Something really underrated about Liston is how good his spacial awareness is. He's so good at getting just out of reach of his opponents punch, then gets right back in position to land his own shots.
There's often a debate at who had the best left jab in heavyweight history, Holmes and Ali are up there, But think there's little doubt that Sonny's was the hardest Jab.
Liston's accuracy and spatial awareness always amazes me, even for some one who didn't have the greatest speed he could still land most punches at will, and then coming and going in and out of his opponents reach still landing his shots is beautiful to watch. Yes he has an enormous reach but he knows how to use it to his advantage, especially with frames.
Love Sonny Liston. He really messed up those who got in the ring with him.Even getting in there knowing Sonny was going to punch you in the face with that jab over and over took a lot of courage. RIP Champ. You never got the respect you deserved.
Sonny Liston had massive power in both hands. Whatever he hit he'd destroy. These are things I've seen in documentaries, I was a toddler during Sonny Liston's days in The Ring.
thanks for sharing, one of my favorite fighters. "pile driver jab." that's about right, sonny would soften you up with that left jab and drop you with his "sledge hammer right"... one of the most imposing men to ever enter a ring.
Even the great Cus D'Amato didn't want his own fighter , Floyd Patterson , to fight Liston . He told Patterson he would get knocked out if they met in the ring .
Yeah, Cus D'Amato was so scared of Liston, that D'Amato went to Liston months before the fight and offered Liston a percentage of Ali's future fight wages in order for Ali to get the DUB, Ali the greatest of all time my ass.
If you look at that entire fight you have to wonder if Scrap Iron had a harder head than Evander Holyfield. He took ridiculous punishment. How he stayed on his feet is baffling. Incredible toughness.
scrap was known for his toughness and ability to take punishment, and apparently lived to the ripe old age of 77. he does have a famous quote about how hard liston hit him, "liston hit me so hard, i married the wrong woman, george postpone his wedding after the fight to recover, but only one day.
@@Copenhageninterpretation young sunny liston (1950s /very early 1960s) invincible: bonecrushing punching power;; fought muhammad ali 32 plus old;;;( rock Marciano retired at 32) young sonny liston would have peel muhammad ali head 1950s/ 1962
@@ericgeorge5483 lots of boxer ❤ to beatup people Georgia Forman: Mike Tyson;; Joe frazier;; sonny liston was no different; but he mellow alittle bit became a professional boxer;; like 1958/1962 sonny liston was invincible;; unbeatable;; sonny liston begin to age & get old;; lost to young Cassius clay in 1964;; unless it in different weight division professional boxer are not scary of nobody;; Mike Tyson had knock out being lefty or right that scary Larry Holme say that
Hassan Islam I mean mike didn’t really ever beat any elites. Maybe he was just in his prime during a weak division but I believe mike is just really overrated in terms of record anyways. Liston would beat mike, his dynamic jab would easily keep mike at bay. Also, liston had an 84 inch reach, which is one inch less than Tyson fury who is almost a foot taller than liston. Sonny also had 15 inch fists, basically stone bricks at the end of lampposts was what he hit people with. I mean come on, mike Tyson “in his prime” couldn’t even knock out James quick tillis who is a fucking journeyman 😂 the first man to go full rounds with iron mike was a journeyman who lost 4 of his last 5 fights before facing mike. Many people even claim that James tillis beat mike Tyson that night. It’s stupid how mike is placed in such a high level when he struggled and was fighting at his 100% ability against a journeyman. I love mike Tyson but he is severely overrated, but I can’t take anything away from him, he brought a shit ton of attention into the boxing world and shook the world. This is all just what I personally think anyway
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But that generation had rugged men. George Johnson had a chin of steel. He took them all and walked back to his corner unaided. I don't see any of the heavy weights today fit with this 60s and 70s boxers.
Most of those were from when Sonny was a has-been fighting nobodies late in his carer. I was more interested in the fights with Bethea and Westphal, when he was on the way up. I would like to have seen more of those.
Most of these sports videos out of the 50's and 1960's look like they were filmed in 1910, fuzzy black & white. Our 50 years of technology has brought a big improvement over the quality of those days.
Sonny Liston fue un gran campeon...un boxeador extremadamente fuerte y con golpes demoledores...sin duda uno de los mas grandes boxeadores de la historia...otro debio ser su destino..
I think Liston should've been champion from '56-'64. Had he been he would be considered on of the greatest champions in history. That being said, he should STILL be considered one of the greatest fighters in boxing history. He was the uncrowned champion for years before he finally got a shot. He was avoided by everyone and fought only guys like him who were considered dangerous or risks. He had all the tools. I only place Ali,Louis,Dempsey,Marciano,Tunney,and Johnson ahead of Liston in heavyweight greatness. Liston would be a nightmare for guys like Foreman,Frazier,Holyfield,Lewis,Holmes,Norton,etc. Tyson would be an interesting fight only because of Tyson's hand speed and head movement in his prime. But with that 84" reach I think Liston survives an attempt of an early KO and ultimately KO's Tyson late in the the fight.
I think its funny that the people you named wouldn't beat Liston except Ali...maybe Dempsey if he got the first punches in but I can easily see Liston overpowering jack and the others for a KO
12:33 'Zech has the unusual southpaw stance.' The likely bothered Liston as much as having the tomato under his hamburger instead of on top like usual.
