Sonny Liston one of the greatest

[Dr Z]

I like Foreman’s wins better, and therefore rank him higher than Liston. I think Liston beats Dempsey and Marciano, but I’m less convinced against Frazier. I don’t see him beating Holmes.

It is true that Liston lacks a good resume of wins

[ShoulderRoll]

Liston is one guy that I don’t get all the praise for. I know he had the reputation for being intimidating and everyone being terrified of him, but when I watch film of him he doesn’t stand out as being overly impressive in any one area.

[Anomalocaris]

It is true that Liston lacks a good resume of wins

Is it?

He wiped out the entire division BEFORE he won the title, that has never been done before or since. He should have been given a chance at the belt years earler.

Manny Steward knew what he was talking about.

[Dr Z]

Is it?

He wiped out the entire division BEFORE he won the title, that has never been done before or since. He should have been given a chance at the belt years earler.

Manny Steward knew what he was talking about.

List his ten best wins. Aside from the scared and glass jawed Patterson who faced him, and the solid contender Mcahen there's not much meat on it. Just a bunch of glass jaws or small sub 200 pound men.

I'll be waiting...

[dan_cov]

Liston for me is terribly overrated, his resume is extremely weak.
His best and for me only notable wins are against Patterson who was naturally much smaller I mean he ate his way up to barely 190lbs, no surprise a solid, hard hitting natural HW destroyed him. I'd be rather worried if he never.

I do not think Liston comes close to the top 10 let alone 5.
I don't have a precise list but I imagine say a Wladimir Klitschko would be somewhere around 10-12 maybe? I don't see how anyone could realistically put Liston close to even a Wlad. Based on what? Title defences? resume? Longevity? Skills? power?

For me Liston is just not up with their greats and I expect many will disagree but frankly he is one of the most overrated fighters, certainly at HW that I have seen.

[QueensburyRules]

- - Sonny had stellar natural attributes, but the Patterson reign was terribly weak, so Sonny got the ultimate gift of his era. No way Sonny survives Frazier.

[solidman]

I think you guys are underrating Liston here. Did he or did he not have one of the best left jabs in history? And he beat the best who were around in the late 50s early 60s. He beat Cleveland Williams who was a big strong powerful man. He beat a prime Zora Folley. He beat Patterson twice easily. He beat a prime Eddie machen. He was damn scary too. Even Ali was terrified by him.

[JAB5239]

- - Sonny had stellar natural attributes, but the Patterson reign was terribly weak, so Sonny got the ultimate gift of his era. No way Sonny survives Frazier.

I disagree. Frazier walks right to him getting clubbed the way he did against Foreman. Not as quickly. But I think Liston would get him out of there by mid rounds.

[QueensburyRules]

I disagree. Frazier walks right to him getting clubbed the way he did against Foreman. Not as quickly. But I think Liston would get him out of there by mid rounds.

- - Joe BTFO Ali first go round and he'd do the same to Sonny.

As mentioned, Sonny lucked into a weak era and still couldn't dominate though he beats all of Floyd's title defenses. I like Sonny who made something of himself, but he was cursed with the sins of a terrible father and lucky to have been a momma's boy in a weak era.

[Anomalocaris]

I disagree. Frazier walks right to him getting clubbed the way he did against Foreman. Not as quickly. But I think Liston would get him out of there by mid rounds.

About time someone on this thread gave the man some respect.

To read some of the posts you would think Sonny would get KO'd in three by Shirley Temple and I wonder if some are trolling

On Rainy Day Boxing's Youtube site he has created an absolutely magnificent documentary on Liston.

I have seen it about 25 times

'Song for Sonny Liston' by the great Mark Knopfler is superb as well.

The lyrics are pure genius.