When Liston sparred Joe Bugner

If you want to talk hair, jump in on that Donny Lalonde thread I started.

 

I always did prefer the closely cropped look for Leonard…oh, did you mean Donny?

True, nice mullet - but one that Ray’s punches were sending this way and that. Donny should’ve applied a bolder hold before the fight.

 

Never seen this before. Found a nice of pic of Liston and Bugner standing together as at the time of the sparring session in question.

https://shop.memorylane.co.uk/mirror/1000to1099-01027/young-joe-bugner-left-heavyweight-champion-21768724.html

 

Just another thing. I know the photo isn't perfect for judging, but it isn't too bad for some comparison - Bunger was generally listed as having an 82" reach, which seems fair per his height and the eye test. Though I will note that he was listed 80" for the Bruno fight - that stat being more the exception than the rule.

For mine, though Liston is a bit closer to camera, I can see Liston's arms being that bit longer than Joe's, and they wouldn't have to be greatly longer either side for Sonny to hit the 84" mark.

 

I don’t think that many people do to be fair. Liston gets a lot of props around here and I’m one of them who supports his resume. Occasionally you’ll get someone who talks as though he was easy to beat based on that one ( Dubious ) performance. Or people on the opposite end of the spectrum who make him out to be invincible. I myself have him as being a top 15 guy

 

Which dubious performance are you talking about? Quitting in the first fight against Ali or getting KOed in their second fight?

 

The second fight. For decades it was debated about as to weather or not that fight was a dive. I’m not sure one way or the other.

 

Agree. Liston isn’t dwarfed to any degree that would preclude his viability. He looks plenty big and where he loses in height, he gains in reach.

And Bugner himself might’ve been as tall as 6’4 1/2” - certainly, he held a clear height pull even over Ali. Although bandaged, the size of Liston’s hands compared to Bugner’s…unreal.

I had a quick watch of Bugner vs Bruno - the TOTT on screen indicated Bugner’s fist size to be 11” vs Bruno’s 14”.

My own fist measures about 12 3/4” -which isn’t big, no way is that listing correct for Joe unless a less flatteringly method for measurement was applied. It’s actually not that easy to keep the tape in place for the fist measurement.