Ali v Liston

[Cressa121]

I've always wondered what would have happened had Ali and Liston had their rematch in late '64 when it was originally scheduled. By all accounts Liston trained harder than he had in years for that rematch only for Ali to need a hernia operation in the weeks leading up. It got rescheduled for the May and Liston couldn't motivate himself to train that hard for a 2nd time, particularly at his age. I still think Ali would have won, but I don't think it'd have gone down the way it did when they actually had their rematch

[Master]

Yes heard the same thing, Ali really must have pushed his training to get a hernia.

Foreman was cut and had his fight delayed with Ali, that may have helped Ali get in better condition in Zaire.

[marbleheadmaui]

Nice post. I too think they oughtta bring champions who are in the building into the ring before the main event. I'd also like to see fighters glove up in the ring after the actual oppoenent has examined the wraps. Those two things could happen at the same time.

There continues to be talk about the first fight being fixed. I've watched that fight a dozen times and I just don't see it. Liston was all marked up and he was throwing bombs while Ali was blind. He was just in there with an athlete from another planet.

Poor Floyd. He couldda fought Sonny a hundred times and never made it out of the third round.

[generalbulldog]

Ali and Liston was when the modern 200+ pound HW era started and Floyd was the last HW champ to be under 200 pounds. In other words this was just the changing of the guard. Or should I say HW?

[greynotsoold]

Floyd was the second, or maybe third, worst hW champ of all time, ahead of only Johannsson for sure. Maybe he was better than Marvin Hart (lost to Burns), but I don't know much about him.

[marbleheadmaui]

Floyd was the second, or maybe third, worst hW champ of all time, ahead of only Johannsson for sure. Maybe he was better than Marvin Hart (lost to Burns), but I don't know much about him.

I'd argue he was better than Braddock or Primo Carnera or .......geeze am I out of names already?

[Mars_ax]

Floyd was the second, or maybe third, worst hW champ of all time, ahead of only Johannsson for sure. Maybe he was better than Marvin Hart (lost to Burns), but I don't know much about him.

After Marciano retired in 1955, Patterson fought in a World Heavyweight Title eliminator against Tommy Jackson, after winning that fight by a SD, Patterson knocked out Archie Moore in the 5th round to win Marciano's vacated World Heavyweight Title in 1956. Patterson was far from great as a HW champion, but I wouldn't call him one of the worst, I give him credit for persevering and being persistent.
As for Patterson's 2 fights with both Liston and Ali, he basically just got bitch slapped by both bigger, stronger, and in Ali's case, more talented men.

In re: the 2 Liston vs. Ali fights, the first fight was legit, in the 2nd fight, it was either a mob fix, or Liston just decided to quit, the punch Ali hit Liston with to stop the 2nd fight, couldn't have crushed a grape.

Ali vs. Liston II - full fight:

[Master]

In that fight Liston still wanted to fight Ali, if he wanted to give up he would have stayed down for longer than the 10 count. He starts fighting again with Ali. So I think it was a legit punch.

[ICB]

Floyd was the second, or maybe third, worst hW champ of all time, ahead of only Johannsson for sure. Maybe he was better than Marvin Hart (lost to Burns), but I don't know much about him.

You are kidding right ? i can think of a whole lot of Heavyweight champions in this era that were worse than Floyd Patterson. Who's only downfall was being too small, and could of been an all time at Light Heavyweight.

[boxzine]

wish Ali would'a quit when he still had legs.

[greynotsoold]

Floyd was the second, or maybe third, worst hW champ of all time, ahead of only Johannsson for sure. Maybe he was better than Marvin Hart (lost to Burns), but I don't know much about him.

You are kidding right ? i can think of a whole lot of Heavyweight champions in this era that were worse than Floyd Patterson. Who's only downfall was being too small, and could of been an all time at Light Heavyweight.

I was just considering up until the end of the Lewis era, actually. After that I mostly quit paying attention, and there got to be 7 and 8 champions at a time. Given that, I guess he was better than Douglas, Moorer, and Briggs.

[marbleheadmaui]

Ali and Liston was when the modern 200+ pound HW era started and Floyd was the last HW champ to be under 200 pounds. In other words this was just the changing of the guard. Or should I say HW?

He wasn't just short, his reach was only like 70 inches.