Evander Holyfield vs Sonny LIston

**Max Power** · 03-25-2014 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by X

all good points, and Holyfield was a great fighter with serious cojones ...... But Liston was the naturally bigger fighter and another genuinely tough guy.

It would be a war, but I see Prime Liston (the one two or three years BEFORE he actually won the world title) as being to strong for Evander.

Holyfield starts brightly, quicker and a better boxer, but he gets drawn into a war and the weight of the Liston punch breaks him down for a late stoppage for Sonny

Liston is the bigger man naturally that's true, but as they were, Holyfield was a bigger man with the drugs.

Holyfield was not a really hard puncher but he did KO Tyson and other hardchinned boxers and got the drop on others too and he was never really put down with anything less than multiple hard punches from great and sometimes giant boxers.

Liston might have been more powerful but we can only gague his power against the crap that he fought. Exclusively CW's and bums and losers represented his list of win opponents in entirety, let alone his KO's. I'm sure Holyfield could have KO'd nearly every single one of those opponents as well!

And what about the phantom punch? Assuming that was a legitimate KO (which I kinda doubt) then Sonny Liston was a pretty weak specimen really then and I would be more worried about Liston in one of those brawls than Holyfield!!

**brocktonblockbust** · 03-25-2014 02:04 AM

good point. Holy never blasted anybody out really.

blast out means 1 or 2 or 3 rds at most. OK he blasted big-titty Buster Douglas in 3. That doesnt count.

**Mr140** · 03-25-2014 08:53 PM

Holyfeild would make him quite also X he never failed a drug test in 26 year career so why would that even happen. Holyfeild would out hustle and box Liston till he throw in the towel. Patterson is the only win Liston had that was great and he was great Lhw not a hw really not the best chin.

**Master** · 03-25-2014 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Mr140

Holyfeild would make him quite also X he never failed a drug test in 26 year career so why would that even happen. Holyfeild would out hustle and box Liston till he throw in the towel. Patterson is the only win Liston had that was great and he was great Lhw not a hw really not the best chin.

Do not dismiss Liston too lightly, he beat decent fighters and he handled Patterson like he was a light heavyweight.

**Max Power** · 03-25-2014 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by Mr140

Holyfeild would make him quite also X he never failed a drug test in 26 year career so why would that even happen. Holyfeild would out hustle and box Liston till he throw in the towel. Patterson is the only win Liston had that was great and he was great Lhw not a hw really not the best chin.

Do not dismiss Liston too lightly, he beat decent fighters and he handled Patterson like he was a light heavyweight.

That's because Patterson WAS a light HW!

Best win Patterson, that says it all. That there is enough to dismiss Liston outright!

You are laughig at David Haye who has wins over Valuev, Chisora, Harrison, Barrett, Mormeck etc yet are trying to use Floyd Patterso as some kind of proof of worth for Liston?

Double standards much!

The first and ONLY time met a decent opponent, he fucking lost!

**Master** · 03-25-2014 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Max Power

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by Mr140

Holyfeild would make him quite also X he never failed a drug test in 26 year career so why would that even happen. Holyfeild would out hustle and box Liston till he throw in the towel. Patterson is the only win Liston had that was great and he was great Lhw not a hw really not the best chin.

Do not dismiss Liston too lightly, he beat decent fighters and he handled Patterson like he was a light heavyweight.

That's because Patterson WAS a light HW!

Best win Patterson, that says it all. That there is enough to dismiss Liston outright!

You are laughig at David Haye who has wins over Valuev, Chisora, Harrison, Barrett, Mormeck etc yet are trying to use Floyd Patterso as some kind of proof of worth for Liston?

Double standards much!

The first and ONLY time met a decent opponent, he fucking lost!

What I was trying to say, which you completely missed the point, was yes he battered a light heavyweight as a good heavyweight would! How can you criticise him for stopping someone in round one?

**Max Power** · 03-25-2014 10:17 PM

Alright, no I cannot. He did the job he was supposed to do.

All I will criticise Liston on is he has one of the most terrible list of opponents.

Bums, Cruisers, guys on loss streaks, combinations of the three.

That represents Liston's opponents in it's entirety!

Except one, Muhammad Ali, Shoulder injury and potential dive losses. Neither stimulating results for either Ali or Liston!!

**Master** · 03-26-2014 08:04 PM

Sonny beat the top contenders before he fought Floyd including Williams, Valdez, Folley and Machen. After he lost the title he carried on until he was 40 beating Wepner. He had a decent run.