Vitali Klitschko vs Sonny Liston

I don’t know what the circumstances are from memory but why wasn’t Klitschko matched with someone for the crown after Lewis vacated?

 

Sanders, I think? #1 and #3?

 

After reviewing some Sonny Liston fights… I’m more inclined to pick Vitali.. The only real explanation so far for Liston winning this match up is comparing Wladimir Klitschko’s fight with Ray Mercer?

Vitali frustrates him with his feet, volume, and physicality, and beats him up..

The Ali fights are a good example of what good lateral movement and posting does to Liston, and even the Cleveland Williams fight in the first round he was boxing and using his size well before Williams inexplicably decided to bum rush Liston and basically quit shortly afterwards (he didn’t appear hurt after either knockdown, especially the first).

I’m not saying Vitali is a greater fighter, but I see no reason to favor Liston in a fantasy match up outside of the lack of black and white footage of Vitali……

Liston appeared to struggle with good lateral movement / jabs, posting, and he stood up fairly tall with his chin in the air - not the greatest set of qualities in this match up. He’s got a shot at hurting Vitali - but Vitali has the toughness to take a couple dings…

 

There's a question mark over that supposed 84 inch reach.

 

Vitali is a bit one dimensional and predictable to beat a guy of Liston's skill and heavy handedness for mine.

 

As for me, I take Vitali all day long. He's bigger, tougher and works at a higher rate than Liston. His sense of distance was impeccable, using body sway to neutralize the bigger punches opponents would throw at him. He's also got the more unusual style with his wierd uppercut-cum-jab punch that always seemed to get up through an opponent's guard.

As people have remarked already: Liston was used to fighting a smaller class of opponent, which meant that the physicality was on his side. He was used to his punches moving people. In Vitali's case he's an outsized problem for Liston, moreover a problem that can box pretty well.

A common criticism of Vitali is that he throws arm punches. However his 80% KO record shows that a 250lb man throwing accurate arm punches equals devastation. I'll add that throwing arm punches meant that Vitali did not tire easily. He could fight at a high tempo all 12 rounds.

 

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Yeah I don’t see how Liston did anything to be favoured over Vitali? - unless you do that thing this forum does and say “Liston beat an undisputed champion HOF x2 in under two rounds” neglecting that it doesn’t mean anything it’s Floyd Patterson and in the ring just because you’ve been given a bunch of accolades it doesn’t improve you any as a fighter…

 

Didn't Liston have mugger strength though?

 

He might’ve… it did indeed serve him well against the sub 200lbers he was fighting. I would be interested to see it tested against heavyweights however.

 

The gap between Liston & Klitschko’s best opposition is wider than that of Liston’s opponents usual size & Klitschko.

 

Not to be annoying but a critique on your post is that a hard arm punch is more fatiguing then one thrown with text book form… your hips can be torqued all day, Foreman’s issue was his arm punching - swinging your arms hard kills your stamina fast.

 

Fair enough. I was thinking more of the guys that throw the kitchen sink into everything. Using a proper kinetic chain would certainly generate more power more easily.

 

I remember Vitali not throwing much into any of his punches, half turned over or short arm shots he sort of just beat guys up by hitting them a lot. Not to say he couldn’t hit hard when he wanted to.

 

Wish I knew anything abt kitschko… alas, I must remain impartial.

 

I was just about to warn you against your rampant Klitschko fanboyism....