How Many Top 10 Contenders Did Sonny Liston Beat

Just checked to be sure. DeJohn and Harris were top 10 when Liston faced them:

http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine's_Annual_Ratings:_Heavyweight--1950s

 

You have to remember too,,,,,,,,many guys just flat-out avoided him.

The whole 'European Allie Army' refused to battle with Sonny.
Ingemar Johansson turned down $2,000,000 in August 1963.

 

someone should bump that thread of the point system of wins

 

Well he never fought the second-best opponent and the third-best of his era - Ingemar Johansson. There doesn't seem to have been that much opportunity, though: Johansson got his title shot relatively quickly, then fought Patterson three times and never fought in the States again afterward. Amazing if you think how much Patterson went on to accomplish... the difference between a party lifestyle and a life of dedication and training.

 

From what I understand (and it's certainly not as much as some of the experts here who lived through it), Liston definitely did enough to separate himself as the leading contender in what was a non-descript, weak era without many box-office draws. Really comes off like the "big fish, small pond" analogy. I also get the feeling that his resume today is viewed in a better light in a historical context than it was at the time due to revisionism. Still, Liston did enough that it's fair to say he cleaned out the division of other contenders as much as could reasonably be expected.

 

Liston fought a total of 19 different boxers that were rated in the top 10 at one time or another a total of 25 times. Marciano fought 13 different boxers a total of 16 times.

Liston fought a total of 12 boxers that were rated in the top 10 when he fought them. Marciano fought 11.

 

Everyone forgets this...but Henry Clark, Wayne Bethea, Roy Harris, and Mike DeJohn were all top 10 rated when Liston beat them.

 

Surely Clay/Ali should be here too

 

Willie Besmanoff may have been on the 'fringe' too.

Lets not forget, in 1968 many of the top guys just did not want to risk their
ranking by fighting him.

ABC Executive Producer tried to get several TV fights for Sonny at the end of 1968 and early 1969.

 

Il Duce

I couldn't find Westphal in that annual ratings, maybe you could post some link. I also couldn't find Zech, Johnson and Rush in such rankings. Please post they accurate rankings and source.