Liston was 218 when he was 18

So, he was 218 when sparring Sam McVea. If only that were filmed.

 

… he was probably just a chubbier sort of guy? Liston was never cut up, all HW’s with some sense cut to a weight that’s comfortable to fight at just because you can weigh 218lbs doesn’t mean you should, Ali felt his best at 212lbs but he held 220 fine enough. James Toney was a teenage 210-220lbs footballer but he fought his best at 190lbs. Lennox Lewis could likely hold up to 270lbs without ever looking like a pig… he’d probably move like one doe. Liston at his best was a cruiser weight, a 215lbs-ish fighter, yes he would be too small for the likes of Wlad, Lewis, Vitali etc Ali was too much of physical specimen for him - Liston “bulking up” and still moving well is a complete unknown… If he was 230-240lbs it’s a high probability he’d be sluggish and he was already so slow… regardless of how the weight got there PED’s aren’t going to let a flyweight bulk to 140lbs without losing a few ticks of speed and fluidity.

 

Tell that to Manny Pacquiao.

 

The myth of Manny Pac is that he was ever small this is not a flyweight in the ring, it’s also post “day of” weigh ins. In the “day of” he’d be a 135lber or around there… my 0.2$ anyway.

This content is protected

 

Excellent points Cobe.

Possible that Sonny did cut weight without him having been unduly heavier in the first place.

Liston was known for his assiduous, spartan like training.

Until much later, Sonny always carried a discernible six pack - I remember reading the claim that he did a huge number of sit ups per day.

Here’s Liston in a Golden Gloves match in ‘52 for possible visual estimates.

Now per his birth certificate, you can take Liston as being about 20 yo as at the time - or you can tack on a few more years if you suspect that Liston was that much older.

My God, his reach looks ridiculous - like Stretch Armstrong’s.

This content is protected

 

Journeyman, where does this quote of Liston come from? I never heard this before.

 

Are you referring to the quote of Liston being 218lbs as a teen? He actually told it during a filmed interview from memory, that’s where I heard it or similar at least, I actually recall him saying 200lbs not 218lbs with some slight alteration from OP’s quote but it was a while ago.

 

Glass City. where did you find this quote of Liston saying he was 218 pounds at age 18?

 

Usyk roughly matches Ali in dimensions so you do the math.

 

Isn't Liston generally seen as the first of the modern era type boxers that emerged post Marciano and Patterson?

When it was becoming evident someone under 200 lbs could no longer compete successfully at HW.

 

Okay. I wondered because I think I've seen almost everything that's been written about him. And since he was so uncomfortable with the press, there aren't many quotes out there that were attributed to him. Of this one I'm skeptical. There's a lot of BS about him now, including from questionable authors who invent quotes and elevate wild suspicions to "facts".

 

Liston wasn't a big guy. A little over 6 feet and in his prime around 213 pounds give or take 2. The were a lot of myths around Liston and the whole coming out to the ring with 6 towels wrapped all around him under his robe contributed to that. Ali was bigger than him. So was Max Baer. Angelo Dundee couldn't believe how small Liston looked compared to Ali in first fight at stare down. He had big shoulders and long arms. That's it. He would look like a midget next to someone like Lennox Lewis for example.

 

This quote is suspect. If youve ever been to the part of Arkansas that Liston was living in when he was 13 there are no gyms and never have been. That area is dirt poor flat flood plains planted with Cotton for miles and miles. Liston would have been lucky to find a cotton plant big enough to hang a speed bag from.

Everything Ive read on Liston, including interviews with him said he didnt start boxing until he got into the sport at Jefferson City while in prison there. Unless you believe that he was boxing in the 1920s like Paul Gallender says. I dont, because the Liston that Gallender thinks was Sonny Liston in the 1920s was actually a white guy.

However, I dont have any problem believing Liston weighed more as an amateur than as a pro. Thats not really that uncommon with better, and more consistent training