I agree...Styles make fights...Frazier is made to order for Liston...A come foward fighter...chin first....tough but he could never maul Liston inside.Ellis would have had a better chance because he is a mover and underrated Puncher...But he would never be able to stay in there with Liston.
Maybe George would have got to Sonny but Foreman said Sonny was the only boxer who could ever back him up. Plus Sonny scared the crap of George for good reason. Sonny was a full on bad man!!
@@gazismad631 Good point. Furthermore George while sparring with Liston hit him with what George himself called one of the hardest shots he ever hit anyone with. Liston's reply? " Not today son".
OK....Muhammad Ali was the greatest when he came along. Before him there was Big Bear Sonny Liston. No matter what critics says he WAS A FIGHTER. His headstone says it all "A Man." R.I.P. Big Bear.
Liston was 10 years older than what he said. He did not have a birth certificate. His managers knew Sonny was much older. He was a power house no doubt. Still no time in his career would he beat Ali, lets face face it Liston was in slow motion next to Ali,as were most who fought Ali. I met Sonny when I was a kid,shook his hand and remember how large a fist it was. As for the hwts before and after Sonny, most would not be able to with stand the punishment he gave out. Foreman/Liston is probably the most intriguing fight ANYONE can imagine. Who wins? That's EASY , the fans.
Apparently, the 1930 census that hit all America does not have Sonny's name on it, it has all those in his family who were older than him, but not Sonny's, which indicates he was born late 1930 at the earliest. The 1940 census, so I've read, listed him as 10 years old. So, bearing in mind the first Liston v Ali fight to place Feb 1964, Sonny Liston would have been 33 when he fought the young Cassius Clay, and would have turned 34 later that same year.
+Paul Mann His birth was never officially recorded,for his father was so poor he put a mark on one of his trees the day his son was born,unfortunately ,it was subsequently chopped down.
deagldrumzz. that's who i was thinking about watching liston, george forman. i think liston was a better boxer and could knock you out with both hands.
Got a lot of respect for any man who went toe to toe with Liston knowing his frightening punching power. Boxers just shrug off left jabs and try to avoid the knockout punches. But Liston's jabs were all knockout punches. One unlucky opponent said. Every time he hit me he broke something. He was one mean assed mutha
every great heavyweight champ has a core four years,,,clay 64 to 68,,after lost to frazier,norton,,,etc,,liston 58 to 62,,after grew old in ring/party life,,dempsey 1918 to 1922 after inactivity,hollywood ladies,,,liston core four years would stand up to any heavyweight in history
Just to put into perspective just how great Ali's victories over Liston were, Liston had a streak of 28-0 with 23KOs before the Ali fights. Then after facing Ali he went on to go 15-1 with 14KOs. Liston was a monster of a fighter.
great great post. some liston fights ive actually never seen. do you maybe have more that aint on youtube elsewhere? such as the liston - folley fight. ive always wanted to see that but never found it anywhere.
I can sum up a lot of debate as to how to rank Liston among the greatest heavyweights: Who is faster, in movement, in punches: Liston or Foreman? because I can definitely say they were massive sluggers, great power, but I'm wondering who gets the edge in speed? This vid is awesome, super footage. Thanx.
crawlFace Answer: Foreman spared with Liston and apparently foreman said he got his ass whooped! However, this was a young foreman so who knows what would happen if the slightly more experienced foreman who fought in zaire would have done.
Floyd Patterson avoid sonny liston for years : & fought Cassius clay 32years old; young sonny liston (1962 ) would put a dent in Cassius clay head& stretcher and smelling sauce available & body bag 🎒
@@xandolf7216 Never recieved a notification about your comment but after all these years it's awesome to have these brief considerations and confirmations, so thank you for that. Some fight footage of Liston at his best looked really impressive. Kinda uncanny to imagine Liston vs Foreman in a full fight, what a clash of the titans that would be!
@@lloydkline1518 That Liston in 1964... I mean, like I was never big on some of the conspiracies and stuff like that, just didn't thoroughly read and analyse the conspiracies and extra stuff that was going on with Liston, nor have I ever made excuses for Sonny, but without a doubt I have always felt something off at that point- I just never felt it was a 100% Liston in some way. This doesn't mean I think there's a possibility he threw the fight, just straight up honesty is I never felt right with it, just felt something was off with Liston. Now with that being said, I don't automatically consider a boxing match victory means one fighter is better than another absolutely and all that stuff etc because I think there are different ways to win and different skills relating to the win. So just because a fighter wins doesn't neccessarily mean that fighter is better in every way, but sometimes it does mean that fighter was better, it depends etc. Ali had a super chin and there's no doubt he would take a few power shots from Liston, and he may get his jaw broken, and he may even get knocked down, but at this point it's more logic and physics... the ability to take a punch and take punishment combined with uncanny heart and desire makes it very likely it will always be an epic battle to defeat Ali. But, if Frazier can do it then we totally must be fair and consider a younger Liston at his best could also do it. No one, regardless of chin and heart, survives multiple power shots from the likes of Liston and Foreman. But just because Liston can smash Ali to pieces if he catches Ali, the key factor here is- Liston has to catch Ali. There's no shame in understanding the huge difficulty in fighting such a mobile style. So ultimately it doesn't matter what heavyweight we're talking about, all of them at their prime would have a difficult time defeating Ali during those early Clay years. But yeah, I've seen better from Liston in his earlier fights.
