Zaire 74 Ali vs Prime Liston

Nice one! The fact you've used a '74 Ali has really shaken this fight up, especially now that Liston is in his deadly late-50's prime.

Liston takes this fight. Ali can't punch and clinch, and steal a victory like he did against Frazier in their second fight. Liston wouldn't come that close, he was an outside stalker, and his reach advantage over a slower Ali with slower hands and slower reflexes would mean he'd be pumping that big left jab at Muhammad all night long.

And if Ali rope-a-doped against Liston he'd be making a huge mistake. Sonny WOULD NOT stand a slug against Ali for 8 solid rounds like Foreman did, he's far to savvy and too clever for that. Liston would pump his jab through the guard, uppercut and take it easy, clocking up points while Ali wasted away rounds lying on the ropes. Liston was content with a win, he had the power to stop any man in history but a decision win for him just showed his versatility as a fighter.

I don't think Sonny knocked out Ali as we known Ali would be too tough for that, taking punches off Foreman and Shavers, two bigger hitters than Liston. But Sonny seriously out-classed Ali in this fight and I'm not just saying this with Liston bias.

W15 Sonny Liston UD

 

Sonny. Takes his time and does a steady job over 15 would be my call. As long as he hasn't been stuck in Zaire for ages under house arrest which would make him a bit less easy to predict. In those circs, especially with Ali getting inside his head, he might get suckered by the ropeadope

 

Liston is stylistically a harder match for this version of a more static ali. BUT Not enough to beat ali

 

Liston convincingly.

 

Would Ali use the Rope-a-Dope? Don't know if it would work against a prime Sonny Liston....

 

The people asume that ali would make the rope dope táctic again? Why? Uh?

 

It'd be suicide.

 

Ali in 1974 still had the ability to beat prime Liston.

He'd make sure that he stays away from the ropes as often as possible. Keeping the fight at ring centre. His hand and footspeed were still pretty awesome at this stage.

Ali by clear decision or late tko.

 

Ali owned guys like Liston and Foreman. He would have smashed Liston.

 

If you look at Ali's career he beat all the all time devastating punchers he ever faced:

Liston
Foreman
Shavers
Lyle
Williams

It was the quicker fisted more talented hwts Ali had trouble with:

Frazier
Norton

Ali in 1974 was still an ATG fighter. He beats any Liston the night he koed Foreman.

 

:thumbsup

 

He faced most of them when he was peak. Liston had more skills than Frazier and Norton. Also some of those fighters you listed weren't prime.

 

Liston, on paper. But I'll be damned if Ali didn't find a way to win.

Ali's KO over Foreman makes us all weary of betting against him. Which we should be!

 

Yes. In '74 he'd still have been a handful for any prime champ in heavyweight history.