A Historical Look Back at Sonny Liston versus Floyd Patterson II
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Charles ‘Sonny’ Liston made the lone defense of his World Heavyweight title on July 22, 1963, at the Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Though Sonny’s appearance was brief to say the least, Liston’s world title defense marked the beginning of the golden days of boxing in Las Vegas, also known as ‘Sin City’. Liston’s world title bout helped put Las Vegas on the map for a different reason, as a venue for staging sporting events.
Liston versus Floyd Patterson II, July 1963, on YouTube (black and white archival footage)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckimu7s1yiE
In some respects, Liston versus Patterson II the rematch looked a great like George Foreman versus Ken Norton. Liston and Foreman were the classic power punchers of the previous generation. Liston and Foreman followed Rocky Marciano. However, Ali exposed both Liston and Foreman’s chin. Rocky’s Chin was never challenged (with exception of the European version of the Ali versus Marciano computer fight, which Ali won in Europe).
Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson trained at Grossinger’s, while Sonny Liston trained at The Pines in the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill hotels offered fresh air and nice athletic facilities, and a peaceful escape from the big city life of poverty so many fighters emerged from.
Rare interview with Sonny Liston on YouTube (black and white archival footage)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLMlEpRb9w
Perhaps Patterson’s biggest mistake with Liston was standing in front of him and trying to slug it out. Liston proved in his two bouts with Cleveland Williams he could not be overpowered or outslugged. Muhammad Ali fought Liston with a track runner stick and move game plan, leaving the slower Liston flat-footed and unable to chase him.
Patterson offered Liston an easy target, for the second time. Patterson had to lose twice to Liston before he altered the game plan. Against George Chuvalo and Muhammad Ali, Patterson fought as a defensive well-moving counterpuncher. Styles make fights. In Patterson’s case, at the time of his bouts with Liston, Patterson’s fighting style was too inflexible. Patterson was used to being the aggressor with fighters of similar ability.
If Rocky Marciano had made a successful comeback in the late 1950’s, Patterson would not have survived with the aging version of Rocky either. Rocky would have beaten Patterson with an accumulation of power punches in a bout similar to Rocky’s eight round knockout of Archie Moore. Rocky would have decisioned Liston or stopped him in a bout similar to Rocky’s first bout with Ezzard Charles, just outscoring and outworking the other guy.
Patterson’s loss in his rematch with Liston still serves a valuable lesson. Patterson’s unwillingness and / or his inability to adjust his game plan and style to a harder punching opponent did him in. Michael Spinks made the same mistake against Mike Tyson as Patterson did with Liston, thinking their opponent could be beaten with a technical approach, and getting lured into a brief toe-to-toe street fight.
One fight I would have liked to have seen in the 1960 to 1970 era would have been Sonny Liston versus Jerry Quarry, preferably before either fighter fought Muhammad Ali. Both fighters would have been well-balanced in terms of raw punching power and fighting style.
Patterson actually fought Ali twice, and did much better than Liston because Patterson made defensive adjustments which made Ali have to work more to penetrate Floyd’s defenses. Patterson simply did not realize Liston had a certain ability when it came to throwing with power. Liston also demonstrated the furtive art of holding the fighter behind the head while throwing with the other hand to break the opponent down quickly and without mercy. Later, Ali would borrow this trick to beat George Foreman, before any referee realized its effectiveness in neutralizing a dangerous opponent while tying them up on the inside.
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