@@crawlFace if Cassius clay fought sonny liston in like 1960 after the Olympics: ;; it would be feeding Cassius clay to the crocodile 🐊 (sonny liston ); 1962 30yeaes old sonny liston vs Cassius clay Cassius clay might (small.chance ) have escape sonny liston lethal punching power rocky Marciano & marvelous Marvin Hagler retired at32 years old
'Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston' the 2nd fight and the 'Phantom' punch that felled 'Liston' wouldnt have knocked Me out and let alone 'Sonny Liston' so It was probably fixed on 'Listons' behalf.
Seeing Liston here,i think anyone who thinks the first Liston/Clay fight was straight must have never studied the evidence.Read Nick Tosche`s biography for some good background info on those two Ali fights.Also read what Chuck Wepner and George Chuvalo have to say about Liston .It might be illuminating for you.
@@kantovagrant3194 Yes very much so.The figure of Ash Resnick ,the reputed owner of Ceasars Palace Gambling casino was in and out of Clay's and Liston's dressing rooms before the fight .One mob figure did say to his relative not to bet on Liston as " they had the fight straitened " Just before the fight the odds went down to even moneyUnder the freedom of information act many memos of the FBI went public after 50 years and one memo did state that it was very probable that the fight was fixed .Get the book by Nick Tosche ,a biography of Liston Liston and he does lean towards the fight being fixed and certainly the second one .The second one was influenced by the Nation of Islam , The Black Muslims, hence Clay''s name change to Mohammad Ali .Liston was told to lay down early in the fight or suffer the consequences. It is also stated that the Black Muslims kidnapped Listons wife ,Geraldine and adopted son Lynel with the inference that they would be harmed .Listons collapse would have shamed a tenth rate actor ,but Liston and his family were not harmed and if any boxing fans and Ali fanboys think that Ali did not know about these shenanigans ,well they must believe in Father Christmas .
Sonny was the man back then But,he took two dives against Cassius Clay Liston would have beaten Clay easily but the fix was in I met Sonny twice in 1965
And he wasn't the bad guy that the media made him out to be he turned from that a long time ago.. and yes he did hurt his shoulder in the first fight against Cassius Clay, it didn't cost him the fight he would have lost anyway but he did hurt his shoulder
Liston's legacy will forever be tainted by his tank job in the second Ali fight. I am not sure about the first fight, but the second fight was a badly acted tank job made even more confusing by an incompetent referee.
Liston took two dives against Ali. At least that's my theory. Ali was always a light hitting heavyweight. He did well against the slower fighters like Williams who was wounded and crippled when they fought.
Sonny Liston fought Billy Jointer twice. The fight shown here he stopped Jointer in 7 rounds. They fought the next year 1969 it went 10 rounds. Jointer landed some good left hooks in this 1968 he was stopped in 7 rounds. Good fights not the Sonny Liston of 1962 who knocked out Patterson twice in round 1
A lot of heavyweights before Tyson and after had a chance of beating him in his prime in my opinion a few being Lennox Lewis, Holyfield, both klitschkos in particular Vitali, Ali, Liston, Foreman, Bowe, Holmes in his prime, Anthony Joshua, couldnt rule out Fury either
The way I see it, if Liston was around then in my mind he was the champ, how does the world boxing organization just not do or say anything'? Shameful ass crooked bastards, and they called Liston the gangster! Even in the later years when he fought his old sparing partner Leotis, why did he even take that fight when he knocked out Clark the number five heavyweight, who had just knocked out Leotis??? They just did everything they could to deny the one true best heavyweight his shot, he would've beat Quary Frazier, any of them, like Ali said of the tournament to fill the vacancy Liston will win it all, but some how some way he was excluded???? To bad Kennedy was gone again he may have said something to change Listons fortunes!!!!!
1) Big facial jowls 2) Very deep facial wrinkles 3) Almost no muscle tone in his legs These 3 clearly show Liston was in his mid-40s when he won the title in 1962. Prominent sportswriter at the time saw Liston crying as he entered the ring for first Ali fight, Liston had been ordered to throw the fight. Liston used a shoulder injury as his excuse to quit that fight & attended post-fight press conference totally unlike himself, very humble & soft-spoken wearing a shoulder sling. Very next day he was not wearing the shoulder sling. 2nd Ali fight, Ali was screaming at Liston to get up & fight in the first round, the fix was too obvious. Liston fought some fights in Sweden because he was box office poison after throwing the two Ali fights. Nevada radio talk show host was told Liston was murdered after refusing to throw a 1970 fight against Chuck Wepner.
Voice over is for radio.Too much talk.Almost as bad as marble mouthed roy Jones and screaming Jim lampley. I saw Sonny fight live.I am that old and former club fighter.
Cloud Dweller The “voice over” you mention isn’t real. All these types of clips are from Jim Jacobs’ fight library. They’re all added years later. You can tell because he’ll often say something like, “Liston would go on 4 years later to win the heavyweight crown.” This Guy is on almost all the fights like this you see.
I’d rate young Liston as being about as good as Anthony Joshua. And Anthony Joshua I’d rate as being as good as a prime Ken Norton. Definitely an A- fighter. But I’d give Frazier and Foreman an A, and I’d give Ali, Holmes, and Tyson an A+.
