Sonny Liston vs Cleveland Williams 2 (21.3.1960) - Full Fight Colorized

[@ryanarch9934]

"No man alive hits harder than Sonny Liston" said Cleveland Williams.

[@j_ko9]

I absolutely love Sonny Liston. My 2nd favorite boxer of all time, after Ali. Liston was a genetic freak, tailor made for boxing. Massive 15+" fists, 84" reach (almost a foot longer than his height), solid chin, & knockout power in both hands. Crazy what he accomplished in the little amount of time he had. Liston didn't even start boxing until a speculated age of 30 RIP Charles "Sonny" Liston (The Big Bear) Hard to believe its been 54 years already since he passed

[@MA1980c]

@@j_ko9 he struggled against fighters that moved around in the ring like Machen, Clay. I don't consider him a great boxer. If you knew how to fight him he was clueless

[@j_ko9]

@@MA1980c ok for the sake of conversation. Who you got for your top 5 all-time HW

[@j_ko9]

I'm hoping Tyson isn't gonna be one of them

[@ryanarch9934]

@@MA1980c you couldn't be more wrong Sonny Liston was an excellent boxer. Listons Jab is among the best of all time he is very good at timing opponents, slips punches very well. Sets up hooks uppercuts and overhand rights with his powerful jab. Liston is patient his ability to cut off the ring and force his opponents back second only to Foreman. Incredible power in both hands, unbelievable strength high ring IQ excellent boxer among top 10.

[@STREETBEEFS_]

Sonny was a monster!

[@donnacushman7024]

Unless you stood up to him...

[@daviddavis3389]

That's what some say about OJ Simpson...😊

[@daviddavis3389]

​@@donnacushman7024son y was almost 50 when he fought Ali!! Don't understand estimate the big Bear! Don't get me wrong; even Ali admitted that he was scared to death when he fought Liston...that's why he ( Ali) was acting crazy!! He was very fearful of Sonny....actually Ali felt that Sonny was tougher than the way he actually performed in their 1st contest.

[@annacallahan34]

@@daviddavis3389 I would have loved to see a young Liston fight a young Clay.

[@daviddavis3389]

@@STREETBEEFS_ unless, you knew Sonny's history! Sonny was a direct product of being treated like an animal by his own father...poor Sonny never was shown love or any affection until he was sent to prison at an early age...( That sounds funny when you heard my words right? ) Sonny had 21 older siblings by his father empregnating 2 women...OR half siblings.....By the time he was 7; he had to do hard physical labor in the fields! His old man was cruel and would beat him for small things....He received very little education and was never shown love...At about 15 or so he ran away and robbed people because he needed to eat( lived on the streets.....

[@yungversacelord8815]

That left hook to the body right before the first knockdown was brutal!

[@scottdecker9115]

Man, Liston had some good moves in this fight, and he definitely didn't waste any time. KO in the 2nd round. He KO'd Williams in 3 in the first fight. Williams didn't do so bad, but while he blocked Liston's straight jabs, he had no answer for Liston's combos and his hooks.

[@Noxshi319]

Look at the back muscles on this guys…goooddamn…

[@tonicipriani1170]

steroids probably.. it was the 60s afterall

[@ryanarch9934]

Cleavland Williams was the biggest toughest contender in the division of that time. That being said this is a testament to how good and how resilient Sonny Liston was

[@terryscott2007]

This is the equivalent of Foreman vs Lyle in it's day😉

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

Yeah the first one even more!

[@MA1980c]

Those guys had far stronger chins than Williams

[@ryanarch9934]

@@MA1980c I agree. Williams could hit as hard as Liston, Liston was tougher with very strong chin

[@marleywills2160]

Lyle wasnt as powerful. He had a granite chin but freezed up after taking punishment then fought bk. Liston and Foreman kept pressing and fought bk instead of freezing up . Cleveland could take it but eventually got picked apart. Sonny wasn't phased by his hits. Even tho Cleveland before getting shot in the foot was very strong (equal to Lyle). I rate liston the 2nd hardest puncher after Shavers being 1st. Foreman 3rd ofc. Liston and Foreman had the ability to take punishment but would defend and fight bk. Liston is rated behind Foreman. Foreman could use his size to throw booming shots that sent you flying. Listons wouldn't send you flying but it's like a Hammer at long range that will pick you apart. Liston hit harder, Foreman was quicker and more powerful , quicker than Liston of foot, not of handspeed . Foreman had a slightly better chin, but Liston had better fundamentals and hit harder. He wasnt aggressive. It's a Conservative puncher. Those who fought both " being hit by Foreman was like being hit by a really strong man, getting hit by Liston was like being hit by a Hammer. Lyle almost had their chin, could hit almost as good as Foreman but would freeze up. He was slightly quicker than Foreman" remarked by Leroy Caldwell "shavers and Foreman were a little slower" fast and plenty of determination who could box instead of being too aggressive. Shavers could box a bit but would freeze up. His chin was decent at times but failed him later rounds with fatigue. If you survived his brutal punches (which Lyle and Tex cobb did) he's gassed out with your amazing chin, you won. Lyle and Cobb did against the hardest hitter ever!

