Lennox Lewis Or Sonny Liston?

[sonnyboyx2]

I think Lewis had better skills and ranks higher on the all time heavyweights list and I think he would've beaten Liston unless he got caught by a big shot.

McCall & Rahman two journeymen had no trouble catching Lewis with a big shot... how do you see Lewis beating Liston? could Lewis out-jab Liston? .. Liston had the longest reach in history and one if not the best ever jab... Liston also was twice as destructive with his punches as McCall & Rahman.

[Shazam!]

If you don't count Liston's losses to the greatest fighter ever, then he didn't lose a fight for something like 15 years. But either side of that he lost to mediocre fighters.

Liston had a great jab and freakish reach (just checked and they both have the same reach of 84) and may have been able to give Lewis trouble with that, but a charged up Lewis was pretty quick for a big man and I think if he turned it in to a war he would knock Liston out. Ali was not as big a puncher as Lewis and he knocked Liston out twice.

Either man would be capable of knocking the other out. But the more likely outcome is that Lewis knocks Liston out. Either way I don't see it going the distance.

[Shazam!]

with regards to the better legacy it has to be Lewis.

Liston was the man for 6 years, Lewis for about 12. In 1992 he KO'd Ruddock in 2 rounds (something which took Tyson 19 rounds) and was famously ducked by Bowe when Bowe publicly threw his belt in the trash rather than fight Lewis.

Lewis then went on to defeat every man he faced and won the world title three times over the next 12 years, right up until his retirement after giving Vitali Klitschko's face a makeover.

[sonnyboyx2]

with regards to the better legacy it has to be Lewis.

Liston was the man for 6 years, Lewis for about 12. In 1992 he KO'd Ruddock in 2 rounds (something which took Tyson 19 rounds) and was famously ducked by Bowe when Bowe publicly threw his belt in the trash rather than fight Lewis.

Lewis then went on to defeat every man he faced and won the world title three times over the next 12 years, right up until his retirement after giving Vitali Klitschko's face a makeover.

Ruddock was "Damaged-Goods" after having his jaw, cheek bone & eye-socket smashed by Tyson..

Yes Lewis defeated everyman he fought but they was all tomato cans or years past their best, Lewis was champion in 92 but never fought any other fighter who also held a version of the title during the 90s, Holmes, Foreman, Tyson, Holyfield, Witherspoon, Hide, Sanders, Moorer, Wlad Klitschko and Lewis was stripped of every title for refusing to fight the No1 contenders

Listons only career defeats was a split-decision loss to Marty Marshal in his 8th pro fight when Liston had his jaw broken early in the fight (avenged the defeat) 2 losses to Cassius Clay and a KO loss to the very talented Leotis Martin when Liston was well into his 40s.

Lewis was KOd by two journeymen fighters.

[Silencers]

McCall & Rahman two journeymen had no trouble catching Lewis with a big shot... how do you see Lewis beating Liston? could Lewis out-jab Liston? .. Liston had the longest reach in history and one if not the best ever jab... Liston also was twice as destructive with his punches as McCall & Rahman.

Liston catching Lewis with a big shot is entirely possible but I wouldn't say Lewis was at his best for the first McCall and Rahman fights, the first McCall fight was before he got Steward in his corner, he reportedly didn't train well at all for the first Rahman fight and showed up in Africa a week before the fight so that he never got acclimated to the high altitude.

I think Lewis' size, range and skills would've given Liston a lot of trouble and barring him getting caught by a big shot, which as I said is entirely possible, I think he would win.

[frankenfrank]

most definitely .. Quarry was a great fighter from the golden era of boxing.

the true golden era of boxing was since tyson started picking the titles.
and the strongest hw division is the one of about : 1995-2001
it had tua , mccall , tyson , lewis , bowe , holyfield , foreman (old) , holmes (old) , and still tucker , douglas , orlin norris (unfortunate and underrated talented fighter) , chris byrd , michael grant , lance whitaker , Jameel McCline , Shannon Briggs , Corrie Sanders , Ross puritty and Andrew golotta , not a pleasant hw division to compete in if you ask me , and then there were some more i did not mention.

and if some of those names are not exactly remembered as menacing or dominant , it was just because the strongest of the bunch did not let them perform as such.

