Would Holyfield Have A Chance Against Sonny Liston?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Hydraulix, Aug 15, 2010.


  1. tommygun711

    tommygun711 The Future Full Member

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    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lugwlZMvwtY&feature=related[/ame]
    here he says Shavers was the strongest.
     
  2. tommygun711

    tommygun711 The Future Full Member

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    He had that kind of build though. And he sure trained with weights like a body builder.
     
  3. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    As opposed to people being blinded to the reality of Liston's results by nothing more than myth and hyperbole.

    Likewise, Liston went 0-2 vs. Ali, and in these fights he had insurmountable trouble with raw greatness.

    And Douglas, Holmes, and others had jabs roughly around that length as well, and Holy beat them decisively. Many people also thought he beat Valeuv as well, despite being even older than Liston was when he was flattened by Leotis Martin.

    And given that Liston lacked Bowe's 30-pound size advantage, those punches should be even easier for Holy to withstand.

    Holy's fights with a comparably sized/strong fighter in Tyson clearly suggest otherwise.

    Why would that be an argument for Liston being stronger?

    And likewise, we saw just how hittable a young Ali was against Cooper, Doug Jones, and Billy Daniels. Didn't mean a damn thing.

    Just as he usually was. Why would that make a difference now?

    Which he's shown that he's perfectly capable of doing.

    Liston's fights with Ali suggest otherwise.

    But not for any factual reason.
     
  4. Iceveins

    Iceveins Puglistic Linguistics Full Member

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    Well there was no way for me to refute that so I turned to boxrec out of curiosity...

    4/3/1958, Liston goes to the cards after 10 rounds and wins on points against 24-13-2, Bert Whitehurst aka a 3rd tier contender.

    6 months later he rematches the now 24-14-4 Bert Whitehurst and goes all 10 rounds again...against the same world beater.

    9/7/1960, Liston goes all 12 rounds with 34-2-1 Eddie Machen.

    So yea Liston also faced his Michael Dokes and Bert Coopers type opponents and even with that being said, in his prime Holyfield TKOed ALL of this 2nd tier opponents unlike Liston.
     
  5. PetethePrince

    PetethePrince Slick & Redheaded Full Member

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  6. PetethePrince

    PetethePrince Slick & Redheaded Full Member

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    It's not quite the same Tommy. A lot of Holyfields training was for explosion, and part of it was for to gain size. Bodybuilding isn't about functional strength.
     
  7. tommygun711

    tommygun711 The Future Full Member

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    I can't find the video becuse tintinsiek2 got his account shut down.
    Sorry.
    But he did say shavers was the strongest somewhere, i think he was referring to punching power.
     
  8. crippet

    crippet Well-Known Member Full Member

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    So if we give Liston Holyfields PEDs and training techniques we should allow Holyfield to have linament on his gloves for a few rounds:bbb
     
  9. MMJoe

    MMJoe Boxing Addict Full Member

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    The same way he did against 1st tier contenders like Tyson.
     
  10. Hookie

    Hookie Affeldt... Referee, Judge, and Timekeeper Full Member

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    OMG! :lol: ......but you are right.

    I'm talking about Liston coming in at his very best vs. Holyfield coming in at his very best... even if that means Holyfield has the help of steroids, HGH, or whatever else. That also means with his rough tactics, headbutts, etc. Like it or not, that's boxing people. This isn't a tickling contest! Liston certainly was no saint.
     
  11. Hookie

    Hookie Affeldt... Referee, Judge, and Timekeeper Full Member

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    I also think Tyson would outwork Liston for a close decision win.
     
  12. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Tyson did outwork a lot of guys to close decision wins after all.
     
  13. dpw417

    dpw417 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Holyfield has two big problems with Liston...if he boxes with him, Liston's jab will find him. If he brawls...he is fighting against a hard hitting man. But with that said...I would not totally rule out against Holyfield being able to get to Liston late. Does he have a chance? YES.
     
  14. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    The steroid factor is irrelevant.

    Firstly maybe Liston was on steroids. I suspect Ali was adminstered all sorts of medications and PEDs in the 70s, including possibly anabolic steroids, so why not Liston ? I've had this discussion before, and I think it's odd that many people here seem to think that no elite boxer pre-1980s was on steroids !
    Despite the fact that testsosterone had been in sports since the 1940s, and Dianabol was common in the late 50s onwards, and that professional boxers have for a long time had dubious "fight doctors" in their training camps quick to adminster some remedy or aid to get right for fight night.

    We simply dont know who was on what, nor do we know if they actually gained any advantage from what they were using, or the extent of the advantage,
     
  15. EverLast

    EverLast Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Liston KO's Holyfield im afraid