[@Niffdaddy]

Great comparison

[@victormebom9224]

Sonny ruled the world then!

[@chriso1585]

Your channels and rich the fight historian are the only channels I'm ever watching on KZbin anymore. Thanks for the great work

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

Thanks for that. KZbin is dying unfortunately i also noticed that. Going downhill for the last 5 years

[@chriso1585]

@@LegendsofBoxinginColor it’s as if they want to go out of business with all the restrictions and channels getting closed down. It’s ridiculous.

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

​@@chriso1585 its unbelieable honestly i hope one of the blockchain videoplatforms that make your videos impossible to delete will blow up and we can all move over there. something like a odysee of some sorts

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

​@@chriso1585 nowadays i only watch yt on newpipe, a github youtube client which blocks ads and lets you download videos, music

[@chriso1585]

@@LegendsofBoxinginColorI've never heard of newpipe and github, I'm gonna have to look them up. I'm a bit behind everyone else when it comes to sites and computers, like I only recently bought my first laptop. If you ever move to a different platform or site, please let us know cos I can see by your numbers there's many viewers who don't comment, but who follow your channels

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

Puncher vs Puncher the best boxing match up you can get and they delivered! Improve the quality of the channel and get yourself a Sonny Liston or Williams Tshirt or Poster: www.redbubble.com/people/LegendsofBoxing/shop

[@surrealistidealist]

Liston said no one ever hit him harder than Cleveland Williams. When these two fought, it had to end early because it was kill-or-be-killed. I think Liston had better head movement, which gave him a bigger advantage.

[@c.galindo9639]

Yes. Liston learned from the first encounter to not underestimate Williams. He had his ribs broken from their first fight and didn’t want to have another mistake like that happen from a second encounter. Seeing them both throw their punches looks very devastating, to say the least lol

[@surrealistidealist]

@@c.galindo9639 Oh wow, I didn't know he broke Liston's ribs! I've also seen a quote that George Chuvalo said Williams hit him the hardest, which says a lot since Chuvalo also fought prime Foreman while Williams was way past his prime when fighting Chuvalo. However, I'm still trying to verify this quote.

[@c.galindo9639]

@@surrealistidealist yes and it probably was after Williams lost most of his power after sustaining a gunshot wound and had to have surgery to keep him alive and then he wasn’t the same as he was in punching power

[@HaraDuran]

​@@c.galindo9639no wonder Sonny said that even his eyebrows had muscles.

[@c.galindo9639]

@@HaraDuran they were all built different back then

[@c.galindo9639]

Damn both were insanely powerful and highly respected each other’s output of execution. One had to be victorious but watching them throw punches looks very intimidating. Both excellent and great boxers to admire, still even today

[@mikel4879]

The power of Sonny Liston.

[@frankpaya690]

The speed bag is for timing. It wouldn't be hard for anybody to break it.

[@bbq878]

My all time favorite heavyweight fight. Great classic.

[@GuyFromTheSouth]

Sonny would be a top contender in any era. He had the reach of Tyson Fury. He was the best heavyweight I have ever seen with grappling on the inside. He was almost impossible to clinch. His pressure was immense. He didn't just use his sledgehammer jab to punch, he also used it to grab, to push, to get collar ties and pull you into body shots. Liston was so smooth ane rarely ever got hit clean. His defense was incredible considering how much he engaged. He had the power to KO anyone. I've studied him for years.

[@henrybrowne7248]

This demonstrates that Sonny was the best heavyweight by the 60s. . . But then came Ali.

[@kristiant96]

We missed Ali's prime when they banned him from boxing for 3 years when he came back he wasn't the same, he is mainly remembered as one of the greats for his stand against the USA government which at that time for a black to do was unheard of.