Anthony Joshua is nowhere NEAR as good as any of the other fighters you listed. None of the heavyweights today could take on the heavyweight champions of past eras
QuIgYx mike tyson was heavier than liston and was wider and his punches destroyed fighters who were even bigger than him. Sonny liston was a great puncher but didnt fight opponents who were great but he really proved himself against Williams who was bigger and maybe even hit harder than him.
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Something really underrated about Liston is how good his spacial awareness is. He's so good at getting just out of reach of his opponents punch, then gets right back in position to land his own shots.
Agree and his 85 inch reach made it more effective.
Didn't work very well against Ali...
He was awsome
There's often a debate at who had the best left jab in heavyweight history, Holmes and Ali are up there, But think there's little doubt that Sonny's was the hardest Jab.
Joe Louis
@@somewhere6 Nowhere near the hardest jab
Wladimir, Foreman and liston are my favorites when it comes to hard jabs. They are like concussions just before the bomb lands.
@@godfather53
☝️😆👍 Clodfather. You're nowhere near a clue.
Liston's accuracy and spatial awareness always amazes me, even for some one who didn't have the greatest speed he could still land most punches at will, and then coming and going in and out of his opponents reach still landing his shots is beautiful to watch. Yes he has an enormous reach but he knows how to use it to his advantage, especially with frames.
That is one hell of an astute observation.
Love Sonny Liston. He really messed up those who got in the ring with him.Even getting in there knowing Sonny was going to punch you in the face with that jab over and over took a lot of courage. RIP Champ. You never got the respect you deserved.
Negative!!! Sonny Liston was his own worst enemy, he self inflicted his own image.
Sonny Liston had massive power in both hands. Whatever he hit he'd destroy. These are things I've seen in documentaries, I was a toddler during Sonny Liston's days in The Ring.
Sonny would murder the current crop of 'champions'
@Trump 2016 WILDER WOULD GET DROPPED
Except Wilder and Fury
Mike Tyson
Young Scato Liston would bully wilder and stop him easily
Yawn
this was great! some of these fights are very rare, nice to see sonny in action. My favorite fighter ever
thanks for sharing, one of my favorite fighters. "pile driver jab." that's about right, sonny would soften you up with that left jab and drop you with his "sledge hammer right"... one of the most imposing men to ever enter a ring.
The old boxing term for that is dinner & dessert
@@mikebrown2958 lol. and that left hook was "the check's on you".
@@tomitstube lmao..good one
Even the great Cus D'Amato didn't want his own fighter , Floyd Patterson , to fight Liston . He told Patterson he would get knocked out if they met in the ring .
Yeah, Cus D'Amato was so scared of Liston, that D'Amato went to Liston months before the fight and offered Liston a percentage of Ali's future fight wages in order for Ali to get the DUB, Ali the greatest of all time my ass.
@@kantovagrant3194 cus was also scared of foreman. He never wanted tyson met foreman in the ring.
@@maximloos3739 By the time Foreman got to Mike Tyson, he was too old.
10:00 Scrap Iron Johnson has a tremendous chin!
If you look at that entire fight you have to wonder if Scrap Iron had a harder head than Evander Holyfield. He took ridiculous punishment. How he stayed on his feet is baffling. Incredible toughness.
They didn't effect his legs what so ever, that's why he could take them.
@@jamesnadell1998 They said Scrap Iron Johnson was tough as nails..He was used as a Sparring partner for Joe Frazier and many others.
scrap was known for his toughness and ability to take punishment, and apparently lived to the ripe old age of 77. he does have a famous quote about how hard liston hit him, "liston hit me so hard, i married the wrong woman, george postpone his wedding after the fight to recover, but only one day.
He took savage punishment… leading with his head against Liston? Madness
Sonny was a Very Deadly Fighter. He may of Been the Best Boxer in History.
And what's crazy is he started boxing only at the age of 23! thats just insane talent. Imagine he started at the age Tyson started, 13!
@@stealth7516 Liston started closer to 30.
Ehhh it’s a hard choice you got Ali and Tyson, jack johnson, Dempsey, sugar ray, rocky... all of them were greats
@@Copenhageninterpretation young sunny liston (1950s /very early 1960s) invincible: bonecrushing punching power;; fought muhammad ali 32 plus old;;;( rock Marciano retired at 32) young sonny liston would have peel muhammad ali head 1950s/ 1962
Yeah if you tell his story he probably would be but for the rest of the boxing world he doesn't even rank.
The term "Badass" was invented just for Liston.
1958 until 1962 / Invincible heavyweight boxer
@@lloydkline1518 His menacing demeanour made him a stand out.
@@ericgeorge5483 lots of boxer ❤ to beatup people Georgia Forman: Mike Tyson;; Joe frazier;; sonny liston was no different; but he mellow alittle bit became a professional boxer;; like 1958/1962 sonny liston was invincible;; unbeatable;; sonny liston begin to age & get old;; lost to young Cassius clay in 1964;; unless it in different weight division professional boxer are not scary of nobody;; Mike Tyson had knock out being lefty or right that scary Larry Holme say that
@@lloydkline1518 I think the Clay fights were rigged by the mafia.
