Were Does Sonny Liston Rank in ATG Heavyweight list?

That's just shyte. Tyson and Holyfield are just two of MANY victims on the Lewis resume. Anyone *******izing his career down to these two fights has shown their hand before the cards have even been dealt.

 

same bracket as tyson..

 

ali is obviously better than liston and lennox lewis is too.i think joe louis would out-box him,larry holmes ditto.
it would take a pre 60's peak liston two rounds with marciano ,dempsey and joe frazier and its a toss up with george foreman.
he's definitely up there with the best and you just have to look past the ali fights !!

 

Maybe its your eyes? :roll:

 

Dam, I sure ran into that one. :good

 

Top 8 lock. I have him 6th.

 

Woops I put # 4, when my intentions were # 3. Yes I still have him # 3. let me edit.

 

Sure, I would be glad too.


Zora Folley:

Record- 51-3-1
Age- 26
Rating: Top 5 in the world
Size- 6'1 200lb

At 6'1 200lb, Folley was one of the best fundamental boxers of that era. His skills even compared to modern greats are impeccible. His Left jab was very elegant and whipped out there in dynamic fashion like a frog's tongue catching its prey. Louis destroyed Folley in 3 rounds, liston just steamrolled right through folleys difficult gaurd and got him outta there quickly and efficiently.

Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams 2x

Record- 45-3
Age- 27 years old
Size- 6'4 212lb
Rating- He would crack the top 5 for 4 straight years

One of the most feared contenders ever to step in the ring. 6'4 215lbs of pure muscle and intimidation. Williams had Unbelievable dynamite power in his left hook and could triple up combo on the left. He also had cat like quick hands , and cat like quick movement making him a dangerous slugger with anybody less than a stellar chin. What did liston do in this fight? He shook off a 1st round broken nose to twice decimate cleveland williams in dominating fashion, the 2nd time making williams cry after pummeling him on the ropes. The only time Williams was stopped 1957 all the way through when he got shot by a cop in 1965.


Eddie Machen-

Record: 34-2-1
Age: 27 years old
Rating: top 5 in the world
Size: 6'0 195lb

Machen has outstanding technical boxing skills with a highly educated high gaurd defense and fluid left jab. I might go as high to say Eddie Machen's Skills alone rate up there in history as one of the better ring technicians to ever grace the ring. Listons only fight in which he did not dominate the opponent, yet liston showed his ability to go 12 hard paced rounds winning a clear unanimous decision over a good boxer.


Nino Valdes

Age: 34
Record: 47-18-3
Size: 6'3 211lb
Rating: Top 5 in the world going into 1959

Nino Valdes, was one of the more feared contenders of that era, along with Williams. In fact, Cus Damato refused to give Valdes a title shot when Valdez earned a # 2 ranking in 1958 out of fear of the Cubans size and Power. Valdez never even got a title shot against marciano despite being rated # 1 briefly. Not only did Nino have size and power, but he had a phenominal fluid Left Jab which was long and very aggresive. Valdez had two fisted knockout power, and was lethal against the smaller heavyweights of his day. Valdes by 1959 was slightly past his prime. However he was still very dangerous as evidence by his murdering knockouts against pat mcmutry, harold carter, and joe erksine. Liston demolished Valdez, knocking the dangerous cuban out in 3 short rounds in a slugfest. After taking Valdez best stuff, Liston teed off on Valdez in the 3rd round swarming him with two fisted assault driving him to the ropes then landing a lethal combination and finished it with a left hook to the liver...valdez dropped like hed been shot..out cold.


Mike Dejohn:

Record: 37-5-1
Rating: Top 10
Size: 6'3 202lb
Age: 26

Dejohn was a big slugger with a thunderous Left Hook who george chuvalo claimed was the hardest hitter he ever faced. Dejohn was big strong and dangerous and would always come to fight hard. His left hook left Alex Miteff seneless in one short round. Mike was rated pretty high by ring magazine at the time of this fight. Liston left Dejohn a bloody mess flooring him with two lethal body blows in the 6th before the referee rescued dejohn in a one sided slaughter. "One of the most brutal outpourings of punishment in recent heavyweight history"- Miami Herald

Roy Harris:

Record- 29-1
Size: 6'1 195lb
Age: 25
Rating: Top 5 in the world

Harris was a tough Texan who was highly rated when he fought liston. Harris was a fairly educated solid boxer who had recently floored floyd patterson in a world title contest in which he went 13 solid rounds with the champ. Harris has recently beaten good names like bob baker and Willie Pastrano. It took liston just one short round to annihilate Harris knocking him down 4 times before the ref stepped in and stopped the massacre.

Wayne Bethea:

Record: 17-8-2
Size: 6'0 204lb
Rating: # 9 by Ring Magazine
Age: 25


Wayne Bethea was unique because he was a spoiler. He was not very talented as a boxer, but he was good sized, very strong, aggresive and was the most durable fighter in the division. He had fought the worlds best for years and no one ever stopped him. Because of these traits, he made alot of world class fighters look bad. Sonny Liston stepped in the ring with him in 1958 and manslaughtered the concrete chinned Bethea in 58 seconds. Bethea did not know where he was when the referee stopped the fight.


Johnny Summerlin:

Record- 22-1
Age: 23
Rating- He would crack the top 10 within months
Size: 6'1 192lb

Johnny Summerlin was one of the brighest prospects to come out of boxing in the mid 1950s. He had spectacular skills and pop in both fists, and was filled with potential. Liston put that on hold by twice defeating him in 1954. Now it is true that liston struggled with Summerlin in both fights, but I think what makes this remarkable is the fact Sonny Liston had just 5 pro fights under his belt and was nothing more than a greenhorn when he twice beat a much more seasoned prospect like Summerlin who was being highly touted everywhere he went. Not many champions could have done that in there 5th pro bout.


Another Notable: Billy Hunter 6'3 193lb would crack into the rankings at # 6 shortly after liston demolished him in 2 short rounds. Billy was a tall boxer who used his long reach to his advantage on the outside, and he had pop in his punch too. Other fighters which cracked the top 10 at one time or another were Marty Marshall, Amos Lincoln, Chuck Wepner, and Henry Clark all very tough Journeyman.





* Notice how all these top contenders(except Valdez) were in there prime and liston beat them all cleanly and convincingly.

 

...Suzy Q has just done quite a service for ESB and for the Liston's legacy.

Bravo.

 

Indeed, good to see you Suze!

 

Yeah, great posts.

 

Gut feeling is that because of his historic standing and impression he made to modern heavyweight boxing, he is top ten.. He was fearsome and if he were around today and without the outside influences surrounding him, Sonny would scare the division with the way he did business.. Hard hitting , fast hands , and fearless attitude... Charles was absolutely legendary.......