Why did Joe Frazier not fight Sonny Liston?

Young Frazier vs Old Liston.....see Frazier - Foreman,
Liston by TKO in 6, when Frazier's Mgmt stops it.

 

Yes, so how could he even show, prove to us that he could do anything against Frazier? We just assume?

 

And the issue I have is who did he beat after losing to Ali the second time ? It seems more then a few posters here think he has a very good chance against Frazier.

 

And Frazier had a massive advantage in youth, could slip and counter the best tool Liston still had available (his jab) and had limitless stamina, Liston having poor stamina one year after 68', the year he's being said to still be a big threat to Joe.

Personally I think Frazier takes him into deep waters and drowns him around 68', maybe that's just me though.

 

Liston had basically been black balled from the championship seen... Most of those fights that we can look at on boxrec, were so low profile that even the most expert fan of the time probably missed a few of them.... Frazier's team may have avoided him, out of shear fear that Sonny could made Joe look less impressive than he did against Bonavena, but frankly, I think that an old Sonny would have lost..

 

Frazier's own people said they did not want this match. Liston, even in old age in the 60's was deemed too dangerous.

 

The question is not what Liston proved post Ali.

As Joe Frazier's manager you would be responsibvle for furthering the interests of your fighter as best you could.

You would have to assume that Liston was still nearly as dangerous as ever untill he lost to Martin. If you took the fight on the assumption that Liston was shot and miscalculated, then it could put your plans back two years and possibly get you sacked.

In short, you would not take this match unless it was a final eliminator for a title fight.

 

That makes sense, and I agree with it completely.

I'm just speaking on a hypothetical match between the two very late in Liston's career.

 

Liston was surely aging by post '65, but he still fought some tuff cookie's with moderate skills and ability.... Dude's like "Amos Lincoln, Bill McMurray, Henry Clark & Scrap Iron Johnson" were not total pugs or pussies...... I think them were some good wins for Liston......

Note:

Liston was doing a job on Leo Martin on ABC TV in '69 until he ate that Whopper burger right-cross from Martin in the 9th round......
:deal

MR.BILL