmes, I'll watch it again, maybe I'm being unfair to Holmes.