Sonny Liston didn't have anything close to an 84 inch reach

Jack Johnson, Marciano, Frazier and Tyson disagree.

 

How to measure wingspan-often incorrectly called reach-& reach is precise. The former was laid out in this thread.

Whether it is done properly or exaggerated is a question.

I have never read anything other than 84" listed for Liston.
Huh, that is very poetical. If he lisped & drank lipton iced tea to go along with later being listless even better.

Anything COULD be claimed or incorrect. Yet w/a wide chest long arms & massive hands it is possible. Google "Beejay Anya wingspan" & see a legitimate +13" wingspan, the longest I have ever seen & the product of some research, & would be one of the longest absolute wingspans in NBA history. (Manute Bol, 7' 7" with the same rare +11" "ape factor", is easily #1.)

I wrote about Liston in much more detail here on the last page. Again, show us links where Liston is convincingly, or likely even, listed accurately as less than 84". Heck start with showing me even tale of the tapes or other accounts where he is LISTED as less than that.

 

He did have a long reach but i think the measurement sounds so long partly due to the hand size and wide shoulders

He did have longer arms than usual though

http://s12.postimg.org/jeydy2gbh/Sonny_Liston_52.jpg

http://s12.postimg.org/j3gxlazvh/1_THOAS_IGN_liston.jpg

http://s12.postimg.org/nvqqwqujh/Sonny_Liston_60.jpg

http://s12.postimg.org/bslf96jh9/Sonny_Liston_66.jpg

http://s12.postimg.org/na1s0mzh9/Sonny_Liston_81.jpg

 

And like Liston, he has disproportionately long arms.

 

Dubblechin...cheers...i thought it was that way but just wanted it confirmed...its a strange measure because really your reach is just one arm at a time.Iv'e never really given it much thought until this post ,just assumed that a taller guy with long arms would have a reach advantage but that's clearly not that simple (or is it ? )...as you say the width of shoulders counts...(but does that really help "reach" ). Reach advantage to me would be that if 2 boxers stood apart and fighter A could reach the other guy making contact by stretching his arm..but from an identical stance fighter B could not make contact using the same method ,then fighter A ,has a reach advantage.
Maybe that's over simplyfying it but that's how it seemed to me....all very interesting !

 

You ever heard of a guy called Iron Mike Tyson?

 

Rocky Marciano's reach was 68", mine is 72" and I'm only 5'8".

Marciano retired as unbeaten Heavyweight Champion.


You might want to consider if this is the right place for you.:think

 

:good:good:good

 

Shoulders a yard wide would help I should think.:think

 

Yes. Wide chest & big shoulders (bone structure, amount of muscle mass is not relevant) & large hands & fingers.

Thus far nobody has accepted my challenge to provide evidence that these things + clearly disproportionately long arms did NOT make up a 72" reach. Rahman was just a bit taller & also a 7' reach, & he is not disputed. Had the same general proportions, though Rahman "only" has a 13" fist & shorter fingers, must make up the reach differential.

So Liston's wingspan seems perfectly plausuble.

And nobody has even POSTED any links showing that Liston was ever listed as less than that!

 

I always remember Liston listed as an 84" reach and 14" fist.
I don't recall his reach ever being listed as different.

 

Met Sonny as a kid back in late 1964 when he was training the the Ali rematch in 1965...
...he looked like a GIANT to this 10 year old...

 

Oh we've heard about it plenty of times...

Have you hewed of a guy called Rocky Marciano??

 

I don't know about his reach, but his fist size - 15" - seems legit. Absolutely monstrous hands.

 

Liston jab seems to be very long on the film. You are correct wide shoulders and long fingers can make a fighters reach seem longer.

Arm length is a better indicator. I am a fan of the way HBO measures reach.