Sonny Liston Ranked Above Tyson and Foreman - Why, And How?

Yes, I do. I rate Patterson higher than most I think. I really don't believe in the "he was too small and had a glass jaw" crap. Yeah, he wasn't a big hw. About as big as Dempsey and bigger than Marciano ... He also was as often stopped as Tyson. Nobody talks about Tyson having a glass jaw. Youngest hw champ, first to regain the title and he has a more than solid resume.
Holmes is a top hw for sure but not the Holmes Tyson fought. That Holmes wasn't better than Witherspoon, Spinks and Co. Patterson was in his prime when Liston beat him in one two times and while Frazier was overweight and undertrained he was still at or near his prime too.

 

Does anyone take into account..when ranking Sonny as a top heavyweight champion
..that HE QUIT ON HIS STOOL against Ali in 1964...or his..."ahem"...KO loss to Ali up in Maine in 1965???

 

Not as much as they should. Yet he blasted Patterson out in 1 round twice so this is forgiven. Foreman, Frazier, Holmes, Marciano... at least these guys didn't quit.

 

As much as Tyson's biting and arm breaking out of frustration :good

 

I used to have Liston as top of the 3 until Foreman won his title back. yes George's matchmaing was great in his 2nd career but he still landed that KO punch. Liston and Tyson are much closer. I'd give Liston the edge.

 

Fans often voice popular belief without weighing the variables. How Liston can be rated over Foreman or Tyson to me, is mind-boggling.

 

Yeah, it comes down to H2H. In which case, maybe the Ali fights are looked at too lightly and maybe the Patterson/Williams fights are looked at too heavily. Yes, he was practically an alcoholic by 1962-65 but this might explain the pass and hyped ability some credit him for in terms of H2H.

 

Very good post. Although I have Liston above Tyson I completely agree that Liston is overrated by some on here.

How I rank the 3 of them:

6. Foreman
10. Liston
14. Tyson

 

That seems fair, although a tad harsh on Tyson. I have to be honest, I have Liston ahead of Tyson (At least I do on the last list I made). I'm beginning to re-think that obviously. I was definitely influenced by some here. They made compelling arguments. Liston and Tyson are much closer to rank and gauge for me. Foreman just has to be ahead of them... I don't see how people dismiss his resume/legacy and ability H2H.

 

in all your postz it alwayz comez back to 14 year old boys with you

what the **** is up with that

 

Maybe when talking to you? I have no idea what you're talking about. Lame attempt at trying to be funny, most likely.

 

first u say "maybe when talking to you"

then u stupidly contraDICK yourself when u say, "i have no idea what your're talking about"

lame attempt trying to be smart

although it waz quite funny

lmfao

 

He's bettter than them.

 

This is an important point that seems be often overlooked these days. Foreman's loss to Ali just devastated him. He was not the same, confident, force of nature that he was before Zaire. It fairly amazing how, ten years apart, Ali not only defeated two of the most fearsome heavyweights in history, but he crushed them mentally in doing so. To his immense credit, Foreman recovered from his humiliation and rebuilt his reputation. It's a remarkable story. H2H pre-Rumble George puts Sonny to sleep, I think. Post-Rumble, but pre-retirement, I think Sonny could have stood a fair chance of knocking George out. Sonny and Tyson present a fascinating prime H2H possibility. One of them would be counted out, but which one? A coin toss I'd say.

 

Not a contradiction, you're just not intelligent enough to realize this. I'm saying maybe I do when talking to you, but if I do it's not something I'm aware of (Hence the idea of what you're talking about).

Stop trolling in my ****ing thread.