Give Sonny Liston a grade.

Corner-----5. Worst of any heavyweight champ and that alone will cause losses

 

Reaction speed: 7/10. if a 10/10 is prime Wilfred Benitez and a 3/10 is Joe Joyce.

Movement speed: 6/10. 10/10 being Ali and Willie Pep, 2/10 being Old George Foreman.

Strength: 9.7/10. Not sure if this is for punching power or genuine physical strength so I'll consider both for this grade. 10/10 being George Foreman and Lennox Lewis. 3/10 being heavyweight Bob Foster.

Intelligence: 7/10. 9.7/10 being Mayweather Jr. And 2/10 being Andrew Golota.

Physical Genetics: 8/10. If Roy Jones Jr and Tommy Hearns are a 9.6/10 and Paulie Malignaggi is a 3/10

Durability: 7/10. If Hagler is a 9.8/10 and Amir Khan is a 2/10.

Overall: 8/10. If Ali is a 9.4/10 and Patterson is a 7.3/10

 

I heard rumours that he used to hit very hard. Almost like a Briggs.

 

reaction speed 8 /10
Movement speed 7/10
Strength 10/10
Chin 8/10
Intelligence 8/10
Physical genetics 10/10
Durability 7/10

Do the math.

Had he gotten the right handling all along, he would have been champ earlier. He was a great, great fighter.

 

Reaction speed 8 /10
Movement speed 7/10
Strength 10/10
Chin 9/10
Intelligence 9/10
Physical genetics 9/10
Durability 9/10

Only reason I don't give his physical genetics a 10 out of 10 is because he was relatively short for a heavyweight champion standing at only 6'1" or so. Very very strange as he had the dimensions of a much taller man. His height was very likely stunted due to poverty, and the (presumed) lack of nutrition.

 

Everything 10 except speed and chin, I give him solid 5 for both.

 

But doesn't that speak to his ring IQ? I can't think of any other champion who would've gone as far with a corner like that, perhaps Ali.

 

Sonny’s weakness was footwork. Great wit his hands poor with his feet. He didn’t know how to cut the ring off on Ali 1, or 2 and anyone with movement could do well like Machen.

 

You never thought to yourself what might occur if someone like Ray Arcel or Eddie Futch were in his corner instead of Willie Reddish & the mob?