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

This guy, Rajon Rondo, is considered to have a "ridiculous" arm span in the NBA where there are lots of players with a long arm span. The NBA does legitimate measurements of a player's arm span and hand size before the draft. His arm span is 81", and he is 6-1. Plus, this guy's hands have been legitimately measured at 9.5 inches long and 10 inches wide, which according to the article are bigger than 6-8, LeBron James' hands.

http://www.thesportster.com/basketball/top-15-most-impressive-wingspans-in-nba-history/

Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo is currently one of the best point guards in the league. It seems every time he steps on a court he is a threat for a triple double, and a lot of that can attributed to his ridiculous wingspan. Rajon Rondo only stands 6’1, but has a wingspan that stretches to 6’9. That is an 11% increase on his height. That length has made him one of the best point guard defenders. He is a four-time All-Defensive team member, and he led the league in steals in 2009-10. On the offensive side of the ball, Rondo like to drive with a scooping layup. His extra length allows him to keep the ball away from incoming defenders, making for some spectacular finishes. Rondo also poses very large hands at 9.5 inches long, and 10 inches wide. To put that in perspective, his hands are larger than that of Lebron James. Rajon Rondo’s length at the point guard position makes him a one of a kind player.

 

Rahman, yes. I forgot he was only 6'1 to 6'2". Page is in that range. Coetzee I thought was 6'4" ish but might be right.

 

That's a great point! I've never seen an arm length longer than Vitali"s also. The closest I've seen is Rahman's at 29. The reason Vitali's wingspan of 79 inches from fingertip to fingertip is because he has very narrow shoulders and his fists are only 12 inches. But yes I agree 100%, his arms are so long that he's equal to guys who have 84-85 inch wingspan. Valuev has an 85 inch wingspan, but his armpit to the end of the fist is only 27 inches, he gets that 85 inches because he's so broad shoulderd, I'm not sure what his fists are.

 

Never underestimate another man's length.

 

vitali has short arms for his height (for a boxer)... its obvious from the photos, look it up. he's definitely not over 79 inches in reach... no way are his arms longer than lewis's.

 

I believe Liston had that reach, yes. His peers sought to denigrate him, not 'big him up.' I see no benefit to his contemporaries in positively improving his legacy as a badass. (For what it's worth, I consider him a true badass).

 

So Rondo can have the hands of a 6'9 guy, but Liston can't have the reach of one?
I get that boxings measurements are less verified, but this is kind of disproving your point isn't it?

 

Liston's credited wingspan and the one Im convinced is inflated is 7 feet even- three inches longer than Rondo and on par with NBA centers and power forwards. If Rondo is freakish at 81, Sonny at 84 would've been downright comical.

I, for one, don't think his wingspan was only 5 inches less than Kareem Abdul Jabbars, but i can buy that it was freakish for his height. We've already seen photo evidence in this thread that the number wasn't exactly set in stone.

 

It definitely seems like someone took the arms off a giant, and put them on Sonny.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RBE2ehG2p...AABTg/nqQY70l1CIE/s1600/SonnyListon+cards.jpg

 

Sonny Liston wasn't measured for the first Ali bout?
I find that hard to believe. His reach was listed as 84"

 

There was a lot being made of Listons physique at the time.
Nobody thought it historically important to measure Liston the way he actually was for that fight? Seems strange.

I've seen Tysons fists measured at different sizes as well.
13" for the Williams bout, 12" for the Lewis bout.
Suspect too?

 

Someone should have sent that memo to Lewis. He probably feels pretty foolish now, that he had to abandon his jab and take all that punishment; stepping inside and leaning forward against an opponent with less range.


"Lewis...LOOOK AT THE PHOTOS! Stop walking inside, go to Boxrec, your reach is 5 inches longer!"

https://streamable.com/uinct