Sonny Liston one of the greatest

[Biledriver]

Not sure I agree. Fighters need to be rated in their own time. Head to head is a fantasy. I don't discount the opinion Liston would stop Tyson, but I can't whole heartedly buy into it either. At he end of the day I think Liston WOULD intimate Tyson...but Mike is bigger, faster and at his best relentless. Overall LIston for me rates higher and or pretty close all time. Not even Tyson scared contenders the way Liston did.

Tyson was heavier, but Liston was taller and had a much longer reach.

[QueensburyRules]

So, the heavyweight champion of the world is supposed to fight a basketball player, for what reason?

If Wilt wanted to fight HW champion, he should've became a fighter & earned a shot.

- - Fantastical International $$$.

Cus was training Wilt for Ali. Ali had no way to train for Wilt.

No matter that Ali ducked the fight after having agreed to the contract with posters drawn up, Wilt came out on top by becoming the first millionaire sports figure in America whereas
Ali fought ancient Zora Folley for peanuts...

[Willow The Wisp]

It is true that Liston lacks a good resume of wins

You're kidding, right?

[Willow The Wisp]

I remember that for a very long time, Liston was grossly underrated. Announcers and analysts, with a slightly veiled hint of racism, would look no further than the two Ali fights when discussing Liston. But sometime much later; there was a deeper dive taken on the man, which really turned his legacy around, in a similar way to what occurred years ago with Tunney, then Charles, and perhaps with what's happening today with Larry Holmes, another all-time great who was perhaps under appreciated in real time like a French Impressionist painter.

The Heavyweight division between the retirement of Marciano and the ascendancy of Ali was among the better divisions in modern history. Liston, Patterson, Williams, Folley, Johansson, Machen, Valdez, Baker, Moore, Harris, DeJohn, Cooper, Cleroux, Chuvalo, etc. Exceptionally strong; and Liston gutted it.


I agree with Willie Pep 229 about respecting fighters. It's a sign of weakness and weirdness to be overly critical, let alone insulting, to the greats of a game that you can't tap out in, or do on the school playground without getting in trouble.

I'm also thinking that it's time for a Joe Frazier Renaissance!!!! What he did in there with Ali; I claim could not be bettered or duplicated by anyone who's come down the pike since.

[BKM-]

Tyson was heavier, but Liston was taller and had a much longer reach.

Also bigger hands, skull, probably thicker bone structure overall. But probably most importantly Liston is one of the strongest HW grapplers ever in boxing while Tyson one of the weakest. It would be man against boy in there if they were fighting in-close.

[IronDanHamza]

Sonny Liston would beat the living shit out of Mike Tyson.

Man vs boy.

[Dr Z]

You're kidding, right?

No I am not. His resume is thin compared to other ATG's defined by hall of fame fighters being beaten. Liston was a force, BUT he was also a fouler who likely was in a fixed fight.

[JAB5239]

No I am not. His resume is thin compared to other ATG's defined by hall of fame fighters being beaten. Liston was a force, BUT he was also a fouler who likely was in a fixed fight.

How is it likely he was in a fixed fight when there is no proof? People make, even the FBI made the assumption Liston fought in a fixed fight but could prove absolutely nothing. If its likely, its just as likely for every fighter in history. As far as his resume goes...you can only fight who is there to fight. Liston did that, and was dominant. You hold good old Vits Klitschko in high regard, but he didnt even fight most of the top fighters of his era and owns zero wins against a hall of fame fighters. So why Question Liston?

[Biledriver]

Also bigger hands, skull, probably thicker bone structure overall. But probably most importantly Liston is one of the strongest HW grapplers ever in boxing while Tyson one of the weakest. It would be man against boy in there if they were fighting in-close.

Agreed

[solidman]

Do we agree that Liston was one of the top 5 best heavyweights ever?