Sonny Liston vs. Joe Frazier who wins?

Question

Heavyweights. At their best. 15 rounds.

Answer 1

The blogbaba is troubled by this match up because alilouisfight and jazbac are both right. Ali did KO Liston twice and could only KO Joe when Eddie Futch stopped the Manilla fight after 14 in three tries. Joe did have trouble with Forman, but then who didn't, and Joe took a lot of shots to deliver his own. I am tempted to allow the beatings Forman gave Joe to influence my call, but some how I think Frazier would have done better than that against Sonny. Ali has no where near the power of Frazier, and could KO Sonny, so why not Joe. Tought call, it could got either way, but the blogbaba is leaning towards Joe Frazier in this one.

Frazier comes off the canvass to catch Sonny coming in for the kill with a left hook to end it. Frazier by 6th round KO.

Answer 2

Brent this would have probably been a war. Frazier had that pressure style of his and I know many would compare this fight as the one against Foreman. I think that while this fight lasts, both fighters land some serious bombs! I think that the major difference would have been the Liston jab which would have made some serious marks and swelling on Frazier's face. I also liked Joe but think that Sonny would have stopped him after a fierce fight around the 10th round by tko.

Answer 3

Joe Frazier

Answer 4

we are talking '66 top? Sonny became already a itemizing (on) much less fighter by utilizing then. Joe could have out hustled him, out worked him, and out punched him. Frazier with a 10 around determination. No disrespect to Liston, yet as Don Henley and Glenn Frey sang, by utilizing the top of Liston/Ali 2, Sonny became 'Already long gone'.

Answer 5

I have to introduce the conspiracy theory into this.

Muhammad Ali kept saying to Liston before their fight at the weigh in "I know who you are...I know who you are". There is alot of reliable speculation that quite a few of Liston's fights were fixed due to his ties in the Mob. In fact, many say that he was one of the most OVERRATED heavyweights in the world. Its also why Ali kept calling him "Paper champ".

If you buy into that train of thought (which I do), Liston couldnt have gone six rounds with most of the great heavyweights, Marciano included. If quite a few of the boxing matches that he had were "gimmes", then the moment he fought true competition that couldnt be bought (ala Cassius Clay) he was going to hit a wall.

Its not that Liston wasnt champ material, not at all. He was the beast. But once you have one, or two, or three fights bought and paid...and you know what round they are going to hit the ground in, you have a tendency to take that edge off of yourself. You believe that you can get anyone to be paid for, and that you can reign as long as you want.

The downside to that logic is, the people that made you, will get paid five times as much to break you. Underdog wins always pay better....and bookmakers got paid when Cassius Clay took his belt. That was inevitable.

Joe Frazier never took a buy, never took a knee...and had no backup to him. He took one of the best champions the world has ever known, and put him flat on his seat. Never underestimate a man with that kind of resolve. He isnt impressed with status, with who you are or where you have been. When you are in front of him...he gets a certain glee in ripping you down off your pedastal. He also holds grudges...Ali made fun of how he spoke country when he was younger (right before they fought)...recently Frazier was on a radio interview and he said of Ali "Yeah, who talks funny now?"

Never take a man like that lightly.

Answer 6

frazier wanted no part of liston, and this was after sonny was beat twice by ali and was considered a shot fighter. liston would have ripped joe to shreds in less than 8 rds.

Answer 7

Liston if it goes less than 6 rounds. Frazier if Liston can't knock him out by then.

Answer 8

Probably the same result as Foreman vs. Frazier. Frazier gets knocked into the next solar system.

Answer 9

Liston was a beast! Too bad we didn't really get to see him when he was at his best. Might not even want my boy Marciano to fight that guy. Liston would beat Frazier around the ring worse than Foreman did.

Answer 10

The Big Ugly Bear would stop Smoking Joe in the very same fashion Big George Foreman did. As I'm sure you remember Liston was what Tyson was in his hey day. He was feared and he knocked his opponents out in devastating fashion (Patterson) This one wouldn't go past 7 rounds.