Where Does Sonny Liston Rank As An ATG Heavyweight?

I think that objectively people seem to be missing a simple point here with boxers.... How do you define when a boxer has lost 'it'. That intangible of when the boxing spirit leaves them and they just cannot function effectively as a fighting mchine as they used to. I hate to use the terminology 'shot' as it has become sucha loaded and nonsensical term.
However when we look at the history of many boxers often the signs of demise happen very aprubtly on a given bout. The is just a fact of boxing life. How many boxers have stepped in to the ring with no apparent signs of decay, only for us to see them unravel before our very eyes. So why can this logic not apply to Sonny. Did he just grow old on the night with Ali... was this not excentuated by facing a transformatinal heavyweight in tersm of quickness of hands and feet (combined) and lateral movement? Surely a sustainable compromise!!!

 

You do have a point. I recently saw an interview with Mats Wilander, one of the main tennis stars of the 80's, especially at clay. He reached the pinnacle of his career when he won the US Open in 1988, but went steeply downwards directly after that even though he still only was 24. He himself said that the victory in US Open made him lose that extra hunger to win and fight for every ball, and when he didn't feel that anymore he just couldn't win. In training he was as good, or even better, as he ever was, but he just didn't have enough hunger to win matches anymore. So he plummeted from the nr. 1 spot into obscurity in just one, two years time.

 

Remember too, that Wilander was a baseliner and had been around winning majors since he was a kid. VERY early success. Borg also drained out early, age wise. These facts and the success he had been after (that you mention) combined to derail him.

 

Well, he felt himself that he skillwise and physically was as good as ever (or even better), but that the motivation just wasn't the same. And I mean, this guy slumped. Practically overnight. He went from having his best year in 1988 to having his worst in 1989, and never recovered.

 

Bit unco, are we?

 

Hey, it's not us spending all our spare time at Lovefilm.com. Guess you murmur "being in love means not having to say you're sorry" in your sleep.

 

Mrs McGrain said: "Little do people know that Wilander won grand slams on hard court, clay and grass".

 

Thing is, Wilander was gay even for being a tennis player. He read real bad poetry on national television, overruled judges' decisions to give match-balls away and fronted THE lamest rock band ever. So, I don't know about you, but I'm going to slink away for a while just to try to let my shame subside. Cheerio!

(damn, that was also gay)

 

Saw that grass one too. Would you believe i have played a couple of singles matches (in club level tourneys about 5 years ago) against the Aussie that took him to 4 sets in the 4th round. A handful of doubles too. Even aged a bit and semi serious he wipes us out bigtime. Won a couple of doubles against him but that was by going thru his partners mainly

 

Hold your head up, he once sparred McEnroe for charity.

 

Going through his partners? Now that IS GAY!