@@ericgeorge5483 ❤ for Cassius clay for have fought 1962 sonny liston " different outcome and result
The way he was able to handle, and outbox Cleveland Williams, I'm confident Liston would've beaten Tyson, and Holyfield.
King Tutt Tyson and holyfield are so many levels above Cleveland Williams . Liston wouldn't do too well against them
Williams is not on that level, you can't compare them.
Hassan Islam I mean mike didn’t really ever beat any elites. Maybe he was just in his prime during a weak division but I believe mike is just really overrated in terms of record anyways. Liston would beat mike, his dynamic jab would easily keep mike at bay. Also, liston had an 84 inch reach, which is one inch less than Tyson fury who is almost a foot taller than liston. Sonny also had 15 inch fists, basically stone bricks at the end of lampposts was what he hit people with. I mean come on, mike Tyson “in his prime” couldn’t even knock out James quick tillis who is a fucking journeyman 😂 the first man to go full rounds with iron mike was a journeyman who lost 4 of his last 5 fights before facing mike. Many people even claim that James tillis beat mike Tyson that night. It’s stupid how mike is placed in such a high level when he struggled and was fighting at his 100% ability against a journeyman. I love mike Tyson but he is severely overrated, but I can’t take anything away from him, he brought a shit ton of attention into the boxing world and shook the world. This is all just what I personally think anyway
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Easily my friend, easily!
Sonny was amazing !
9:42 - The beauty of Big Sonny 'calling his shots' on Scrap Iron Johnson.
But that generation had rugged men. George Johnson had a chin of steel. He took them all and walked back to his corner unaided. I don't see any of the heavy weights today fit with this 60s and 70s boxers.
great upload, one of the most interesting boxers ever.
Sonny listen was a great fighter no doubt...his two fights with clay fixed when he took a dive!!!
Underrated fighter
Respect
Most of those were from when Sonny was a has-been fighting nobodies late in his carer. I was more interested in the fights with Bethea and Westphal, when he was on the way up. I would like to have seen more of those.
Very fun and some rare KO’s....Thanks
Great stuff this is, big thanks for your upload.
Most of these sports videos out of the 50's and 1960's look like they were filmed in 1910, fuzzy black & white. Our 50 years of technology has brought a big improvement over the quality of those days.
Sonny Liston fue un gran campeon...un boxeador extremadamente fuerte y con golpes demoledores...sin duda uno de los mas grandes boxeadores de la historia...otro debio ser su destino..
floyd patterson lo esquivo muchos años, y empezo el boxeo tarde sin dudas que tenia un enorme talento natural
They should have put him in the movies after his boxing career was finished. He would have been a great film tough guy.
Love liston.
I think Liston should've been champion from '56-'64. Had he been he would be considered on of the greatest champions in history. That being said, he should STILL be considered one of the greatest fighters in boxing history. He was the uncrowned champion for years before he finally got a shot. He was avoided by everyone and fought only guys like him who were considered dangerous or risks. He had all the tools. I only place Ali,Louis,Dempsey,Marciano,Tunney,and Johnson ahead of Liston in heavyweight greatness. Liston would be a nightmare for guys like Foreman,Frazier,Holyfield,Lewis,Holmes,Norton,etc. Tyson would be an interesting fight only because of Tyson's hand speed and head movement in his prime. But with that 84" reach I think Liston survives an attempt of an early KO and ultimately KO's Tyson late in the the fight.
I think its funny that the people you named wouldn't beat Liston except Ali...maybe Dempsey if he got the first punches in but I can easily see Liston overpowering jack and the others for a KO
+MDCKilla Joe Louis _definitely_ has a shot of beating Liston. As do Holmes, Foreman (especially), and (possibly but not likely) Norton.
+polymath7 who do you like in either Lyle vs Liston or shavers vs Liston?
+polymath7 who do you like in either Lyle vs Liston or shavers vs Liston?
+polymath7 who u got in a Lyle vs Liston or shavers vs Liston?
12:33 'Zech has the unusual southpaw stance.' The likely bothered Liston as much as having the tomato under his hamburger instead of on top like usual.
I think Sonny Liston could have beaten Joe Frazier & Jimmy Ellis in 68' to win either title.
Are you crazy no chance
I agree...Styles make fights...Frazier is made to order for Liston...A come foward fighter...chin first....tough but he could never maul Liston inside.Ellis would have had a better chance because he is a mover and underrated Puncher...But he would never be able to stay in there with Liston.
Maybe George would have got to Sonny but Foreman said Sonny was the only boxer who could ever back him up. Plus Sonny scared the crap of George for good reason. Sonny was a full on bad man!!
@@gazismad631 Good point. Furthermore George while sparring with Liston hit him with what George himself called one of the hardest shots he ever hit anyone with. Liston's reply? " Not today son".
@@rotichawal6697 Uh, Yank Durnham, Fraziers manager repeatedly vetoed a Liston fight. He probably knew more than you. No?
One of my favorite fighters. "Bad dude "!.I love em . Underrated very bad. Mafia yes. Still One of my favorite boxers always!Peace
His older sister said Sonny was born in 1919 making him old in 1960S for boxing.
Damn was he really that old
Wow, sister's & brother know your age
10:12- that mouthpiece was huge! lol
WHOA! That couldn't have been his mouthpiece! If it was then he could fit a turkey in there lol!