[@henrybrowne7248]

@@kristiant96 Yes, good point. That often happens in sports. Layoffs can be deadly . . and for a man of Sonny's years, even more so . . But I kind of thought Ali was just a bit tarnished by the time he first fought Frazier.

[@kristiant96]

@@henrybrowne7248 Ali's story is a tragedy as well as many of the greats from that era, we truly live in a hell realm.

[@nikolailic431]

Liston said about Williams that he could punch that hard as him but he couldnt take a punch like him.

[@henrybrowne7248]

And that seems demonstrated in both their fights. Almost identical, in fact. Man was Liston tough.

[@beans3158]

People forgot how hard Williams really hit, chuvalo said he’s the only person to ever make him wobble

[@gablefisk-govphost817]

I'm fairly certain that the workout footage at the beginning is from the leadup to Patterson II. Sonny trained in the ballroom at the Thunderbird during the weeks before the fight, the public could come watch for $0.50.

[@S.O.A_Zero]

Liston used to move way better than i remembered. I'd be really curious to see what he would've been if he got trained from Eddie Futch. Imagine Ali against a bigger and stronger Frazier, who also got the longest reach in boxing history, at that time. Maybe also fighting him before he reached his 40's...

[@soleknight3212]

Same result, but probably go into the later rounds. Ali definitely wins either by decision or late stoppage. Styles make fights

[@S.O.A_Zero]

@@soleknight3212 Exactly, and a Liston that flights like Frazier would be a nightmare for Ali

[@soleknight3212]

@@S.O.A_Zero Not Ali of 1966/7. That Ali beats the best Frazier and a Liston 2.1. Too fast, best chin of all time, martial artist like movement, incredible combinations and a gas-tank better than anyone in history - perhaps only a 1986-1988 Tyson can match the stamina.

[@ralhrfi]

not convinced. not fair to judge liston by ali fights. 1st one was old, slower and didn't train, 2nd didn't want to fight@@soleknight3212

[@ralhrfi]

ali 66/67 was a great fighter but fought agains mediocre opposition. his best fight against cleveland williams was considered his best but the cleveland williams ali fought (and like liston 1 won in the 3rd round by tko) was not the cleveland williams iiston fought. aside from being 36 williams had suffered a gunshot injury and clearly was not the same after.@@soleknight3212

[@IveHeardenuff-vn2np]

This one was Awesome...real talk. Salute 👊🏾

[@JoseDiaz-yl9sh]

Sonny Liston he was really strong. Feels like a train and ran over u. Great color in the video. 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

Too strong, too compact. Ur right

[@JoseDiaz-yl9sh]

@@LegendsofBoxinginColor would not like to fight him. Have a great night

[@williepep-fy7qm]

Great work champ

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

Gotta keep up that workrate

[@tyronetunstell7544]

AWSOME, MUCH APREATED 👌 ,ALL THE BEST FROM THE U.K

[@abdul-salam1473]

Clean head movement by Sonny 🔥

[@shadicalplayz8932]

6:45 In my prime, this is how I would Destroy prime Ken Norton and break

[@marleywills2160]

Liston had a granite chin..his losses to Marshall and Ali had people think he didnt. He got caught with a shot. He said to his wife he would let the better fighter win. He could take a punch. Just didnt have the heart against Ali, and was old against Marshall. His chin was granite. Him and Foreman were a class above Lyle and Shavers. Their defense was better. Liston fundamentally was the best brawler

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

Against Ali he had other problems. But against Marshall he was out. Punch resistance can go real fast once you get old

[@marleywills2160]

@@LegendsofBoxinginColor yeah, but Considering he was old he went rounds with top fighters and put stitches in Chuck Wepner. Yeah, that's true man

[@DerpRulesAll]

You guys mean Martin? He fought Marshall early in his career.

[@marleywills2160]

@@DerpRulesAll Yeah, man. I got it mixed up lol

[@BloodBox27killer]

Rocky Punches in prototype Rocky 1

[@marktorak5578]

This Sonny Liston was a great fighter

[@thomaszarvis8813]

Body shots were killer

[@knuckandfenn]

To this day i wonder how that young kid"Cassius Clay" beat him not once but twice! Does anyone know was this fight before or after Williams was shot?

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

This was before that incident where he was shot in 1964. But he had many accidents so i dont know if he had some other before

[@paoloalcantara2465]

If I happened to be in a street fight against 10 people and if I could only choose ONE person to fight on my side, I’d pick Sonny Liston!

