Lettuce put this into perspective

[Mr.MojoRisin']

Browsing the Tyson vs Liston thread like I do and read that Tyson only fought "bums" so I thought, how would prime Mike Tyson do vs prime Liston opposition and how would Liston do vs prime Tyson's opposition?

So you have Liston vs the following:
Trevor Berbick
Bonecrusher Smith
Tony Tucker
Tyrell Biggs
Larry Holmes
Tony Tubbs
Pinklon Thomas
Michael Spinks
Frank Bruno
Carl Williams
Buster Douglas
Alex Stewart
Razor Ruddock

And Tyson vs
Wayne Bethea
Albert Westphal
Eddie Machen
Zora Folley
Howard King
Cleveland Williams
Floyd Patterson

Obviously, Liston would struggle a hell of a lot more vs Tyson's opposition than Tyson would vs Liston opposition. It's not even close, actually. Tyson stops many of the above named in 1 round.

Machen, Folley, Williams, and Patterson would more than likely last more than a round. Machen is the only one I think could go above 6 or 8. Maybe the distance.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

--- Spinks whooped the Rocky wannabe.

Tucker was 6-5 and 220s with fast feet, educated jab, reflexes and KO power. He'd mop up the larded Lar era like nobody's business, but alas, ducked by LL and cursed with being in the Tyson era.

Pretty big overrating there. Tucker's resume is padded heavily. If you take the time to look at it from the time he turned pro at the age of 21 in 1980 to the time he fought Tyson in 1987 at age 28 he only fought one decent fighter and that was Buster Douglas.

Actually, Tucker DID fight in the Larry Holmes era. Holmes won the title in 1978 and lost it in 1985. Tucker was a professional fighter for most of Holmes's title reign and didn't "mop up" any of the top fighters of the era "like nobody's business".

[QueensburyRules]

--- Tony fought Jimmy young, one of many contemperaries of the golden era Lar ducked.

He also whooped Douglas and McCall before they KOed Tyson and Lewis and was a mando Lar ducked.

Tucker had incredible talents, but hampered when his dad trainer/mgr ran off with his Tyson purse.

It was Tyson cleaning up the deadwood and unifying the division, not larded Lar.

[The Old LefHook]

Spinks is not beating Liston, my halfwits galore. Neither is Tucker. Liston beats all of Tyson's opposition, pure and simple, with the possible exception of Holyfield, just as Tyson beats all of Liston's.

[uncle ben]

Machen, Folley, Williams, and Patterson would more than likely last more than a round. Machen is the only one I think could go above 6 or 8. Maybe the distance.

LOL.... they'd be "most likely to be blasted out in a round". Machen may be the only one who makes it out of round 1 vs a prime Mike Tyson

[uncle ben]

Spinks is not beating Liston, my halfwits galore. Neither is Tucker. Liston beats all of Tyson's opposition, pure and simple, with the possible exception of Holyfield, just as Tyson beats all of Liston's.

But Liston would struggle alot more with Tyson's opposition. Even may be given a few scares.

And Tucker would not be a walk in the park for Liston. Compare Ali's 1960-63 resume to Liston resume. Liston clearly beat the better fighters and much more convincingly. And the two fighters Ali did beat who were in the class of men Liston beat, namely Doug Jones and Henry Cooper, gave Ali some scares. Archie Moore really doesn't count because he was 49 years old in his last fight.

But look what happened when Ali fought Liston, regardless of who had the better resume. Tucker would be the biggest, skilled man that Liston saw, bigger than Ali but not more skilled. And Tucker had a grade A chin when at or near his best.

[HOUDINI563]

Tucker was not one tenth the fighter Ali was. Incomparable. Tucker did not have the wheels to keep away from Listons power. Plus your talking about a contender vs at least a fringe ATG hwt champion. The contender has a low chance of success.

[uncle ben]

Tucker was not one tenth the fighter Ali was. Incomparable. Tucker did not have the wheels to keep away from Listons power. Plus your talking about a contender vs at least a fringe ATG hwt champion. The contender has a low chance of success.

I said Ali was more skilled, but Tucker was bigger. And, Tucker was skilled in his own right. He went the distance with prime Tyson and prime Lewis. I don't think it's too far fetched to think he couldn't be competitive with Liston.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

LOL.... they'd be "most likely to be blasted out in a round". Machen may be the only one who makes it out of round 1 vs a prime Mike Tyson

You don't have a clue who those fighters even are...

[HOUDINI563]

Being taller and a few pounds heavier never bothered Liston. It was Alis speed both of fists and footwork that did him. Tucker was in comparison an immobile hwt.