OK....Muhammad Ali was the greatest when he came along. Before him there was Big Bear Sonny Liston. No matter what critics says he WAS A FIGHTER. His headstone says it all "A Man." R.I.P. Big Bear.
Sonny Liston was actually 45 years old when he faced Muhammad Ali, and what's the crazy part is, is that Liston threw both fights for money.
@@kantovagrant3194 His shoulder was torn and bled into his bicep in the first fight. He was in no condition to fight.
These Sonny Liston fights in mid to late 60.s are interesting
Can you upload Ron Stander vs Earnie Shavers hope so Thanks for Liston video
Liston would have made short work out of all the contenders in that tournament eventually won by Ellis.
Liston was 10 years older than what he said. He did not have a birth certificate. His managers knew Sonny was much older. He was a power house no doubt. Still no time in his career would he beat Ali, lets face face it Liston was in slow motion next to Ali,as were most who fought Ali. I met Sonny when I was a kid,shook his hand and remember how large a fist it was. As for the hwts before and after Sonny, most would not be able to with stand the punishment he gave out. Foreman/Liston is probably the most intriguing fight ANYONE can imagine. Who wins? That's EASY , the fans.
Apparently, the 1930 census that hit all America does not have Sonny's name on it, it has all those in his family who were older than him, but not Sonny's, which indicates he was born late 1930 at the earliest. The 1940 census, so I've read, listed him as 10 years old. So, bearing in mind the first Liston v Ali fight to place Feb 1964, Sonny Liston would have been 33 when he fought the young Cassius Clay, and would have turned 34 later that same year.
+Paul Mann His birth was never officially recorded,for his father was so poor he put a mark on one of his trees the day his son was born,unfortunately ,it was subsequently chopped down.
deagldrumzz. that's who i was thinking about watching liston, george forman. i think liston was a better boxer and could knock you out with both hands.
37 year old Liston KOs 37 year old Ali
37 year old Liston KOs 37 year old Ali
Liston hit like a tree trunk but was slow and older than the public knew still he was better than today's crop of Heavyweight s
That last knockout though 😰 lol dropped him
It seems that Frazier, who was a contender at the late 60s era, kept out of Listons way.
Would have been interesting to witness that match.
Got a lot of respect for any man who went toe to toe with Liston knowing his frightening punching power. Boxers just shrug off left jabs and try to avoid the knockout punches. But Liston's jabs were all knockout punches. One unlucky opponent said. Every time he hit me he broke something. He was one mean assed mutha
every great heavyweight champ has a core four years,,,clay 64 to 68,,after lost to frazier,norton,,,etc,,liston 58 to 62,,after grew old in ring/party life,,dempsey 1918 to 1922 after inactivity,hollywood ladies,,,liston core four years would stand up to any heavyweight in history
Sonny was a beast...excellent finisher
Just to put into perspective just how great Ali's victories over Liston were, Liston had a streak of 28-0 with 23KOs before the Ali fights. Then after facing Ali he went on to go 15-1 with 14KOs. Liston was a monster of a fighter.
Liston was told to lose, Ali was a drug cheat and a fraud.
Always enjoy watching liston fights
Where's a better copy of his last fight against Chuck Wepner. A very bloody fight in 1970
He punched harder in slow motion!
❤classic boxing ;; my favorite kind of boxing on youtube
Liston sure liked fighting in Sweden. Wonder what the appeal was ? More money than back home ?
Lesd discrimination
He could not get sanctioned in the US after the Ali II fight, and he needed money. He apparently enjoyed Sweden in any case.
Women
Swedish blondes!!! 👱♀️
Sweden outlawed boxing in about 1970. Those matches we now watch from the 1960s were the end of a boxing era for that country.
Gerhard zech southpaw interesting text for Liston. Like to see the full fight
who wins these two match up all in their prime
Liston vs Marciano
Liston Vs Tyson
Liston KOs Marciano
Tyson gets decision over Liston
Marciano KOs Liston in 8...too much heart.
Liston
37 year old Liston KOs 37 year old Tyson
largelester why do u compare 37 year old liston to every fighter
I love it when they called Ali the Louisville boxing Master
4:14 It looks like Amos Johnson tried to do what Ali did. Didn't work for him though.
They should make a movie about Sonny Listons life and actor Rocky Carroll should portray him.
First guy did the Tony Tubbs shuffle
Awesome Power!😊
great great post. some liston fights ive actually never seen. do you maybe have more that aint on youtube elsewhere? such as the liston - folley fight. ive always wanted to see that but never found it anywhere.
There is no footage of that fight by all accounts, sadly.
No wonder they didn't give Clay much chance...
I can sum up a lot of debate as to how to rank Liston among the greatest heavyweights:
Who is faster, in movement, in punches: Liston or Foreman?
because I can definitely say they were massive sluggers, great power, but I'm wondering who gets the edge in speed?
This vid is awesome, super footage. Thanx.
crawlFace Answer: Foreman spared with Liston and apparently foreman said he got his ass whooped! However, this was a young foreman so who knows what would happen if the slightly more experienced foreman who fought in zaire would have done.
Floyd Patterson avoid sonny liston for years : & fought Cassius clay 32years old; young sonny liston (1962 ) would put a dent in Cassius clay head& stretcher and smelling sauce available & body bag 🎒
@@xandolf7216
Never recieved a notification about your comment but after all these years it's awesome to have these brief considerations and confirmations, so thank you for that.
