Liston vs Marciano.

I say Liston in an easy fight. I dont think there is a fighter in the history of boxing that matches up better with Marciano then Liston. Marciano would have had a better chance smothering Ali, wearing down Foreman, or chin checking a younger Louis or Lewis then he would have had making a young motivated Liston quit.

i can't believe this! why is this even a thread? why would someone dare put marciano against the likes of liston? liston was a monster and had amazing boxing skills. he had a pile driver jab that was lightning fast. liston would dismantle the brockton bumb in one round, plain and simple. if the quick and elusive patterson couldn't make liston miss, what makes you think marciano could, plus patterson is bigger than marciano. marciano never fought someone as terrifying as liston and he would'nt know what to do with him. plus this is a horrible style match-up ala frazier-foreman, only much worse, cause marciano isn't half the boxer frazier is and liston, although he doesn't punch as hard as foreman, hits way faster, and so the fight would last about 2 minutes. marciano hits the canvas many times, and stays down the fourth time, and that is the end of the story.

WHY DIDNT THEY FIGHT???? A simple timeline could answer your own question, my friend...In 1956 when Marciano retired, Liston was a realitive novice of just over a dozen pro fights & wasn't even considerd a top ten Heavyweight contender yet, and wouldn't be for a couple more years.

bump bump bump just bringing this back upp for new members to discuss

Marciano KO in 9.

Liston was the better boxer and could hit at Marcianos level (if not harder). Marcianos had alot more heart though. It all boiles down to Marcianos chin. He never got to fight anyone with the power of Sonny Liston, so it´s hard to say if he could survive against the bigger man. If Marciano gets through the first few rounds, he wins by late ko or tko. If not, well.... Liston by early tko. My heart tells me Marciano gets the job done. But I wouldn´t put too much money on it..

Liston was the bigger puncher and had the better skills. Marciano had the better chin and had more heart. It's a real pick 'em, but I gotta go with my instincts and say Liston. His jab is the key.

Your heart says Rocky, but if you got half a brain you go with Liston. I have a full brain so i'm picking Marciano. :D

lol Your heart says Rocky, but if you got half a brain you go with Liston.

Liston was no 184 lb Roland LaStarza. The man was a cut above above anyone Mariciano ever fought (Walcott and Charles were great but both way past their best and both took Rocky to the wire). At his peak he demonstrated he was tough and could take a big punch (his fights with Williams and DeJohn) and stay focused against a crafty opponent (against Machen and Folley). He possesed an excellent jab, and extreamly fast reflexes for such a dense man. Defensively he had excellent head movement to avoid shots. Liston know how to work the body and kept up an acitivty rate that puts today´s HWs to shame. Marciano is underrated by some. Phenomenal conditioning, very hard puncher, better then average boxing skills, and a heart as big as Texas . . But the man never fought a puncher in Liston´s class, and the two men he fought who were boxing wise in his class gave him very tough fights when they were way past their peaks, and Charles was basically a light HW. Marciano would find out that your heart can only take you so far against a destroyer like Sonny Liston. Liston TKO 7. Great post.

i think they were fighters of similar ability, but in terms of heart and guts marciano was by far the better man. his era was'nt the strongest and rocky will forever suffer for that, but you can only beat the man in front of you and 49-0 dont lie.

Liston was no 184 lb Roland LaStarza. The man was a cut above above anyone Mariciano ever fought (Walcott and Charles were great but both way past their best and both took Rocky to the wire). At his peak he demonstrated he was tough and could take a big punch (his fights with Williams and DeJohn) and stay focused against a crafty opponent (against Machen and Folley). He possesed an excellent jab, and extreamly fast reflexes for such a dense man. Defensively he had excellent head movement to avoid shots. Liston know how to work the body and kept up an acitivty rate that puts today´s HWs to shame. Marciano is underrated by some. Phenomenal conditioning, very hard puncher, better then average boxing skills, and a heart as big as Texas . . But the man never fought a puncher in Liston´s class, and the two men he fought who were boxing wise in his class gave him very tough fights when they were way past their peaks, and Charles was basically a light HW. Marciano would find out that your heart can only take you so far against a destroyer like Sonny Liston. Liston TKO 7.

I imagine the rock lets Liston exhaust himself by letting him hit him at will. If they get close and brawl, liston wouldnt be able to keep upp with the rock pace very long. He would have tired and get ko`ed. But the question you all have frogotten. WHY DIDNT THEY FIGHT????

i agree, if liston wanted to brawl, marciano would have been more than happy to brawl. I think that would have suited him better.

Liston was much more of boxer than most give him credit for, but against smaller guys, he usually came foreward and made it a brawl, taking his own boxing skills out of the fight. I see Liston tiring down the stretch and getting stopped by the rock, but thats just an opinion.

I think Marciano would win because he is all around a better fighter, he posses more power than liston and more heart.

As underrated as Marciano is, Liston is even more underrated. Marciano is an irresistable force, but he has to come forward to be effective. The problem is he would be too easy to hit. Even though Rocky had that bobbing and weaving style, he still was quite hittable. Marciano was a very strong fighter, but that didn't make him a one punch knockout artist. His great stamina and heart made him special. Jersey Joe Walcott and Archie Moore(who were both well past their primes and were not big heavyweight punchers) put him on the canvas. Liston was a much more skill fighter than Rocky. He had long arms and one of the best heavyweight jabs ever. He was on the slow side though, but that didn't stop him from being a great boxer. He was also a powerful puncher and was intimidating. He was ko'd in his second to last fight, and quit against Muhamed Ali in the first and (possibly) second fight, so his heart will always be questioned. I think Marciano was very good, but he never fought any great fighters. He caught Walcott and Charles at the tail-end of their careers and Lastarza was not a great fighter. Liston defeated the better opposition like Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Zora Foley, Nino Valdez, Floyd Patterson, etc. Marcian would lose this fight because of his inability to change his style. Liston looked good when fighters came at him. Marciano's only way to win would be coming forward. The size difference would be too much for Marciano to handle. He would pay a heavy price trying to get inside a fighter that is bigger, stronger and more skilled than him. Liston wouldn't get frustrated and would just wait for Marciano to come and try to get inside. I see Rocky paying a heavy price and almost getting his head taken off.

Marciano was my clear favourite out of the 3, i really like to watch him fight. I have a great deal of respect for Vitali and Foreman, there not the most "skillful" fighters but i wouldnt like to fight either, i'd be pissing blood for a week. :eek: i agree marciano fights were the best, no other heavy had enough gas to that much action. No you wouldnt piss blood fore a week you would sleep for a weak ore die. :D

You like foremann too?? :) Foremann was the worst bear too ever step into a ring. He was like 36-0 when he fought ali and all by ko. Let me see if you like vk, foremann and marciano. You got exellent taste. Marciano was my clear favourite out of the 3, i really like to watch him fight. I have a great deal of respect for Vitali and Foreman, there not the most "skillful" fighters but i wouldnt like to fight either, i'd be pissing blood for a week. :eek:

Foreman was a monster, IMO the best heavyweight of his era. If i were him i'd still be seriously pissed about the Ali fight. You like foremann too?? :) Foremann was the worst bear too ever step into a ring. He was like 36-0 when he fought ali and all by ko. Let me see if you like vk, foremann and marciano. You got exellent taste.