Did Sonny Liston really have an 84-inch reach??

If you watch the Cleveland Williams vs. Liston fights, the commentator mentions that Williams has a reach advantage over Liston. It seem apparent in that clip of Ali and Liston that Reznick posted that Ali had a reach advantage over Liston too. The only way I'd ever believe that a 6-0/6-1 man had an 84" reach is if someone can show a video of him having his reach measured as Ali did - and I'd want to see the tape to make sure 6" or more hadn't been cut out of the tape.

For some reason people believe that boxers are "officially" measured by commissions or somebody...they are not. The "tale of the tape" is from measurements supplied by the boxer or his team. I remember a few years ago that someone found a measurement, I believe of Stanley Kethel (not sure), and he was listed as having a 12" wrist. It's doubtful that Andre the Giant or the biggest Strongman contestants have 12" wrists...some of the measurements listed for boxers are ridiculous.

 

You need something more than this.
I think when most of us watch Liston fights, we can see that he has an abnormal reach. So there is no obvious visual cue to question it imo.

The Ali clip you’re talking about; you have the wrong read on it. I explained it in that thread, perhaps a bit harshly.

 

Reach measurement is "wingspan" so it has little to do with actual reach in the ring.

A wide torso, the specific structure of the glenohumeral joint (where the arm connects to shoulder) and the length of fingers can add several inches to reach.
Liston definitely had long arms anyway.

 

Good point.
So if there’s two guys with the same reach, one might actually fight at longer range due to body mechanics? (Balance, weight shift, flexibility.) That makes sense.

 

I would say so, yes.
Also, height is factor too. A tall man is at an advantage because he can adjust his punches to go straight out from his shoulder to find an opponent's face, whereas a shorter man may have to punch up slightly - and he'll lose an inch or two of range with that angle.

 

The only thing that comes up for Sonny Liston not having an 84” reach, is a thread from this forum from 2015. Unsurprisingly it uses a few photographs and some shitty science logic.

 

Personally I don't think so. Before the Leotis Martin fight his reach was listed at 80.5 inches. I compare him a lot to Hasim Rahman when it comes to reach. Hahman is 6'2.5 and has an 82 inch wingspan. Rock is very wide with big shoulders, very long arms, and huge fists. Emanual Steward said he never saw another fighter with hands bigger than Rahman's. I don't think Lennox Lewis has an 84 inch reach either. Before the Holyfield fights he was listed at 82 inches, after he became 84 for some reason.