Some fight footage of Liston at his best looked really impressive. Kinda uncanny to imagine Liston vs Foreman in a full fight, what a clash of the titans that would be!
@@lloydkline1518
That Liston in 1964... I mean, like I was never big on some of the conspiracies and stuff like that, just didn't thoroughly read and analyse the conspiracies and extra stuff that was going on with Liston, nor have I ever made excuses for Sonny, but without a doubt I have always felt something off at that point- I just never felt it was a 100% Liston in some way. This doesn't mean I think there's a possibility he threw the fight, just straight up honesty is I never felt right with it, just felt something was off with Liston.
Now with that being said, I don't automatically consider a boxing match victory means one fighter is better than another absolutely and all that stuff etc because I think there are different ways to win and different skills relating to the win. So just because a fighter wins doesn't neccessarily mean that fighter is better in every way, but sometimes it does mean that fighter was better, it depends etc. Ali had a super chin and there's no doubt he would take a few power shots from Liston, and he may get his jaw broken, and he may even get knocked down, but at this point it's more logic and physics... the ability to take a punch and take punishment combined with uncanny heart and desire makes it very likely it will always be an epic battle to defeat Ali. But, if Frazier can do it then we totally must be fair and consider a younger Liston at his best could also do it. No one, regardless of chin and heart, survives multiple power shots from the likes of Liston and Foreman.
But just because Liston can smash Ali to pieces if he catches Ali, the key factor here is- Liston has to catch Ali. There's no shame in understanding the huge difficulty in fighting such a mobile style. So ultimately it doesn't matter what heavyweight we're talking about, all of them at their prime would have a difficult time defeating Ali during those early Clay years. But yeah, I've seen better from Liston in his earlier fights.
@@crawlFace if Cassius clay fought sonny liston in like 1960 after the Olympics: ;; it would be feeding Cassius clay to the crocodile 🐊 (sonny liston ); 1962 30yeaes old sonny liston vs Cassius clay Cassius clay might (small.chance ) have escape sonny liston lethal punching power rocky Marciano & marvelous Marvin Hagler retired at32 years old
Do you have the fight against Zora folly
he took a dive against ali. everyone knows.
Bethea lost seven teeth in 58 seconds with Liston.
I don't understand all the hate Liston had a good jab pretty good defense and could clinch with his power could take out any heavy weight
+Kevintu28 He was no joke; it's just that The Greatest made him look like one.
+polymath7 Ć
Floyd Patterson: heavyweight boxing champion :: same trainer as Mike Tyson
I think that liston would do well in the ufc, look at his fist. But it will be a tough fight for him to beat the top 10 fighters
Always enjoyed Sonny Luston fights. Should be a better copy of his last fight vs Chuck Wepner
'Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston' the 2nd fight and the 'Phantom' punch that felled 'Liston' wouldnt have knocked Me out and let alone 'Sonny Liston' so It was probably fixed on 'Listons' behalf.
This is why he had to fight Ali so fast...by the time he became champ, he'd already clobbered everybody...
Why Sonny was neve given another title fight after he lost to Ali the second time
Seeing Liston here,i think anyone who thinks the first Liston/Clay fight was straight must have never studied the evidence.Read Nick Tosche`s biography for some good background info on those two Ali fights.Also read what Chuck Wepner and George Chuvalo have to say about Liston .It might be illuminating for you.
Didn't the FBI get evidence of the fight being rigged by the mob in favor of Ali?
@@kantovagrant3194 Yes very much so.The figure of Ash Resnick ,the reputed owner of Ceasars Palace Gambling casino was in and out of Clay's and Liston's dressing rooms before the fight .One mob figure did say to his relative not to bet on Liston as " they had the fight straitened " Just before the fight the odds went down to even moneyUnder the freedom of information act many memos of the FBI went public after 50 years and one memo did state that it was very probable that the fight was fixed .Get the book by Nick Tosche ,a biography of Liston Liston and he does lean towards the fight being fixed and certainly the second one .The second one was influenced by the Nation of Islam , The Black Muslims, hence Clay''s name change to Mohammad Ali .Liston was told to lay down early in the fight or suffer the consequences. It is also stated that the Black Muslims kidnapped Listons wife ,Geraldine and adopted son Lynel with the inference that they would be harmed .Listons collapse would have shamed a tenth rate actor ,but Liston and his family were not harmed and if any boxing fans and Ali fanboys think that Ali did not know about these shenanigans ,well they must believe in Father Christmas .
Let's watch it in slow-motion..
Sonny was the man back then But,he took two dives against Cassius Clay Liston would have beaten Clay easily but the fix was in I met Sonny twice in 1965
So what did tell then the fight was fix?
What was he like?
what puncher he was
Scrap Iron Jaw Johnson looked a dn fought a lot like Joe frazier. Look at 09:23 and on
So true mate good point
"Louisville Boxing Master" I thought I heard all the Ali accolades...go figure.
Liston #2 best all time heavyweight.
Lionel Witherspoon I love Liston, but no one sane would have him this high.
+Kyle McLachlan who could beat Liston?
Lionel Witherspoon You could pick a few, but that's subjective. As for accomplishments, Liston isn't no.2
+Kyle McLachlan I can't see anyone beat Liston in his prime but Ali. No one who studies boxing can.