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

That wouldnt be a fight, that is a rabbit hunt. Liston destorys them haha

[@JoelShrallow-rl3yt]

This is what happens when a tiger challenges a bear.

[@davidwalker5054]

Forget all that ultimate fighter full contact Kung Fu bullshit. This is as brutal as it gets. 2 of the toughest meanest hardest hitting men you will ever come across all those other fighting disciplines are pillow fights compared to this

[@joearnold5836]

These dudes almost look like anime characters with the remastered footage. Lol.

[@majimamike4097]

Sonny is in my list the greatest. Sure Ali beat him in the first fight but to me Liston seemed untrained, unmotivated and some years out of his prime. The second fight seemed fixed like hell. I believe the Liston version of 1958-1962 can beat every opponent from any era.

[@surrealistidealist]

Liston had an injured left shoulder for the first Ali fight. That was critical, because Liston depended a lot on doing almost everything off the jab. The 2nd indeed seemed fixed. If both Ali and Liston were truly at their best, it could really go either way. Ali was past his prime when he beat Foreman, who as in some key ways similar to Liston. But Liston had far better stamina than Foreman, so even a prime Ali would have a much harder time if he relied too much on tiring a prime Liston out.

[@thomaschandler4769]

I AGREE ON HIM BEATING EM ALL. WITH ONE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION. ALI IN HIS PRIME GETS MY SLIGHT NOD FOR DECISION WIN CAUSE HE WAS THE MASTER BOXER. A HEAVYWEIGHT RAY ROBINSON. BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT PRIME LISTON(58-62). ALI NEVER FOUGHT PRIME + MOTIVATED SONNY. THAT SONNY IS THE GUY THAT BEATS ANY AND ALL HEAVYS ON THE BEST DAY OF HIS PRIME. I THINK PRIME SONY COULD DO IT BUT SLIGHT EDGE TO ALI.

[@HankFinkle11]

@@surrealistidealistit wasn’t fixed. Liston was shot by the time he fought Clay/Ali. He was most likely in his mid 40’s by that time.

[@marktorak5578]

26 years old are you kidding. Liston was at least ,36 years old or older

[@elijahtoppersons7827]

If it ain’t boxing legends in colour it ain’t it- quoted by Einstein

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

I rember that one, great quote

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

Williams was shot by .357 magnum at point blank range. He recovered fought 4 opponents before given the chance to fight for the title against Muhammad Ali in 1966. Now my point is this what would’ve happened to Ali legacy if he lost the version of Williams that recovered from shooting incident. Secondly who is or was Sonny Liston who demolished this fighter twice and in both classic bouts Williams sent Liston into defensive Mode.

[@ralhrfi]

even if he had recovered he was much older than the williams liston fought

[@TheGreatestBoxing7]

Nice

[@TheGreatestBoxing7]

I found a rare 15 second video deep in the internet where it had Muhammad Ali talking about how he has a fight with Cleveland Williams a fighter who has been shot and trying to have a comeback

[@LegendsofBoxinginColor]

The ali archive. I think i saw that

[@DerpRulesAll]

Williams made the same mistake in the second fight that he did in the first, closing in on Liston instead of keeping him at range.

[@quarantinejet2312]

Liston had the reach and skill advantage, that wouldn't have worked.

[@МихаилБоровых-о1п]

Perfect technique!!!

[@bestofluckusa]

Williams seemed to make it clear to the ref that he'd had enough. Huh, if that was me, I'd have carried on and beat that fairy, Liston, up bad! LOL.

[@Toracube]

The ref saved his life.

[@katewild2194]

I would not have wanted to be hit by Sonny.

[@nunofranco1496]

Big bear

[@greyghostscsa394]

The shots that Cleveland hit Sonny with would knock out a horse. And Sonny ate them like some tic tacs and smiled. So you’re going to really say that Cassius Clay legitimately KO’ed Liston with that phantom punch? Yeah right.

[@JashXD]

the second fight is def rigged but the first fight was legit and ali won

[@marktorak5578]

Cleveland Williams knocked out Ernie Terrell in their first fight in 7 rounds

[@miker20]

Picture is worse than it was in black and white

[@showtime3314]

Why dont we see Americans fighting like liston these days ?

[@kantovagrant3194]

Because no one is proportionally built like Sonny Liston. He had unique physicals which made his style hard to replicate. The reason why Ali's style is so commonly used is to avoid head trauma.

[@davidgriffiths7696]

Hopeless, 12 more big shots in the corner.