Lewis was not a dominant champion he was stripped of every belt for refusing to fight the No1 contenders.

not the most dominant champion for sure , but one of the most dominant ever.
and if liston , louis , marciano and some of their predecessors were more dominant , it was just because they enjoyed the luxury of weak divisions.

your once again using your playground-theory of "My brother is bigger than your brother" claiming Lewis is bigger and Liston is not bigger.

size matters. that's why p4p was invented , to measure talent.
that is also why weight classes were introduced to so many combat sports.

Are you saying Lewis would have beaten Cleveland Williams, Floyd Patterson, Eddie Machen, Zora Folley?

he might have left them paralized.
the opposite is very unlikely though.

if McCall & Rahman could put Lewis lights-out then just think what Cleve"Big-Cat"Williams would have done to him.

rahman is one of the most lacking in dominance champions ever , along with maskaev and some of the 80's and pre louis champions too , but it is just because he had such a strong division.
look : he stopped Corrie Sanders as well .
he went the distance against tua and a sharp james toney.
tua actually never beat rahman.
i doubt if rahman is better than louis but why do you see the knocks in rahman and ignoring the knocks on others ?
rahman would have never been stopped by schmelling and would have posed a big danger for marciano

and then you ridicule McCall again ..
why ? because he is a master of knocking down and out much bigger men than himself ? who was the only one to stop Akiwande ever ?
who stopped a young and in shape lewis ?
who knocked down Lance Whitaker while being 7 years older at age 44 , and giving in some 6" in height ?

and yes , sometimes mccall flops , but when he does he still lasts the distance , unlike your boy Quarry for instance whom managed to get KO'd by Kenny Norton. and unlike them bums Clevelad Williams , Zora Folley and Eddie Machen you mentioned above. and patterson ? he was very good , but he should have remained at 175 and be one of the best ever there.
and how you forget the almighty ernie terrell and bob foster in such a list ? and then some more unimportant names.

once again frankenfrank.. you come out with a load of crap because you have not a clue what you are talking about.

i will never have the clue of someone who believes Quarry could deal with Lewis , the Klitschkos and Tua.

not even the clue of those who think Joe louis could deal with vitali klitschko , or even worse for him : Tyson or Tua.

[TheGreatA]

I wouldn't count Liston out of a match-up with Lewis even if he were not able to catch Lewis with a big punch, considering the trouble Mercer gave to Lewis. Lewis is not really fleet-footed by any means so Liston would have an easier time catching up to him than Ali. Lewis's height, size and strength could be advantageous though even if Liston were able to force the fight in close. Liston did great against Williams after figuring him out but then again Williams was not the fighter that Lewis was.


Watch from 4:55

[McGrain]

Lewis, and it's not even close.

It's very, very close. I have them neck and neck and swap them back and forth with impunity. Right now I have it to Lewis, but think on this -


Liston's prime losses - Ali x2

Lewis's prime losses - Rahman, McCall

[Sugarj]

I'd have Lewis down as the better champion, longer reigns etc, avenged his losses.

But I'd favour Liston in a head to head matchup.

[Shazam!]

Lewis was clearly the best amateur in the late 80's, winning the gold medal at the 88 Olympics after the referee intervened to prevent Rid**** Bowe from incurring further physical damage.

Sonny Liston, who officially died when he was 38 (though this has been disputed, some claiming he was a couple of years older), was according to this around 37 or 38 when he was KO'd by Leotis Mathis.

When Lewis chose to retire he was 37, after TKO'ing a prime Vitali Klitschko.