And he wasn't the bad guy that the media made him out to be he turned from that a long time ago.. and yes he did hurt his shoulder in the first fight against Cassius Clay, it didn't cost him the fight he would have lost anyway but he did hurt his shoulder
Liston's legacy will forever be tainted by his tank job in the second Ali fight. I am not sure about the first fight, but the second fight was a badly acted tank job made even more confusing by an incompetent referee.
I'm talking prime vs prime
both fights with ali were fixed, no question
bullshit
Mob rules. Check who got sonny a boxing career.
Fuck that. I would not rate Tyson's chances against Liston.
Looks to me like George foreman adopted sonny's style of fighting
He is my number one he would destroy mike tyson
Liston was a dangerous fighter one of the best and had power to take your head off..If ali hadn't come along who could have beat him.Nobody!!!!!!!
+James Hampton Except that he had no heart. Like Tyson, when confronted he folded like an accordion.
+James Hampton From 1959-1963 (4 or 5 years or so), he was probably the best heavyweight in the world.
Liston took two dives against Ali. At least that's my theory. Ali was always a light hitting heavyweight. He did well against the slower fighters like Williams who was wounded and crippled when they fought.
Sonny Liston fought Billy Jointer twice. The fight shown here he stopped Jointer in 7 rounds. They fought the next year 1969 it went 10 rounds. Jointer landed some good left hooks in this 1968 he was stopped in 7 rounds. Good fights not the Sonny Liston of 1962 who knocked out Patterson twice in round 1
Gerhart Zech tall southpaw fighter. Liston 7th round ko
I think I found the one heavyweight who may have had a chance of beating Tyson.
A lot of heavyweights before Tyson and after had a chance of beating him in his prime in my opinion a few being Lennox Lewis, Holyfield, both klitschkos in particular Vitali, Ali, Liston, Foreman, Bowe, Holmes in his prime, Anthony Joshua, couldnt rule out Fury either
@@fantasyboxing71 same goes for any other great HW fighter, it's a puncher's chance and there's allways someone who has their number.
@@stigmahardcore 👏
The way I see it, if Liston was around then in my mind he was the champ, how does the world boxing organization just not do or say anything'? Shameful ass crooked bastards, and they called Liston the gangster! Even in the later years when he fought his old sparing partner Leotis, why did he even take that fight when he knocked out Clark the number five heavyweight, who had just knocked out Leotis??? They just did everything they could to deny the one true best heavyweight his shot, he would've beat Quary Frazier, any of them, like Ali said of the tournament to fill the vacancy Liston will win it all, but some how some way he was excluded???? To bad Kennedy was gone again he may have said something to change Listons fortunes!!!!!
İstanbul Türkiye geldi ama ben
1) Big facial jowls
2) Very deep facial wrinkles
3) Almost no muscle tone in his legs
These 3 clearly show Liston was in his mid-40s when he won the title in 1962.
Prominent sportswriter at the time saw Liston crying as he entered the ring for first Ali fight, Liston had been ordered to throw the fight. Liston used a shoulder injury as his excuse to quit that fight & attended post-fight press conference totally unlike himself, very humble & soft-spoken wearing a shoulder sling. Very next day he was not wearing the shoulder sling.
2nd Ali fight, Ali was screaming at Liston to get up & fight in the first round, the fix was too obvious.
Liston fought some fights in Sweden because he was box office poison after throwing the two Ali fights.
Nevada radio talk show host was told Liston was murdered after refusing to throw a 1970 fight against Chuck Wepner.
People age differently, jowels don't show age. I believe he was in the mid to late 30s though.
why sonny didn't fight Joe Fraizer at that time?? it should be good event.
His manager vetoed it.
It best for both sides;; it was just a paycheck for sonny liston in 1968 he was decline;;young Joe frazier lefty hook was very lethal
11:28 he didn’t even hit that dude he just fell lol
I'm sorry but who did Sonny fight?
Anybody who had the balls to fight him, and most didnt.
Voice over is for radio.Too much talk.Almost as bad as marble mouthed roy Jones and screaming Jim lampley.
I saw Sonny fight live.I am that old and former club fighter.
cloud dweller, and the punch sound effects were annoying as well.
Cloud Dweller The “voice over” you mention isn’t real. All these types of clips are from Jim Jacobs’ fight library. They’re all added years later. You can tell because he’ll often say something like, “Liston would go on 4 years later to win the heavyweight crown.” This Guy is on almost all the fights like this you see.
I’d rate young Liston as being about as good as Anthony Joshua. And Anthony Joshua I’d rate as being as good as a prime Ken Norton. Definitely an A- fighter. But I’d give Frazier and Foreman an A, and I’d give Ali, Holmes, and Tyson an A+.
Anthony Joshua is nowhere NEAR as good as any of the other fighters you listed. None of the heavyweights today could take on the heavyweight champions of past eras
LMAO...1:35
Sonny was a bad SOB.
Muhammed Ali nomber wan
Tyson Kos Liston in his prime he was alot faster and hit as hard as Liston
QuIgYx mike tyson was heavier than liston and was wider and his punches destroyed fighters who were even bigger than him. Sonny liston was a great puncher but didnt fight opponents who were great but he really proved himself against Williams who was bigger and maybe even hit harder than him.