Is Sonny Liston the most well rounded heavyweight ever on film?

Well, a convicted r*pist is a favorite fighter of many boxing fans, so what do you expect.

 

I haven’t read all of the thread yet, if I was to jump into Liston fights prior to Ali, what would you suggest? Hate to jump into such an esteemed fighter in a passing of the torch kind of fight at the end of his career.

 

Well rounded? No.
For me that's Joe Louis, and it's not really close.

 

And are judged and scrutinized for doing so, especially when they hold the most important title in sports as he did for a time.

 

You’ve been making excuses for him — he was poor, he was black, he wasn’t brought up well, policemen kept a close eye on him (because he was a convicted felon who continually broke the law after his prison stint) … tell me exactly what you hold Sonny Liston to account for.

 

No, I didn’t.

Indications that we could see would include:

Changing his ways (giving up drinking and driving, not serving as a leg-breaker for the mob in retirement as he did in Las Vegas from credible accounts)

Actually apologizing and acknowledging that he hurt people and showing regret over it

Reaching out to his victims to make amends (police officer whose leg he broke, person he held up at gunpoint, etc)

Donating a purse or two to charity

Going to speak to children about the problems of crime and alcohol

There is zero indication that he did any of the above or otherwise took any action that showed regret. I’m not assuming anything — I’m observing that he did nothing of which we know to show it. Not one report, no anecdotes, nothing.

That’s not judging with no evidence. That’s saying there is no evidence that he did anything. Just like I can’t find any evidence that the police picked on him or did things to make his life miserable beyond arresting him when he broke the law. If ‘Sonny’s driving again, might want to tail him for a few blocks to see if he’s swerving because he has a history of drunk driving’ is out of line to some, I disagree.

We reap what we sow, and Sonny did a lot of sowing.

 

Sure. Explanation of the behaviour isn't the same as justification.

 

You didn't read my post. Here, let me reiterate the more important part -- "I don't make excuses for what a grown ass man does. But I can understand what led to them being the type of person they are."

So, I hold him to account for all crimes committed, period. I just understand how he could have turned out like that.

 

You make a laundry list of excuses for him and then say ‘I’m not making excuses.’

He beat up cops. “Well he says they were racists.” Etc.

 

Oh for goodness sake open your eyes and do research on Sonny Liston's life story.Your comparisons to the likes of Rocky Marciano and Ingemat Johansson are laughable,
suggesting Liston would have been able to take the same path as those two.
Why don't you compare Liston to Jake La Motta,Carlos Monzon, Riddick Bowe,
or Mike Tyson ? Why didn't they get the same dreadful press that Liston got ?
MIke Tyson was mugging old ladies before being sent to reform-school.However he fell into the care of
Cus D'Amato while Liston fell into the tender mercies of the Mafia.Can you spot the difference ? No you
probably can't !

 

Yeah,imagine beating up a racist,bigoted cop ! Oh what a terrible man !

 

Well said mate.

 

So how do we know he was racist or bigoted? Because Sonny beat him up?

Do you have a single source not named Sonny Liston on which to base this? Hell, did Sonny even claim it?