vits comes unstuck against tough atgs. but is sonny an atg? I would have him as a rank outsider hofer, simply cos he didn't do enough to warrant hof let alone atg. perhaps vits has a chance with his durable chin. that might be his best chance, all out attack in an effort to spook liston. I would give the edge to liston however, hes cut from different cloth.
Most people have Liston as an ATG HW. I've seen him ranked as high as top 5, lots of people have him top 10.
Head to head, longevity, an all time come back, never floored, never lost more than 3 rounds in any fight...top 12 ATG, could argue better.
Is it at all possible that Vitali might have lost more rounds if his best opponent weren't Chris Byrd?
My take is that Vitali will work Liston over with his overhand right. I think Liston lunging forward with that jab, which worked against smaller men, will leave him very vulnerable to Vitali's right cross. I think size matters and I see Vitali's height and power being decisive. I think it far more likely Vitali cuts up Liston than that Liston slices up Vitali. *just on these round arguments--I've seen the Vitali-Byrd fight several times, and have always given Byrd four rounds. Byrd would have won the fight on my card if he swept the last three rounds, which he seemed on the way to doing. Just my view of that fight. I understand the judges had Vitali basically sweeping every round, but I don't know what fight they were watching.
I would say Lewis was his best opponent. Was Lewis every down 4-2 on all three cards. Anyone who can put box Lewis is a very good boxer. Take Ali or Holmes. They struggled and lost more rounds to in some cases lesser talents. Yet Vitali regardless of opposition level always dominated on the score cards, even when he was fighting injured.
What's a top 5 guy? Adamek, Sanders, and Peter were rated in the top 3 when Vitali beat them. Vitali lost but one round in these three fights. What's Frazier's record vs top five guys? Frazier was 1-4 vs Ali and Foreman, so he could have a losing record vs men rated in the top five when he fought them.
Frazier's waaaaaaaaaay better than that though, he got Quarry in the top five, Ellis in the top five and of course Muhammad Ali. That makes for 3-4 - but beating Muhammad Ali is kind of like beating Lennox Lewis. Imagine what that would have done for his standing.